diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/physics/yoda/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/physics/yoda/default.nix
index c6c6f742d0bf..8ed0a2c4ae3a 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/physics/yoda/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/physics/yoda/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl, python2Packages, root, makeWrapper, zlib, withRootSupport ? false }:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, fetchpatch, python, root, makeWrapper, zlib, withRootSupport ? false }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "yoda";
@@ -9,14 +9,26 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "1ki88rscnym0vjxpfgql8m1lrc7vm1jb9w4jhw9lvv3rk84lpdng";
   };
 
-  pythonPath = []; # python wrapper support
+  patches = [
+    # fixes "TypeError: expected bytes, str found" in writeYODA()
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://gitlab.com/hepcedar/yoda/commit/d2bbbe92912457f8a29b440cbfa0b39daf28ec34.diff";
+      sha256 = "1x60piswpxwak61r2sdclsc8pzi1fshpkjnxlyflsa1iap77vkq8";
+    })
+  ];
 
-  buildInputs = with python2Packages; [ python numpy matplotlib makeWrapper ]
+  nativeBuildInputs = with python.pkgs; [ cython makeWrapper ];
+  buildInputs = [ python ]
+    ++ (with python.pkgs; [ numpy matplotlib ])
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional withRootSupport root;
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ zlib ];
 
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
+  postPatch = ''
+    touch pyext/yoda/*.{pyx,pxd}
+  '';
+
   postInstall = ''
     for prog in "$out"/bin/*; do
       wrapProgram "$prog" --set PYTHONPATH $PYTHONPATH:$(toPythonPath "$out")
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index f79c8c6e87dc..6b5f63e857ab 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -24626,7 +24626,9 @@ in
 
   thepeg = callPackage ../development/libraries/physics/thepeg { };
 
-  yoda = callPackage ../development/libraries/physics/yoda { };
+  yoda = callPackage ../development/libraries/physics/yoda {
+    python = python2;
+  };
   yoda-with-root = lowPrio (yoda.override {
     withRootSupport = true;
   });
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 596c397505f1..955cd768c4e6 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -5693,6 +5693,10 @@ in {
 
   xxhash = callPackage ../development/python-modules/xxhash { };
 
+  yoda = toPythonModule (pkgs.yoda.override {
+    inherit python;
+  });
+
   youtube-dl = callPackage ../tools/misc/youtube-dl {};
 
   youtube-dl-light = callPackage ../tools/misc/youtube-dl {