diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/default.nix
index 7ff1b1d16c6..de04c24ff02 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/default.nix
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ rec {
 
     buildInputs = [
       perl perlXMLParser pkgconfig popt libxml2
-      glib pango bison flex gettext
+      glib pango bison flex gettext intltool
     ];
 
     propagatedBuildInputs = [libxml2 libart_lgpl];
@@ -206,21 +206,30 @@ rec {
     };
   };
 
-  gnomedesktop = import ./gnome-desktop.nix {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig gnome perl perlXMLParser
-      libjpeg gettext which python libxml2Python libxslt;
-    input = desktop.gnomedesktop;
+  gnomedesktop = stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    inherit (desktop.gnomedesktop) name src;
+
+    # !!! should get rid of libxml2Python, see gnomedocutils
+  
+    buildInputs = [
+      pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser gtk glib libgnomeui
+      scrollkeeper libjpeg gnomedocutils gettext which
+      python libxml2Python libxslt intltool
+    ];
+
+    configureFlags = "--disable-scrollkeeper";
   };
 
-  libwnck = import ./libwnck.nix {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig gtk perl perlXMLParser gettext;
-    input = desktop.libwnck;
+  libwnck = stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    inherit (desktop.libwnck) name src;
+    buildInputs = [pkgconfig gtk perl perlXMLParser gettext intltool];
   };
 
-  gnomemenus = import ./gnome-menus.nix {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig gnome perl perlXMLParser
-      python gettext;
-    input = desktop.gnomemenus;
+  gnomemenus = stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    inherit (desktop.gnomemenus) name src;
+    buildInputs = [
+      pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser glib python gettext intltool
+    ];
   };
 
   librsvg = stdenv.mkDerivation {
@@ -230,7 +239,7 @@ rec {
 
   libgweather = stdenv.mkDerivation {
     inherit (desktop.libgweather) name src;
-    buildInputs = [gettext perl perlXMLParser pkgconfig gtk libxml2 gnomevfs];
+    buildInputs = [gettext perl perlXMLParser pkgconfig gtk libxml2 gnomevfs intltool];
   };
 
   gnomepanel = stdenv.mkDerivation {
@@ -266,7 +275,7 @@ rec {
 
   metacity = import ./metacity.nix {
     inherit stdenv fetchurl pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser glib gtk
-      GConf startupnotification gettext libcm;
+      GConf startupnotification gettext libcm intltool;
     inherit (xlibs) libXinerama libXrandr libXcursor
       libXcomposite libXfixes libXdamage;
     enableCompositor = true;
@@ -285,10 +294,14 @@ rec {
     input = desktop.gconfeditor;
   };
 
-  vte = import ./vte.nix {
-    inherit stdenv fetchurl pkgconfig gnome perl perlXMLParser ncurses
-      python gettext;
-    input = desktop.vte;
+  vte = stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    inherit (desktop.vte) name src;
+  
+    buildInputs = [
+      pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser gnome.glib gnome.gtk python gettext intltool
+    ];
+  
+    propagatedBuildInputs = [ncurses];
   };
   
   gnometerminal = stdenv.mkDerivation {
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-desktop.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-desktop.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 7aeae28e74f..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-desktop.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{ input, stdenv, fetchurl, gnome, pkgconfig, perl, perlXMLParser
-, libjpeg, gettext, which, python, libxml2Python, libxslt
-}:
-
-# !!! should get rid of libxml2Python, see gnomedocutils
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  inherit (input) name src;
-  
-  buildInputs = [
-    pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser gnome.gtk gnome.glib gnome.libgnomeui
-    gnome.scrollkeeper libjpeg gnome.gnomedocutils gettext which
-    python libxml2Python libxslt    
-  ];
-
-  configureFlags = "--disable-scrollkeeper";
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-menus.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-menus.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 66cea23f6ca..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/gnome-menus.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-{ input, stdenv, fetchurl, gnome, pkgconfig, perl, perlXMLParser
-, python, gettext
-}:
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  inherit (input) name src;
-  buildInputs = [
-    pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser gnome.glib python gettext
-  ];
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/libwnck.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/libwnck.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 03912ef8044..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/libwnck.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-{input, stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, gtk, perl, perlXMLParser, gettext}:
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  inherit (input) name src;
-  buildInputs = [pkgconfig gtk perl perlXMLParser gettext];
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/metacity.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/metacity.nix
index 5d6f0acd535..184efc2a165 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/metacity.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/metacity.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 { input, stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, perl, perlXMLParser, glib, gtk
 , GConf, startupnotification, libXinerama, libXrandr, libXcursor
-, gettext
+, gettext, intltool
 
 , enableCompositor ? false
 , libXcomposite ? null, libXfixes ? null, libXdamage ? null, libcm ? null
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   
   buildInputs = [
     pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser glib gtk GConf startupnotification
-    libXinerama libXrandr libXcursor gettext
+    libXinerama libXrandr libXcursor gettext intltool
   ]
-  ++ (if enableCompositor then [libXcomposite libXfixes libXdamage libcm] else []);
+  ++ stdenv.lib.optionals enableCompositor [libXcomposite libXfixes libXdamage libcm];
   
-  configureFlags = "
+  configureFlags = ''
     ${if enableCompositor then "--enable-compositor" else ""}
-  ";
+  '';
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/vte.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome/vte.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index dc79027e84e..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome/vte.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-{ input, stdenv, fetchurl, gnome, pkgconfig, perl, perlXMLParser
-, ncurses, python, gettext
-}:
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  inherit (input) name src;
-  
-  buildInputs = [
-    pkgconfig perl perlXMLParser gnome.glib gnome.gtk python gettext
-  ];
-  
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ncurses];
-}