diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libevent/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libevent/default.nix
index 24ded54d8e97..bd5edec68a06 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libevent/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libevent/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 { lib, stdenv, fetchurl, findutils, fixDarwinDylibNames
-, sslSupport? true, openssl
+, sslSupport ? true, openssl
+, fetchpatch
 }:
 
-assert sslSupport -> openssl != null;
-
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "libevent";
   version = "2.1.12";
@@ -13,6 +12,14 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "1fq30imk8zd26x8066di3kpc5zyfc5z6frr3zll685zcx4dxxrlj";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    # Don't define BIO_get_init() for LibreSSL 3.5+
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://github.com/libevent/libevent/commit/883630f76cbf512003b81de25cd96cb75c6cf0f9.patch";
+      sha256 = "sha256-VPJqJUAovw6V92jpqIXkIR1xYGbxIWxaHr8cePWI2SU=";
+    })
+  ];
+
   preConfigure = lib.optionalString (lib.versionAtLeast stdenv.hostPlatform.darwinMinVersion "11") ''
     MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.16
   '';
@@ -27,14 +34,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ++ lib.optional sslSupport "openssl"
     ;
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = []
-    ++ lib.optional stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin fixDarwinDylibNames
-    ;
+  nativeBuildInputs = lib.optional stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin fixDarwinDylibNames;
 
-  buildInputs = []
-    ++ lib.optional sslSupport openssl
-    ++ lib.optional stdenv.isCygwin findutils
-    ;
+  buildInputs = lib.optional sslSupport openssl
+    ++ lib.optional stdenv.isCygwin findutils;
 
   doCheck = false; # needs the net