diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel-datadir.patch b/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel-datadir.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33853c5f60f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel-datadir.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+diff --git a/panel/panel-module-factory.c b/panel/panel-module-factory.c
+index 529fe85..8c792b7 100644
+--- a/panel/panel-module-factory.c
++++ b/panel/panel-module-factory.c
+@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
+ #include <panel/panel-module.h>
+ #include <panel/panel-module-factory.h>
+ 
++#define DATADIR "/run/current-system/sw/share/xfce4"
+ #define PANEL_PLUGINS_DATA_DIR     (DATADIR G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "panel" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "plugins")
+ #define PANEL_PLUGINS_DATA_DIR_OLD (DATADIR G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "panel-plugins")
+ 
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel.nix
index bb263712962..e14d1acf33d 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce-4.8/core/xfce4-panel.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha1 = "332fc968332e6271e1bb65d6de8de2524b0440ec";
   };
 
+  patches = [ ./xfce4-panel-datadir.patch ];
+  patchFlags = "-p1";
+
   buildInputs =
     [ pkgconfig intltool gtk libxfce4util garcon libxfce4ui xfconf
       exo libwnck