diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/netcdf/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/netcdf/default.nix
index 9659ae5273d..a65b41c0261 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/netcdf/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/netcdf/default.nix
@@ -1,22 +1,32 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl,
-  zlib, hdf5, m4,
-  curl # for DAP
+{ stdenv
+, fetchurl
+, zlib
+, hdf5
+, m4
+, curl # for DAP
 }:
-    
-stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+
+let
+  mpiSupport = hdf5.mpiSupport;
+  mpi = hdf5.mpi;
+in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     name = "netcdf-4.3.3.1";
     src = fetchurl {
         url = "http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/netcdf/ftp/${name}.tar.gz";
         sha256 = "06ds8zm4qvjlqvv4qb637cqr0xgvbhnghrddisad5vj81s5kvpmx";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [
-        zlib hdf5 m4 curl
-    ];
+    buildInputs = [ hdf5 zlib m4 curl mpi];
+
+    passthru = {
+      mpiSupport = mpiSupport;
+      inherit mpi;
+    };
 
     configureFlags = [
         "--enable-netcdf-4"
         "--enable-dap"
         "--enable-shared"
-    ];
+    ]
+    ++ (stdenv.lib.optionals mpiSupport [ "--enable-parallel-tests" ]);
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 978148c4e55..17a1c1d855d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2548,6 +2548,10 @@ in
   netatalk = callPackage ../tools/filesystems/netatalk { };
 
   netcdf = callPackage ../development/libraries/netcdf { };
+ 
+  netcdf-mpi = appendToName "mpi" (netcdf.override {
+    hdf5 = hdf5-mpi;
+  });
 
   netcdfcxx4 = callPackage ../development/libraries/netcdf-cxx4 { };