diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/fontconfig/make-fonts-conf.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/fontconfig/make-fonts-conf.nix
index 493f662d0ce..aa84de4dcec 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/fontconfig/make-fonts-conf.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/fontconfig/make-fonts-conf.nix
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-{ runCommand, libxslt, fontconfig, dejavu_fonts, fontDirectories }:
+{ runCommand, stdenv, lib, libxslt, fontconfig, dejavu_fonts, fontDirectories }:
 
 runCommand "fonts.conf"
   {
     nativeBuildInputs = [ libxslt ];
     buildInputs = [ fontconfig ];
     # Add a default font for non-nixos systems, <1MB and in nixos defaults.
-    fontDirectories = fontDirectories ++ [ dejavu_fonts.minimal ];
+    fontDirectories = fontDirectories ++ [ dejavu_fonts.minimal ]
+      # further non-nixos fonts on darwin
+      ++ lib.optionals stdenv.isDarwin [ "/System/Library/Fonts" "/Library/Fonts" "~/Library/Fonts" ];
   }
   ''
     xsltproc --stringparam fontDirectories "$fontDirectories" \