diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/0004-configure-use-cc.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/0004-configure-use-cc.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..caaec2200008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/0004-configure-use-cc.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+diff --git a/configure b/configure
+index dfc1b3e..55577af 100755
+--- a/configure
++++ b/configure
+@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ esac
+ # Some binaries that we'll need, and the places that we might find them.
+ 
+ IFS=:
+-binlist="uname:flex:gcc:wish:rm:cp:mkdir:chmod:sed"
++binlist="uname:flex:cc:wish:rm:cp:mkdir:chmod:sed"
+ pathlist=$PATH
+ libpathlist=$LIBS
+ incpathlist=$INCLUDES
+@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ fi
+ # Splice it all in to Makefile.def to create the Makefile.
+ 
+ rm -f Makefile
+-sed -e "s __GCC__ $gcc g" -e "s __FLEX__ $flex g" -e "s __EXE__ $EXE g"     \
++sed -e "s __GCC__ $cc g" -e "s __FLEX__ $flex g" -e "s __EXE__ $EXE g"     \
+     -e "s*__OS_SIM_LIBS__*$OS_SIM_LIBS*g" -e "s __RM__ $rm g"               \
+     -e "s __CP__ $cp g" -e "s __MKDIR__ $mkdir g" -e "s __CHMOD__ $chmod g" \
+     -e "s __USE_READLINE__ $USE_READLINE g" -e "s*__RLLPATH__*$RLLPATH*g"   \
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/default.nix
index 3e7f81bb4e7b..c6120a227a99 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/lc3tools/default.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
     # lc3sim-tk looks for lc3sim in $out/bin instead of $out
     ./0003-lc3sim-tk-path.patch
+
+    # use `cc` instead of `gcc`; on macOS the latter is not present
+    ./0004-configure-use-cc.patch
   ];
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ unzip ];
@@ -40,8 +43,15 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   '';
 
   meta = with lib; {
+    longDescription = ''
+      The LC-3 tools package contains the lc3as assembler, the lc3sim simulator,
+      and lc3sim-tk, a Tcl/Tk-based GUI frontend to the simulator.
+    '';
     description = "Toolchain and emulator for the LC-3 architecture";
+    homepage = "https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072467509/student_view0/lc-3_simulator.html";
     license = licenses.gpl2;
     maintainers = with maintainers; [ anna328p ];
+    mainProgram = "lc3sim-tk";
+    platforms = with lib.platforms; unix ++ windows;
   };
 }