diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/polyml/5.6.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/polyml/5.6.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8b5d14e7f5fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/polyml/5.6.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{stdenv, fetchurl, autoreconfHook}:
+
+let
+  version = "5.6";
+in
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "polyml-${version}";
+
+  prePatch = stdenv.lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin ''
+    substituteInPlace configure.ac --replace stdc++ c++
+  '';
+
+  buildInputs = stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin autoreconfHook;
+
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = "mirror://sourceforge/polyml/polyml.${version}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "05d6l2a5m9jf32a8kahwg2p2ph4x9rjf1nsl83331q3gwn5bkmr0";
+  };
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "Standard ML compiler and interpreter";
+    longDescription = ''
+      Poly/ML is a full implementation of Standard ML.
+    '';
+    homepage = http://www.polyml.org/;
+    license = stdenv.lib.licenses.lgpl21;
+    platforms = with stdenv.lib.platforms; linux;
+    maintainers = [ #Add your name here!
+      stdenv.lib.maintainers.z77z
+    ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index ffca1ff4fb15..e6b6bfe112f6 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -6314,6 +6314,7 @@ with pkgs;
   pltScheme = racket; # just to be sure
 
   polyml = callPackage ../development/compilers/polyml { };
+  polyml56 = callPackage ../development/compilers/polyml/5.6.nix { };
 
   pure = callPackage ../development/interpreters/pure {
     llvm = llvm_35;
@@ -18198,6 +18199,7 @@ with pkgs;
   tini = callPackage ../applications/virtualization/tini {};
 
   isabelle = callPackage ../applications/science/logic/isabelle {
+    polyml = polyml56;
     java = if stdenv.isLinux then jre else jdk;
   };