diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/copy-desktop-items.sh b/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/copy-desktop-items.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f96a10f33d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/copy-desktop-items.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+# Setup hook that installs specified desktop items.
+#
+# Example usage in a derivation:
+#
+#   { …, makeDesktopItem, copyDesktopItems, … }:
+#
+#   let desktopItem = makeDesktopItem { … }; in
+#   stdenv.mkDerivation {
+#     …
+#     nativeBuildInputs = [ copyDesktopItems ];
+#
+#     desktopItems =  [ desktopItem ];
+#     …
+#   }
+#
+# This hook will copy files which are either given by full path
+# or all '*.desktop' files placed inside the 'share/applications'
+# folder of each `desktopItems` argument.
+
+postInstallHooks+=(copyDesktopItems)
+
+copyDesktopItems() {
+    if [ "${dontCopyDesktopItems-}" = 1 ]; then return; fi
+
+    if [ -z "$desktopItems" ]; then
+        return
+    fi
+
+    for desktopItem in $desktopItems; do
+        if [[ -f "$desktopItem" ]]; then
+            echo "Copying '$f' into '$out/share/applications'"
+            install -D -m 444 -t "$out"/share/applications "$f"
+        else
+            for f in "$desktopItem"/share/applications/*.desktop; do
+                echo "Copying '$f' into '$out/share/applications'"
+                install -D -m 444 -t "$out"/share/applications "$f"
+            done
+        fi
+    done
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 1e0c31ce621..4004ba4f94f 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -463,6 +463,8 @@ in
 
   madonctl = callPackage ../applications/misc/madonctl { };
 
+  copyDesktopItems = makeSetupHook { } ../build-support/setup-hooks/copy-desktop-items.sh;
+
   makeDesktopItem = callPackage ../build-support/make-desktopitem { };
 
   makeAutostartItem = callPackage ../build-support/make-startupitem { };