diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/dont-attempt-submodule-update.patch b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/dont-attempt-submodule-update.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3a335a12fe17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/dont-attempt-submodule-update.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
+index 697b90dd..d3e75d2f 100644
+--- a/CMakeLists.txt
++++ b/CMakeLists.txt
+@@ -28,19 +28,6 @@ add_compile_definitions(SHA_VER="${GQ_SHA}")
+ add_compile_definitions(VER="${VERSION}")
+ add_compile_definitions(QT_DEPRECATED_WARNINGS)
+ 
+-if (NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/AuxiliarCustomWidgets/.git" OR
+-    NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/QLogger/.git" OR
+-    NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/QPinnableTabWidget/.git" OR
+-    NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/git/.git")
+-    message(STATUS "Submodule update:")
+-    execute_process(COMMAND git submodule update --init --recursive
+-                    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+-                    RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT)
+-    if(NOT GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT EQUAL "0")
+-        message(FATAL_ERROR "git submodule update --init --recursive failed with ${GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT}, please checkout submodules")
+-    endif()
+-endif()
+-
+ find_package(Qt6 COMPONENTS Core Widgets Network REQUIRED)
+ 
+ file(GLOB SRC_FILES
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/install-to-store.patch b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/install-to-store.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0b0059393c8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/install-to-store.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
+index d3e75d2f..c8d56287 100644
+--- a/CMakeLists.txt
++++ b/CMakeLists.txt
+@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ if (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
+    target_link_options(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC "-no-pie")
+    
+    set(CPACK_PACKAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX "/usr")
+-   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/install/usr)
+ 
+    install(
+       PROGRAMS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}
+@@ -250,7 +249,6 @@ if (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
+      include(CPack)
+ 
+ elseif (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Darwin")
+-   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/install)
+    install(
+        TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME}
+        RUNTIME DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}"
+@@ -260,7 +258,6 @@ elseif (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Darwin")
+ elseif (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Windows")
+    include(InstallRequiredSystemLibraries)
+ 
+-   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/install)
+    install(
+        TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME}
+        RUNTIME DESTINATION .
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/package.nix
index 75d9dc1f4cb2..a787c695cb05 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gi/gitqlient/package.nix
@@ -2,39 +2,45 @@
   lib,
   stdenv,
   fetchFromGitHub,
-  libsForQt5,
+  qt6,
+  cmake,
   gitUpdater,
 }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   pname = "gitqlient";
-  version = "1.6.3";
+  version = "1.6.3-unstable-2025-09-11"; # cmake does not install correctly on tagged release
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "francescmm";
     repo = "gitqlient";
-    tag = "v${finalAttrs.version}";
+    rev = "faa3e2c19205123944bb88427a569c6f1b4366a1";
     fetchSubmodules = true;
-    hash = "sha256-gfWky5KTSj+5FC++QIVTJbrDOYi/dirTzs6LvTnO74A=";
+    hash = "sha256-CBgzTwJWssL0NaNqfesHkOG4pi6QQYxjxWHFcG00U0U=";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    # fetcher removes .git directory, but cmake attempts to update submodules if .git is missing
+    ./dont-attempt-submodule-update.patch
+    # install logic in unstable is slightly better, but still attempts to install to source tree, not store
+    ./install-to-store.patch
+  ];
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [
-    libsForQt5.qmake
-    libsForQt5.wrapQtAppsHook
+    cmake
+    qt6.wrapQtAppsHook
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
-    libsForQt5.qtwebengine
-  ];
-
-  qmakeFlags = [
-    "GitQlient.pro"
+    qt6.qtbase
   ];
 
   passthru.updateScript = gitUpdater {
     rev-prefix = "v";
   };
 
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-Wno-error=deprecated-declarations"; # QCheckBox::stateChanged is deprecated
+
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://github.com/francescmm/GitQlient";
     description = "Multi-platform Git client written with Qt";