diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index ac0a377b..e74e5b9f 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@
     },
     "nixpkgs-unpatched": {
       "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1693844670,
-        "narHash": "sha256-t69F2nBB8DNQUWHD809oJZJVE+23XBrth4QZuVd6IE0=",
+        "lastModified": 1693985761,
+        "narHash": "sha256-K5b+7j7Tt3+AqbWkcw+wMeqOAWyCD1MH26FPZyWXpdo=",
         "owner": "nixos",
         "repo": "nixpkgs",
-        "rev": "3c15feef7770eb5500a4b8792623e2d6f598c9c1",
+        "rev": "0bffda19b8af722f8069d09d8b6a24594c80b352",
         "type": "github"
       },
       "original": {
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/chatty.nix b/hosts/common/programs/chatty.nix
index f648d644..9deb2867 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/chatty.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/chatty.nix
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ let
         # frees us from webkit_4_1, in turn.
         enableBackend = false;
         gvfs = pkgs.gvfs.override {
-          # saves 20 minutes of build time, for unused feature
+          # saves 20 minutes of build time and cross issues, for unused feature
           samba = null;
         };
       };
diff --git a/nixpatches/list.nix b/nixpatches/list.nix
index 672ba1a9..fdb8a8c0 100644
--- a/nixpatches/list.nix
+++ b/nixpatches/list.nix
@@ -27,6 +27,29 @@ in [
   #   hash = "sha256-e38Z7sO7xDQHzE9UOfbptc6vJuONE5eP9JFp2Nzx53E=";
   # })
 
+  # (fetchpatch' {
+  #   # merged 2023/09/07, but into staging
+  #   title = "waf: fix cross-compilation";
+  #   prUrl = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/252874";
+  #   hash = "sha256-DjwhbH9o6uoj1Ahb8eE6cEnlIKtQCL61P0v22H9fOiQ=";
+  # })
+
+  # (fetchpatch' {
+  #   # needed for subsequent "disable pipewireSupport in qemu-user" patch
+  #   # merged 2023/09/07
+  #   title = "qemu: add pipewire support (8.1 feature)";
+  #   prUrl = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/253660";
+  #   hash = "sha256-sABTNJHBQEF8YuXit4+zG/lyK4eRJz6MkRDpaeKe+z8=";
+  # })
+
+  # (fetchpatch' {
+  #   # fixes infinite recursion in cross qemu compile.
+  #   # merged 2023/09/07
+  #   title = "lib/systems: disable pipewireSupport in qemu-user";
+  #   prUrl = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/253913";
+  #   hash = "sha256-D2fnB4eOvbew0tea7Y1LH7GQJF3Pch/9DLEChf/ZNxs=";
+  # })
+
   # (fetchpatch' {
   #   # TODO: check back in on this around 2023-10-01
   #   title = "libkiwix: 12.0.0 -> 12.1.0";
diff --git a/overlays/preferences.nix b/overlays/preferences.nix
index 327cf4bd..c40da460 100644
--- a/overlays/preferences.nix
+++ b/overlays/preferences.nix
@@ -22,6 +22,19 @@
   phog = super.phog.override {
     # disable squeekboard because it takes 20 minutes to compile when emulated
     squeekboard = null;
+    gnome.gnome-shell = gnome.gnome-shell.override {
+      evolution-data-server-gtk4 = evolution-data-server-gtk4.override {
+        gnome-online-accounts = gnome-online-accounts.override {
+          # disables the upstream "goabackend" feature -- presumably "Gnome Online Accounts Backend"
+          # frees us from webkit_4_1, in turn.
+          enableBackend = false;
+          gvfs = gvfs.override {
+            # saves 20 minutes of build time and cross issues, for unused feature
+            samba = null;
+          };
+        };
+      };
+    };
   };
 
   pipewire = super.pipewire.override {
@@ -44,4 +57,11 @@
       });
     })
   ];
+
+  qemu = super.qemu.override {
+    # 2023/09/07: see <https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/252874>
+    # fixes an eval-time recursion error
+    # should be safe to remove after next staging -> master merge
+    jackSupport = false;
+  };
 })