diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-discord/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-discord/default.nix
index 2e0202a2cc7b..90c4f10d6ded 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-discord/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-discord/default.nix
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     json-glib
   ];
 
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATADIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  env = {
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATADIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  };
 
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://github.com/EionRobb/purple-discord";
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-googlechat/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-googlechat/default.nix
index 274cc6dafcc2..5a52ce1fe8ab 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-googlechat/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-googlechat/default.nix
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     protobuf
   ];
 
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATADIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  env = {
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATADIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  };
 
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://github.com/EionRobb/purple-googlechat";
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-slack/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-slack/default.nix
index 89716495a135..e492c1f4ef9e 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-slack/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/pidgin/pidgin-plugins/purple-slack/default.nix
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config ];
   buildInputs = [ pidgin ];
 
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
-  PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATAROOTDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  env = {
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_PLUGINDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/purple-2";
+    PKG_CONFIG_PURPLE_DATAROOTDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/share";
+  };
 
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://github.com/dylex/slack-libpurple";