diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/dee/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/dee/default.nix
index fb7ec512319..f0f31ae1ffc 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/dee/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/dee/default.nix
@@ -1,27 +1,57 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl, python, pkgconfig
-, glib, icu, gobject-introspection }:
+{ stdenv
+, fetchgit
+, pkgconfig
+, glib
+, icu
+, gobject-introspection
+, dbus-glib
+, vala
+, python3
+, autoreconfHook
+}:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
-  name = "dee-${version}";
-  version = "1.2.7";
+  pname = "dee";
+  version = "unstable-2017-06-16";
 
-  src = fetchurl {
-    url = "https://launchpad.net/dee/1.0/${version}/+download/${name}.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "12mzffk0lyd566y46x57jlvb9af152b4dqpasr40zal4wrn37w0v";
+  outputs = [ "out" "dev" "py" ];
+
+  src = fetchgit {
+    url = "https://git.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dee";
+    rev = "import/1.2.7+17.10.20170616-4ubuntu1";
+    sha256 = "0q3d9d6ahcyibp6x23g1wvjfcppjh9v614s328yjmx47216z7394";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [ glib gobject-introspection icu ];
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ python pkgconfig ];
+  patches = [
+    "${src}/debian/patches/gtkdocize.patch"
+    "${src}/debian/patches/strict-prototype.patch"
+    "${src}/debian/patches/icu-pkg-config.patch"
+  ];
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-Wno-error=misleading-indentation" ]; # gcc-6
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    pkgconfig
+    vala
+    autoreconfHook
+    gobject-introspection
+    python3
+  ];
 
-  enableParallelBuilding = true;
+  buildInputs = [
+    glib
+    icu
+    dbus-glib
+  ];
+
+  configureFlags = [
+    "--disable-gtk-doc"
+    "--with-pygi-overrides-dir=${placeholder ''py''}/${python3.sitePackages}/gi/overrides"
+  ];
 
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     description = "A library that uses DBus to provide objects allowing you to create Model-View-Controller type programs across DBus";
     homepage = https://launchpad.net/dee;
     license = licenses.lgpl3;
     platforms = platforms.linux;
-    maintainers = with maintainers; [ abbradar ];
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ abbradar worldofpeace ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libunity/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libunity/default.nix
index 52f01229c4a..a0ec3b74cc1 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libunity/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libunity/default.nix
@@ -1,27 +1,33 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, automake, autoconf, libtool
-, glib, vala, dee, gobject-introspection, libdbusmenu
-, gtk3, intltool, gnome-common, python3, icu }:
+{ stdenv
+, fetchgit
+, pkgconfig
+, glib
+, vala
+, dee
+, gobject-introspection
+, libdbusmenu
+, gtk3
+, intltool
+, python3
+, autoreconfHook
+}:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "libunity";
-  version = "7.1.4";
+  version = "unstable-2019-03-19";
 
-  name = "${pname}-${version}";
+  outputs = [ "out" "dev" "py" ];
 
-  outputs = [ "out" "dev" ];
-
-  src = fetchurl {
-    url = "https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/${pname}_${version}+15.10.20151002.orig.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "1sf98qcjkxfibxk03firnc12dm6il8jzaq5763qam8ydg4li4gij";
+  src = fetchgit {
+    url = "https://git.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libunity";
+    rev = "import/7.1.4+19.04.20190319-0ubuntu1";
+    sha256 = "15b49v88v74q20a5c0lq867qnlz7fx20xifl6j8ha359r0zkfwzj";
   };
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
-    autoconf
-    automake
-    gnome-common
+    autoreconfHook
     gobject-introspection
     intltool
-    libtool
     pkgconfig
     python3
     vala
@@ -32,17 +38,20 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     gtk3
   ];
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ dee libdbusmenu ];
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    dee
+    libdbusmenu
+  ];
 
-  preConfigure = "NOCONFIGURE=1 ./autogen.sh";
+  preConfigure = ''
+    intltoolize
+  '';
 
   configureFlags = [
     "--disable-static"
-    "--with-pygi-overrides-dir=$(out)/${python3.sitePackages}/gi/overrides"
+    "--with-pygi-overrides-dir=${placeholder ''py''}/${python3.sitePackages}/gi/overrides"
   ];
 
-  NIX_LDFLAGS = "-L${icu}/lib";
-
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     description = "A library for instrumenting and integrating with all aspects of the Unity shell";
     homepage = https://launchpad.net/libunity;
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 458e5491b09..ec97b47885d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -10855,9 +10855,7 @@ in
 
   libdbiDrivers = callPackage ../development/libraries/libdbi-drivers { };
 
-  libunity = callPackage ../development/libraries/libunity {
-    inherit (gnome3) gnome-common;
-  };
+  libunity = callPackage ../development/libraries/libunity { };
 
   libdbusmenu = callPackage ../development/libraries/libdbusmenu { };
   libdbusmenu-gtk2 = libdbusmenu.override { gtkVersion = "2"; };