diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/mezzanine/writable_settings.patch b/pkgs/development/python-modules/mezzanine/writable_settings.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4b5be7b5950c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/mezzanine/writable_settings.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+diff -Nur mezzanine-3.1.10/mezzanine/bin/mezzanine_project.py mezzanine-3.1.10-patched/mezzanine/bin/mezzanine_project.py
+--- mezzanine-3.1.10/mezzanine/bin/mezzanine_project.py	2014-08-30 07:12:19.000000000 +0200
++++ mezzanine-3.1.10-patched/mezzanine/bin/mezzanine_project.py	2016-10-31 14:47:30.982401818 +0100
+@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
+ from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
+ from optparse import OptionParser
+ import os
++import stat
+ from shutil import move
+ from uuid import uuid4
+ 
+@@ -61,6 +62,9 @@
+         copy_tree(os.path.join(package_path, "project_template"), project_path)
+         move(local_settings_path + ".template", local_settings_path)
+ 
++    os.chmod(local_settings_path,
++             os.stat(local_settings_path).st_mode | stat.S_IWRITE)
++
+     # Generate a unique SECRET_KEY for the project's setttings module.
+     with open(local_settings_path, "r") as f:
+         data = f.read()
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 71d1092d8f8f..b3077272050d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -13967,6 +13967,7 @@ in {
       url = "https://github.com/stephenmcd/mezzanine/archive/${version}.tar.gz";
       sha256 = "1cd7d3dji8q4mvcnf9asxn8j109pd5g5d5shr6xvn0iwr35qprgi";
     };
+    patches = [ ../development/python-modules/mezzanine/writable_settings.patch ];
 
     disabled = isPyPy;