diff --git a/pkgs/python-packages-overrides.nix b/pkgs/python-packages-overrides.nix
--- a/pkgs/python-packages-overrides.nix
+++ b/pkgs/python-packages-overrides.nix
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ self: super: {
     ];
   });
 
- "nbconvert" = super."nbconvert".override (attrs: {
+  "nbconvert" = super."nbconvert".override (attrs: {
     propagatedBuildInputs = attrs.propagatedBuildInputs ++ [
       # marcink: plug in jupyter-client for notebook rendering
       self."jupyter-client"
@@ -120,10 +120,12 @@ self: super: {
       pkgs.curl
       pkgs.openssl
     ];
+
     preConfigure = ''
       substituteInPlace setup.py --replace '--static-libs' '--libs'
       export PYCURL_SSL_LIBRARY=openssl
     '';
+
     meta = {
       license = pkgs.lib.licenses.mit;
     };
@@ -168,14 +170,32 @@ self: super: {
     propagatedBuildInputs = [
         pkgs.pam
     ];
+
     # TODO: johbo: Check if this can be avoided, or transform into
     # a real patch
     patchPhase = ''
       substituteInPlace pam.py \
         --replace 'find_library("pam")' '"${pkgs.pam}/lib/libpam.so.0"'
     '';
+
     });
 
+  "python-saml" = super."python-saml".override (attrs: {
+    buildInputs = [
+      pkgs.libxml2
+      pkgs.libxslt
+    ];
+  });
+
+  "dm.xmlsec.binding" = super."dm.xmlsec.binding".override (attrs: {
+    buildInputs = [
+      pkgs.libxml2
+      pkgs.libxslt
+      pkgs.xmlsec
+      pkgs.libtool
+    ];
+  });
+
   "pyzmq" = super."pyzmq".override (attrs: {
     buildInputs = [
       pkgs.czmq
diff --git a/pkgs/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/python-packages.nix
--- a/pkgs/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/python-packages.nix
@@ -335,6 +335,32 @@ self: super: {
       license = [ { fullName = "BSD-derived (http://www.repoze.org/LICENSE.txt)"; } ];
     };
   };
+  "defusedxml" = super.buildPythonPackage {
+    name = "defusedxml-0.5.0";
+    doCheck = false;
+    src = fetchurl {
+      url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/74/ba/4ba4e89e21b5a2e267d80736ea674609a0a33cc4435a6d748ef04f1f9374/defusedxml-0.5.0.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = "1x54n0h8hl92vvwyymx883fbqpqjwn2mc8fb383bcg3z9zwz5mr4";
+    };
+    meta = {
+      license = [ pkgs.lib.licenses.psfl ];
+    };
+  };
+  "dm.xmlsec.binding" = super.buildPythonPackage {
+    name = "dm.xmlsec.binding-1.3.7";
+    doCheck = false;
+    propagatedBuildInputs = [
+      self."setuptools"
+      self."lxml"
+    ];
+    src = fetchurl {
+      url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/2c/9e/7651982d50252692991acdae614af821fd6c79bc8dcd598ad71d55be8fc7/dm.xmlsec.binding-1.3.7.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = "03jjjscx1pz2nc0dwiw9nia02qbz1c6f0f9zkyr8fmvys2n5jkb3";
+    };
+    meta = {
+      license = [ pkgs.lib.licenses.bsdOriginal ];
+    };
+  };
   "docutils" = super.buildPythonPackage {
     name = "docutils-0.14";
     doCheck = false;
@@ -671,6 +697,20 @@ self: super: {
       license = [ pkgs.lib.licenses.mit ];
     };
   };
+  "isodate" = super.buildPythonPackage {
+    name = "isodate-0.6.0";
+    doCheck = false;
+    propagatedBuildInputs = [
+      self."six"
+    ];
+    src = fetchurl {
+      url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/b1/80/fb8c13a4cd38eb5021dc3741a9e588e4d1de88d895c1910c6fc8a08b7a70/isodate-0.6.0.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = "1n7jkz68kk5pwni540pr5zdh99bf6ywydk1p5pdrqisrawylldif";
+    };
+    meta = {
+      license = [ pkgs.lib.licenses.bsdOriginal ];
+    };
+  };
   "itsdangerous" = super.buildPythonPackage {
     name = "itsdangerous-0.24";
     doCheck = false;
@@ -1543,6 +1583,22 @@ self: super: {
       license = [ { fullName = "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License"; } pkgs.lib.licenses.mit ];
     };
   };
+  "python-saml" = super.buildPythonPackage {
+    name = "python-saml-2.4.2";
+    doCheck = false;
+    propagatedBuildInputs = [
+      self."dm.xmlsec.binding"
+      self."isodate"
+      self."defusedxml"
+    ];
+    src = fetchurl {
+      url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/79/a8/a6611017e0883102fd5e2b73c9d90691b8134e38247c04ee1531d3dc647c/python-saml-2.4.2.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = "0dls4hwvf13yg7x5yfjrghbywg8g38vn5vr0rsf70hli3ydbfm43";
+    };
+    meta = {
+      license = [ pkgs.lib.licenses.mit ];
+    };
+  };
   "pytz" = super.buildPythonPackage {
     name = "pytz-2018.4";
     doCheck = false;
@@ -1697,6 +1753,7 @@ self: super: {
       self."python-ldap"
       self."python-memcached"
       self."python-pam"
+      self."python-saml"
       self."pytz"
       self."tzlocal"
       self."pyzmq"
diff --git a/pkgs/shell-generate.nix b/pkgs/shell-generate.nix
--- a/pkgs/shell-generate.nix
+++ b/pkgs/shell-generate.nix
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
     # We need postgresql to be around
     pkgs.postgresql
 
+    # we need the below for saml
+    pkgs.libxml2
+    pkgs.libxslt
+    pkgs.xmlsec
+
     # Curl is needed for pycurl
     pkgs.curl
   ];
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ python-dateutil
 python-ldap==3.1.0
 python-memcached==1.59
 python-pam==1.8.4
+python-saml
 pytz==2018.4
 tzlocal==1.5.1
 pyzmq==14.6.0