diff --git a/gnu-system.am b/gnu-system.am
index c808c168b2..b8b5b2ce53 100644
--- a/gnu-system.am
+++ b/gnu-system.am
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ GNU_SYSTEM_MODULES =				\
   gnu/packages/ruby.scm				\
   gnu/packages/rush.scm				\
   gnu/packages/samba.scm			\
+  gnu/packages/scanner.scm			\
   gnu/packages/scheme.scm			\
   gnu/packages/screen.scm			\
   gnu/packages/scrot.scm			\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/scanner.scm b/gnu/packages/scanner.scm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..84d1deeb62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/scanner.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
+;;; Copyright 2014 John Darrington <jmd@gnu.org>
+;;;
+;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
+;;;
+;;; GNU Guix is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+;;; under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+;;; the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+;;; your option) any later version.
+;;;
+;;; GNU Guix is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+;;; WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+;;; GNU General Public License for more details.
+;;;
+;;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+;;; along with GNU Guix.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+(define-module (gnu packages scanner)
+  #:use-module (guix packages)
+  #:use-module (guix download)
+  #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
+  #:use-module ((guix licenses)
+                #:prefix licence:))
+
+(define-public sane-backends
+  (package
+    (name "sane-backends")
+    (version "1.0.24")
+    (source (origin
+             (method url-fetch)
+             (uri (string-append 
+                   "https://alioth.debian.org/frs/download.php/file/3958/"
+                   name "-" version ".tar.gz"))
+             (sha256
+              (base32
+               "0ba68m6bzni54axjk15i51rya7hfsdliwvqyan5msl7iaid0iir7"))))
+    (build-system gnu-build-system)
+    (arguments
+      `(#:tests? #f)) 
+    ;; It would seem that tests are not maintained - fails with
+    ;; the following:
+    ;;
+    ;; < This page was last updated on Wed Jul 31 07:52:48 2013
+    ;; <  by sane-desc 3.5 from sane-backends 1.0.24git
+    ;; ---
+    ;; > This page was last updated on Sun Oct 19 15:41:39 2014
+    ;; >  by sane-desc 3.5 from sane-backends 1.0.24
+    ;; **** File generated for html-backends-split mode is different from reference
+    ;; Makefile:501: recipe for target 'check.local' failed
+    (home-page "http://www.sane-project.org")
+    (synopsis "Raster image scanner library and drivers")
+    (description "SANE stands for \"Scanner Access Now Easy\" and is an API
+proving access to any raster image scanner hardware (flatbed scanner,
+hand-held scanner, video- and still-cameras, frame-grabbers, etc.).  The
+package contains the library and drivers.")
+    (license licence:gpl2+))) ; plus linking exception
+