diff --git a/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/patches/conditionalize-introspection.patch b/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/patches/conditionalize-introspection.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..27850158a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/patches/conditionalize-introspection.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+--- libcinnamon-desktop/meson.build
++++ libcinnamon-desktop/meson.build
+@@ -81,31 +81,35 @@ if pnp_ids_install_internal
+   )
+ endif
+ 
+-cdesktop_gir = gnome.generate_gir(libcinnamon_desktop,
+-  sources: 'cdesktop-enums.h',
+-  namespace: 'CDesktopEnums',
+-  nsversion: '3.0',
+-  identifier_prefix: 'CDesktop',
+-  symbol_prefix: 'c_desktop',
+-  extra_args: [
+-    '-DGNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API',
+-  ],
+-  install: true,
+-)
++with_introspection = get_option('introspection')
+ 
+-gnome.generate_gir(libcinnamon_desktop,
+-  sources: libcinnamon_desktop_gir_sources + libcinnamon_desktop_headers,
+-  namespace: 'CinnamonDesktop',
+-  nsversion: '3.0',
+-  export_packages: 'cinnamon-desktop',
+-  identifier_prefix: 'Gnome',
+-  symbol_prefix: 'gnome_',
+-  includes: ['GObject-2.0', 'Gtk-3.0', cdesktop_gir[0], ],
+-  extra_args: [
+-    '-DGNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API',
+-  ],
+-  install: true,
+-)
++if with_introspection
++  cdesktop_gir = gnome.generate_gir(libcinnamon_desktop,
++    sources: 'cdesktop-enums.h',
++    namespace: 'CDesktopEnums',
++    nsversion: '3.0',
++    identifier_prefix: 'CDesktop',
++    symbol_prefix: 'c_desktop',
++    extra_args: [
++      '-DGNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API',
++    ],
++    install: true,
++  )
++
++  gnome.generate_gir(libcinnamon_desktop,
++    sources: libcinnamon_desktop_gir_sources + libcinnamon_desktop_headers,
++    namespace: 'CinnamonDesktop',
++    nsversion: '3.0',
++    export_packages: 'cinnamon-desktop',
++    identifier_prefix: 'Gnome',
++    symbol_prefix: 'gnome_',
++    includes: ['GObject-2.0', 'Gtk-3.0', cdesktop_gir[0], ],
++    extra_args: [
++      '-DGNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API',
++    ],
++    install: true,
++  )
++endif
+ 
+ # FIXME
+ # https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/1687
+--- libcvc/meson.build
++++ libcvc/meson.build
+@@ -44,18 +44,20 @@ libcvc = shared_library('cvc',
+   version: '0.0.0',
+ )
+ 
+-gnome.generate_gir(libcvc,
+-  sources: libcvc_gir_sources + libcvc_headers,
+-  namespace: 'Cvc',
+-  nsversion: '1.0',
+-  identifier_prefix: 'Gvc',
+-  symbol_prefix: 'gvc_',
+-  includes: [
+-    'GObject-2.0',
+-    'Gio-2.0',
+-  ],
+-  install: true,
+-)
++if get_option('introspection')
++  gnome.generate_gir(libcvc,
++    sources: libcvc_gir_sources + libcvc_headers,
++    namespace: 'Cvc',
++    nsversion: '1.0',
++    identifier_prefix: 'Gvc',
++    symbol_prefix: 'gvc_',
++    includes: [
++      'GObject-2.0',
++      'Gio-2.0',
++    ],
++    install: true,
++  )
++endif
+ 
+ 
+ install_headers(
+--- meson_options.txt
++++ meson_options.txt
+@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+ option('deprecation-flags', type: 'boolean', value: true)
+ option('pnp-ids-path',      type: 'string',  value: '')
+ option('use-alsa',          type: 'boolean', value: false)
++option('introspection',		type: 'boolean', value: true)
diff --git a/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/template b/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/template
index bc47da33719..7e58d339674 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/cinnamon-desktop/template
@@ -2,19 +2,19 @@
 pkgname=cinnamon-desktop
 version=3.8.1
 revision=1
-short_desc="Library with common API for various Cinnamon modules"
 build_style=meson
-hostmakedepends="glib-devel gobject-introspection intltool pkg-config"
+configure_args="-Dintrospection=$(vopt_if gir true false)"
+hostmakedepends="glib-devel $(vopt_if gir gobject-introspection) intltool pkg-config"
 makedepends="accountsservice-devel gtk+3-devel libxkbfile-devel pam-devel
  pulseaudio-devel"
 depends="xkeyboard-config"
+short_desc="Library with common API for various Cinnamon modules"
 maintainer="Juan RP <xtraeme@voidlinux.eu>"
 license="GPL-2.0-or-later, LGPL-2.0-or-later"
 homepage="http://developer.linuxmint.com/projects/cinnamon-projects.html"
 distfiles="https://github.com/linuxmint/${pkgname}/archive/${version}.tar.gz"
 checksum=239c8a210de18468919d9cbc379535e55628559e396cb321100ccab4ee0d04d0
 
-nocross=yes
 build_options="gir"
 if [ -z "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
 	build_options_default="gir"