diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/garcon/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/garcon/default.nix
index 6f40696c3d44..9a27b045700a 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/garcon/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/garcon/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-{ lib, mkXfceDerivation, gobject-introspection, gtk3, libxfce4ui, libxfce4util }:
+{ stdenv, lib, mkXfceDerivation, gtk3, libxfce4ui, libxfce4util,
+  withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages,
+  buildPackages,
+  gobject-introspection,
+}:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
   category = "xfce";
@@ -7,7 +13,9 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-MeZkDb2QgGMaloO6Nwlj9JmZByepd6ERqpAWqrVv1xw=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ gobject-introspection ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+    gobject-introspection
+  ];
 
   buildInputs = [ gtk3 libxfce4ui libxfce4util ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4ui/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4ui/default.nix
index 12c2d2968159..8862c6dffe03 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4ui/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4ui/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 {
+  stdenv,
   mkXfceDerivation,
   lib,
-  gobject-introspection,
   perl,
-  vala,
   libICE,
   libSM,
   libepoxy,
@@ -13,6 +12,12 @@
   xfconf,
   gtk3,
   libxfce4util,
+  withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages,
+  buildPackages,
+  gobject-introspection,
+  vala,
 }:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -22,11 +27,14 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-M+OapPHQ/WxlkUzHPx+ELstVyGoZanCxCL0N8hDWSN8=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
-    gobject-introspection
-    perl
-    vala
-  ];
+  nativeBuildInputs =
+    [
+      perl
+    ]
+    ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+      gobject-introspection
+      vala # vala bindings require GObject introspection
+    ];
 
   buildInputs = [
     libICE
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4util/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4util/default.nix
index d2486d2fd256..620141aac698 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4util/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4util/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 {
+  stdenv,
   mkXfceDerivation,
   lib,
-  gobject-introspection,
   vala,
   glib,
+  withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages,
+  buildPackages,
+  gobject-introspection,
 }:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -13,9 +18,9 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-0qbJSCXHsVz3XILHICFhciyz92LgMZiR7XFLAESHRGQ=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
+  nativeBuildInputs = lib.optionals withIntrospection [
     gobject-introspection
-    vala
+    vala # vala bindings require GObject introspection
   ];
 
   propagatedBuildInputs = [
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4windowing/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4windowing/default.nix
index 3392ee2a7685..06064785eaf1 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4windowing/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/libxfce4windowing/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-{ lib
+{ stdenv
+, lib
 , mkXfceDerivation
-, gobject-introspection
 , wayland-scanner
 , glib
 , gtk3
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
 , wayland
 , wayland-protocols
 , wlr-protocols
+, withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages
+, buildPackages
+, gobject-introspection
 }:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -21,8 +26,9 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
   sha256 = "sha256-Xw1hs854K5dZCAYoBMoqJzdSxPRFUYqEpWxg4DLSK5Q=";
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
-    gobject-introspection
     wayland-scanner
+  ] ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+    gobject-introspection
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
index 23e6799845ca..31b5b15fa692 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-{ mkXfceDerivation
+{ stdenv
+, mkXfceDerivation
 , lib
 , docbook_xsl
 , exo
@@ -14,10 +15,12 @@
 , pcre2
 , xfce4-panel
 , xfconf
-, gobject-introspection
 , makeWrapper
 , symlinkJoin
 , thunarPlugins ? []
+, withIntrospection ? false
+, buildPackages
+, gobject-introspection
 }:
 
 let unwrapped = mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -29,8 +32,9 @@ let unwrapped = mkXfceDerivation {
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     docbook_xsl
-    gobject-introspection
     libxslt
+  ] ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+    gobject-introspection
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfce4-panel/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfce4-panel/default.nix
index 6c924b068441..d686899cd408 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfce4-panel/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfce4-panel/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-{ lib
+{ stdenv
+, lib
 , mkXfceDerivation
 , cairo
 , exo
 , garcon
-, gobject-introspection
 , gtk-layer-shell
 , gtk3
 , libdbusmenu-gtk3
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@
 , libxfce4util
 , libxfce4windowing
 , tzdata
-, vala
 , wayland
 , xfconf
+, withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages
+, buildPackages
+, gobject-introspection
+, vala
 }:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -24,9 +29,9 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-tLWjU0M7tuE+qqDwaE1CtnOjDiPWno8Mf7hhxYxbvjo=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
+  nativeBuildInputs = lib.optionals withIntrospection [
     gobject-introspection
-    vala
+    vala # vala bindings require GObject introspection
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfconf/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfconf/default.nix
index 8ca8990c17b7..dc97afbba935 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfconf/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/xfconf/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
+  stdenv,
   lib,
   mkXfceDerivation,
   gobject-introspection,
@@ -6,6 +7,10 @@
   vala,
   libxfce4util,
   glib,
+  withIntrospection ?
+    lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform gobject-introspection
+    && stdenv.hostPlatform.emulatorAvailable buildPackages,
+  buildPackages,
 }:
 
 mkXfceDerivation {
@@ -15,11 +20,14 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-U+Sk7ubBr1ZD1GLQXlxrx0NQdhV/WpVBbnLcc94Tjcw=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
-    gobject-introspection
-    perl
-    vala
-  ];
+  nativeBuildInputs =
+    [
+      perl
+    ]
+    ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+      gobject-introspection
+      vala # vala bindings require GObject introspection
+    ];
 
   buildInputs = [ libxfce4util ];