diff --git a/overlays/cross.nix b/overlays/cross.nix
index 96bd98fff..40ad3d5da 100644
--- a/overlays/cross.nix
+++ b/overlays/cross.nix
@@ -482,10 +482,10 @@ in with final; {
     ];
   });
 
-  # 2025/08/26: upstreaming is unblocked
-  papers = prev.papers.override {
-    cargo = crossCargo;
-  };
+  # 2025/08/26: upstreaming is unblocked; TODO: send `pr-papers-cross` desko branch out for PR!
+  # papers = prev.papers.override {
+  #   cargo = crossCargo;
+  # };
 
   # 2025/07/27: upstreaming is blocked on gnome-session (itself blocked on gnome-shell)
   # phosh = prev.phosh.overrideAttrs (upstream: {
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
index 2028fbf4c..b5a99580c 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/patches.nix
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@ in
     hash = "sha256-B7s2aNVony+G7FW2PaR7FVO7zzWa7SiLONWRGrsXA3A=";
   })
 
+  (fetchpatch' {
+    # desko nixpkgs branch: `pr-papers-cross`
+    name = "papers: fix cross compilation";
+    saneCommit = "eaed8b1530ce9eb9f674677003866d2d793b90fa";
+    hash = "sha256-b5BNpbM7lXSPT9h3zQZStPRk6yyfH4x6g2tpjXW94EM=";
+  })
+
   (fetchpatch' {
     name = "coincurve: fix build";
     # saneCommit = "cd118a2491e613f0d4dd8673a6ac17a0094dd987";