diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/appstream/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/appstream/default.nix
index d4d0e26adb08..011dd75151bf 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/appstream/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/appstream/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 { lib
 , stdenv
+, buildPackages
 , replaceVars
 , fetchFromGitHub
+, fetchpatch
 , meson
 , mesonEmulatorHook
 , appstream
@@ -32,6 +34,9 @@
 , systemd
 , nixosTests
 , testers
+, withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages
 , withSystemd ? lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform systemd
 }:
 
@@ -56,6 +61,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
 
     # Allow installing installed tests to a separate output.
     ./installed-tests-path.patch
+
+    (fetchpatch {
+      name = "static.patch";
+      url = "https://github.com/ximion/appstream/commit/90675d8853188f65897d2453346cb0acd531b58f.patch";
+      hash = "sha256-d3h5h7B/MP3Sun5YwYCqMHcw4PMMwg1YS/S9vsMzkQ4=";
+    })
   ];
 
   strictDeps = true;
@@ -74,13 +85,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     xmlto
     docbook-xsl-nons
     docbook_xml_dtd_45
-    gobject-introspection
+    glib
     itstool
-    vala
     gperf
   ] ++ lib.optionals (!stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute stdenv.hostPlatform) [
     mesonEmulatorHook
+  ] ++ lib.optionals (!lib.systems.equals stdenv.buildPlatform stdenv.hostPlatform) [
     appstream
+  ] ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+    gobject-introspection
+    vala
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
@@ -102,10 +116,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
 
   mesonFlags = [
     "-Dapidocs=false"
+    "-Dc_args=-Wno-error=missing-include-dirs"
     "-Ddocs=false"
     "-Dvapi=true"
     "-Dinstalled_test_prefix=${placeholder "installedTests"}"
     "-Dcompose=true"
+    (lib.mesonBool "gir" withIntrospection)
   ] ++ lib.optionals (!withSystemd) [
     "-Dsystemd=false"
   ];