diff --git a/overlays/cross.nix b/overlays/cross.nix
index 614b8430d..fd4917351 100644
--- a/overlays/cross.nix
+++ b/overlays/cross.nix
@@ -349,45 +349,45 @@ in with final; {
   # 2025/07/27: upstreaming is unblocked by deps; but turns out to not be this simple
   # ncftp = addNativeInputs [ bintools ] prev.ncftp;
 
-  # 2025/08/26: upstreaming is unblocked
-  newsflash = (prev.newsflash.override {
-    cargo = crossCargo;
-  }).overrideAttrs (upstream: {
-    postPatch = (upstream.postPatch or "") + ''
-      rm build.rs
+  # 2025/08/27: upstreaming is unblocked, implemented on desko branch `pr-newsflash-cross`
+  # newsflash = (prev.newsflash.override {
+  #   cargo = crossCargo;
+  # }).overrideAttrs (upstream: {
+  #   postPatch = (upstream.postPatch or "") + ''
+  #     rm build.rs
 
-      export OUT_DIR=$(pwd)
+  #     export OUT_DIR=$(pwd)
 
-      # from build.rs:
-      glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=icons.gresource data/resources/icons.gresource.xml
-      glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=styles.gresource data/resources/styles.gresource.xml
-      substitute data/io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash.appdata.xml.in.in \
-        data/resources/io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash.appdata.xml \
-        --replace-fail '@appid@' 'io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash'
-      glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=appdata.gresource data/resources/appdata.gresource.xml
-    '';
+  #     # from build.rs:
+  #     glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=icons.gresource data/resources/icons.gresource.xml
+  #     glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=styles.gresource data/resources/styles.gresource.xml
+  #     substitute data/io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash.appdata.xml.in.in \
+  #       data/resources/io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash.appdata.xml \
+  #       --replace-fail '@appid@' 'io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash'
+  #     glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=data/resources --target=appdata.gresource data/resources/appdata.gresource.xml
+  #   '';
 
-    env = let
-      ccForBuild = "${buildPackages.stdenv.cc}/bin/${buildPackages.stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}cc";
-      cxxForBuild = "${buildPackages.stdenv.cc}/bin/${buildPackages.stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
-      ccForHost = "${stdenv.cc}/bin/${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}cc";
-      cxxForHost = "${stdenv.cc}/bin/${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
-      rustBuildPlatform = stdenv.buildPlatform.rust.rustcTarget;
-      rustTargetPlatform = stdenv.hostPlatform.rust.rustcTarget;
-    in (upstream.env or {}) // {
-      # taken from <pkgs/build-support/rust/hooks/default.nix>
-      # fixes "cargo:warning=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option ‘-m64’"
-      # XXX: these aren't necessarily valid environment variables: the referenced nix file is more clever to get them to work.
-      "CC_${rustBuildPlatform}" = "${ccForBuild}";
-      "CXX_${rustBuildPlatform}" = "${cxxForBuild}";
-      "CC_${rustTargetPlatform}" = "${ccForHost}";
-      "CXX_${rustTargetPlatform}" = "${cxxForHost}";
-      # fails to fix "Failed to find OpenSSL development headers."
-      # OPENSSL_NO_VENDOR = 1;
-      # OPENSSL_LIB_DIR = "${lib.getLib openssl}/lib";
-      # OPENSSL_DIR = "${lib.getDev openssl}";
-    };
-  });
+  #   env = let
+  #     ccForBuild = "${buildPackages.stdenv.cc}/bin/${buildPackages.stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}cc";
+  #     cxxForBuild = "${buildPackages.stdenv.cc}/bin/${buildPackages.stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
+  #     ccForHost = "${stdenv.cc}/bin/${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}cc";
+  #     cxxForHost = "${stdenv.cc}/bin/${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
+  #     rustBuildPlatform = stdenv.buildPlatform.rust.rustcTarget;
+  #     rustTargetPlatform = stdenv.hostPlatform.rust.rustcTarget;
+  #   in (upstream.env or {}) // {
+  #     # taken from <pkgs/build-support/rust/hooks/default.nix>
+  #     # fixes "cargo:warning=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option ‘-m64’"
+  #     # XXX: these aren't necessarily valid environment variables: the referenced nix file is more clever to get them to work.
+  #     "CC_${rustBuildPlatform}" = "${ccForBuild}";
+  #     "CXX_${rustBuildPlatform}" = "${cxxForBuild}";
+  #     "CC_${rustTargetPlatform}" = "${ccForHost}";
+  #     "CXX_${rustTargetPlatform}" = "${cxxForHost}";
+  #     # fails to fix "Failed to find OpenSSL development headers."
+  #     # OPENSSL_NO_VENDOR = 1;
+  #     # OPENSSL_LIB_DIR = "${lib.getLib openssl}/lib";
+  #     # OPENSSL_DIR = "${lib.getDev openssl}";
+  #   };
+  # });
 
   # fixes "properties/gresource.xml: Permission denied"
   #   - by providing glib-compile-resources
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
index 4be3cbd33..b2cd1e11e 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ in
     hash = "sha256-F6RwprsXOWjk/xNHtBqQWge5edLGJeQUrupKZ1MNphU=";
   })
 
+  (fetchpatch' {
+    name = "newsflash: fix cross compilation";
+    saneCommit = "0453c58e9acf42c4ba52f3fda21d7e51139c0141";
+    hash = "sha256-lLdPik9Iw9Cl7ZdAJIeKsbAfB7eyf57HEQpe3A0NHhM=";
+  })
+
   # (fetchpatch' {
   #   # opencv used by alpaca, newelle
   #   name = "opencv: fix cross compliation by patching protobuf";