diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/budgie.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/budgie.nix
index a911db725c01..d6e6bb2fa14e 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/budgie.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/budgie.nix
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ let
   budgie-control-center = pkgs.budgie.budgie-control-center.override {
     enableSshSocket = config.services.openssh.startWhenNeeded;
   };
+
+  notExcluded = pkg: (!(lib.elem pkg config.environment.budgie.excludePackages));
 in {
   meta.maintainers = lib.teams.budgie.members;
 
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ in {
       ++ cfg.sessionPath;
 
     # Both budgie-desktop-view and nemo defaults to this emulator.
-    programs.gnome-terminal.enable = mkDefault true;
+    programs.gnome-terminal.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.gnome-terminal);
 
     # Fonts.
     fonts.packages = [
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/cinnamon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/cinnamon.nix
index 935f173a9d81..6983b51376fd 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/cinnamon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/cinnamon.nix
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ in
       '';
 
       # Default services
-      services.blueman.enable = mkDefault true;
+      services.blueman.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.blueman);
       hardware.bluetooth.enable = mkDefault true;
       hardware.pulseaudio.enable = mkDefault true;
       security.polkit.enable = true;
@@ -228,10 +228,10 @@ in
     })
 
     (mkIf serviceCfg.apps.enable {
-      programs.geary.enable = mkDefault true;
-      programs.gnome-disks.enable = mkDefault true;
-      programs.gnome-terminal.enable = mkDefault true;
-      programs.file-roller.enable = mkDefault true;
+      programs.geary.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.geary);
+      programs.gnome-disks.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.gnome-disk-utility);
+      programs.gnome-terminal.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.gnome-terminal);
+      programs.file-roller.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.file-roller);
 
       environment.systemPackages = with pkgs // pkgs.gnome // pkgs.cinnamon; utils.removePackagesByName [
         # cinnamon team apps
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/pantheon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/pantheon.nix
index 695d81f666a1..2115f8f0ab23 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/pantheon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/pantheon.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ let
     extraGSettingsOverrides = cfg.extraGSettingsOverrides;
   };
 
+  notExcluded = pkg: (!(lib.elem pkg config.environment.pantheon.excludePackages));
 in
 
 {
@@ -288,8 +289,8 @@ in
     })
 
     (mkIf serviceCfg.apps.enable {
-      programs.evince.enable = mkDefault true;
-      programs.file-roller.enable = mkDefault true;
+      programs.evince.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.evince);
+      programs.file-roller.enable = mkDefault (notExcluded pkgs.gnome.file-roller);
 
       environment.systemPackages = utils.removePackagesByName ([
         pkgs.gnome.gnome-font-viewer
diff --git a/nixos/tests/budgie.nix b/nixos/tests/budgie.nix
index 5228e869b056..203e718c8c6d 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/budgie.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/budgie.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ... }: {
       };
     };
 
+    # We don't ship gnome-text-editor in Budgie module, we add this line mainly
+    # to catch eval issues related to this option.
+    environment.budgie.excludePackages = [ pkgs.gnome-text-editor ];
+
     services.xserver.desktopManager.budgie = {
       enable = true;
       extraPlugins = [
diff --git a/nixos/tests/cinnamon.nix b/nixos/tests/cinnamon.nix
index eab907d0b712..694308152149 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/cinnamon.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/cinnamon.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ... }: {
     services.xserver.enable = true;
     services.xserver.desktopManager.cinnamon.enable = true;
 
+    # We don't ship gnome-text-editor in Cinnamon module, we add this line mainly
+    # to catch eval issues related to this option.
+    environment.cinnamon.excludePackages = [ pkgs.gnome-text-editor ];
+
     # For the sessionPath subtest.
     services.xserver.desktopManager.cinnamon.sessionPath = [ pkgs.gnome.gpaste ];
   };
diff --git a/nixos/tests/pantheon.nix b/nixos/tests/pantheon.nix
index f8de2eb8061d..d2a4a009af53 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/pantheon.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/pantheon.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} :
     services.xserver.enable = true;
     services.xserver.desktopManager.pantheon.enable = true;
 
+    # We ship pantheon.appcenter by default when this is enabled.
+    services.flatpak.enable = true;
+
+    # We don't ship gnome-text-editor in Pantheon module, we add this line mainly
+    # to catch eval issues related to this option.
+    environment.pantheon.excludePackages = [ pkgs.gnome-text-editor ];
+
     environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.xdotool ];
   };