diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/001-backport-pr296.patch b/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/001-backport-pr296.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..61fcda5593fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/001-backport-pr296.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+diff --git a/src/functions.vala b/src/functions.vala
+index cf7fefc..9b4d82a 100644
+--- a/src/functions.vala
++++ b/src/functions.vala
+@@ -102,10 +102,7 @@ namespace SwayNotificationCenter {
+ 
+         public static string get_style_path (owned string ? custom_path,
+                                              bool only_system = false) {
+-            string[] paths = {
+-                // Fallback location. Specified in postinstall.py
+-                "/usr/local/etc/xdg/swaync/style.css"
+-            };
++            string[] paths = {};
+             if (custom_path != null && custom_path.length > 0) {
+                 // Replaces the home directory relative path with a absolute path
+                 if (custom_path.get (0) == '~') {
+@@ -123,7 +120,9 @@ namespace SwayNotificationCenter {
+                 paths += Path.build_path (Path.DIR_SEPARATOR.to_string (),
+                                           path, "swaync/style.css");
+             }
+-
++            // Fallback location. Specified in postinstall.py. Mostly for Debian
++            paths += "/usr/local/etc/xdg/swaync/style.css";
++            
+             string path = "";
+             foreach (string try_path in paths) {
+                 if (File.new_for_path (try_path).query_exists ()) {
+@@ -140,10 +139,7 @@ namespace SwayNotificationCenter {
+         }
+ 
+         public static string get_config_path (owned string ? custom_path) {
+-            string[] paths = {
+-                // Fallback location. Specified in postinstall.py
+-                "/usr/local/etc/xdg/swaync/config.json"
+-            };
++            string[] paths = {};
+             if (custom_path != null && custom_path.length > 0) {
+                 // Replaces the home directory relative path with a absolute path
+                 if (custom_path.get (0) == '~') {
+@@ -158,7 +154,9 @@ namespace SwayNotificationCenter {
+                 paths += Path.build_path (Path.DIR_SEPARATOR.to_string (),
+                                           path, "swaync/config.json");
+             }
+-
++            // Fallback location. Specified in postinstall.py. Mostly for Debian
++            paths += "/usr/local/etc/xdg/swaync/config.json";
++ 
+             string path = "";
+             foreach (string try_path in paths) {
+                 if (File.new_for_path (try_path).query_exists ()) {
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/default.nix
index 639edced0fba..065ed941c386 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/swaynotificationcenter/default.nix
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: rec {
     hash = "sha256-mwwSTs4d9jUXUy33nSYJCRFlpH6naCmbRUSpfVacMBE=";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    ./001-backport-pr296.patch
+  ];
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     bash-completion
     # cmake # currently conflicts with meson
@@ -70,6 +74,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: rec {
   postPatch = ''
     chmod +x build-aux/meson/postinstall.py
     patchShebangs build-aux/meson/postinstall.py
+
+    substituteInPlace src/functions.vala --replace /usr/local/etc $out/etc
   '';
 
   passthru.tests.version = testers.testVersion {