diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/configure-gio.patch b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/configure-gio.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 787b63511a23..000000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/configure-gio.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-diff -urNZ a/configure.ac.in b/configure.ac.in
---- a/configure.ac.in	2017-12-16 19:46:13.784914017 +0000
-+++ b/configure.ac.in	2017-12-16 19:46:38.612477052 +0000
-@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
- dnl ***********************************
- dnl *** Check for required packages ***
- dnl ***********************************
-+XDT_CHECK_PACKAGE([GIO], [gio-unix-2.0], [2.32.0])
- XDT_CHECK_PACKAGE([GTHREAD], [gthread-2.0], [2.24.0])
- XDT_CHECK_PACKAGE([GTK], [gtk+-3.0], [3.20.0])
- XDT_CHECK_PACKAGE([LIBXFCE4UI], [libxfce4ui-2], [4.12.0])
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/default.nix
index 1ed27991c443..58141262409d 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/applications/xfce4-dict/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 { lib
 , mkXfceDerivation
-, automakeAddFlags
 , glib
 , gtk3
 , libxfce4ui
@@ -15,14 +14,6 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
 
   sha256 = "sha256-a7St9iH+jzwq/llrMJkuqwgQrDFEjqebs/N6Lxa3dkI=";
 
-  patches = [ ./configure-gio.patch ];
-
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ automakeAddFlags ];
-
-  postPatch = ''
-    automakeAddFlags lib/Makefile.am libdict_la_CFLAGS GIO_CFLAGS
-  '';
-
   buildInputs = [
     glib
     gtk3
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/automakeAddFlags.sh b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/automakeAddFlags.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 92d5659d05ca..000000000000
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/automakeAddFlags.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-automakeAddFlags() {
-    local file="$1"
-    local target="$2"
-    local source="$3"
-
-    sed "/$target/a\$($source) \\\\" -i $file
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
index f0c53a4c3892..a1416426a32a 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ makeScopeWithSplicing' {
 
       mkXfceDerivation = callPackage ./mkXfceDerivation.nix { };
 
-      automakeAddFlags = pkgs.makeSetupHook {
-        name = "xfce-automake-add-flags-hook";
-      } ./automakeAddFlags.sh;
-
       #### CORE
 
       exo = callPackage ./core/exo { };
@@ -169,6 +165,8 @@ makeScopeWithSplicing' {
     } // lib.optionalAttrs config.allowAliases {
       #### ALIASES
 
+      automakeAddFlags = throw "xfce.automakeAddFlags has been removed: this setup-hook is no longer used in Nixpkgs"; # added 2024-03-24
+
       xinitrc = self.xfce4-session.xinitrc; # added 2019-11-04
 
       thunar-bare = self.thunar.override { thunarPlugins = [ ]; }; # added 2019-11-04
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/panel-plugins/xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/panel-plugins/xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin/default.nix
index 1b03efdcd4df..b14ebb67374a 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/panel-plugins/xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/panel-plugins/xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 { lib
 , mkXfceDerivation
-, automakeAddFlags
 , exo
 , gtk3
 , libcanberra
@@ -20,10 +19,6 @@ mkXfceDerivation {
   version = "0.4.8";
   sha256 = "sha256-7vcjARm0O+/hVNFzOpxcgAnqD+wRNg5/eqXLcq4t/iU=";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
-    automakeAddFlags
-  ];
-
   postPatch = ''
     substituteInPlace configure.ac.in --replace gio-2.0 gio-unix-2.0
   '';