diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/sweethome3d/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/sweethome3d/default.nix
index f2c8e6075d9..3ea247f4b08 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/sweethome3d/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/sweethome3d/default.nix
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 , gtk3
 , gsettings-desktop-schemas
 , p7zip
+, autoPatchelfHook
 , libXxf86vm
 , unzip
 }:
@@ -41,14 +42,17 @@ let
     };
 
     postPatch = ''
-      patchelf --set-rpath ${libXxf86vm}/lib lib/java3d-1.6/linux/amd64/libnativewindow_awt.so
-      patchelf --set-rpath ${libXxf86vm}/lib lib/java3d-1.6/linux/amd64/libnativewindow_x11.so
-      patchelf --set-rpath ${libXxf86vm}/lib lib/java3d-1.6/linux/i586/libnativewindow_awt.so
-      patchelf --set-rpath ${libXxf86vm}/lib lib/java3d-1.6/linux/i586/libnativewindow_x11.so
+      addAutoPatchelfSearchPath ${jre8}/lib/openjdk/jre/lib/
+      autoPatchelf lib
+
+      # Nix cannot see the runtime references to the paths we just patched in
+      # once they've been compressed into the .jar. Scan for and remember them
+      # as plain text so they don't get overlooked.
+      find . -name '*.so' | xargs strings | { grep '/nix/store' || :; } >> ./.jar-paths
     '';
 
-    nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper unzip ];
-    buildInputs = [ ant jdk8 p7zip gtk3 gsettings-desktop-schemas ];
+    nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper unzip autoPatchelfHook ];
+    buildInputs = [ ant jdk8 p7zip gtk3 gsettings-desktop-schemas libXxf86vm ];
 
     buildPhase = ''
       runHook preBuild
@@ -80,6 +84,13 @@ let
         --prefix XDG_DATA_DIRS : "$XDG_ICON_DIRS:${gtk3.out}/share:${gsettings-desktop-schemas}/share:$out/share:$GSETTINGS_SCHEMAS_PATH" \
         --add-flags "-Dsun.java2d.opengl=true -jar $out/share/java/${module}-${version}.jar -cp $out/share/java/Furniture.jar:$out/share/java/Textures.jar:$out/share/java/Help.jar -d${toString stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.cpu.bits}"
 
+
+      # remember the store paths found inside the .jar libraries. note that
+      # which file they are in does not matter in particular, just that some
+      # file somewhere lists them in plain-text
+      mkdir -p $out/nix-support
+      cp .jar-paths $out/nix-support/depends
+
       runHook postInstall
     '';