diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
index ba6d333b534e..695a309e1358 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
@@ -5,14 +5,6 @@ with lib;
 let
   cfg = config.services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome3;
 
-  # Remove packages of ys from xs, based on their names
-  removePackagesByName = xs: ys:
-    let
-      pkgName = drv: (builtins.parseDrvName drv.name).name;
-      ysNames = map pkgName ys;
-    in
-      filter (x: !(builtins.elem (pkgName x) ysNames)) xs;
-
   # Prioritize nautilus by default when opening directories
   mimeAppsList = pkgs.writeTextFile {
     name = "gnome-mimeapps";
@@ -167,7 +159,7 @@ in {
                                                 "${pkgs.gnome3.glib-networking.out}/lib/gio/modules"
                                                 "${pkgs.gnome3.gvfs}/lib/gio/modules" ];
     environment.systemPackages = pkgs.gnome3.corePackages ++ cfg.sessionPath
-      ++ (removePackagesByName pkgs.gnome3.optionalPackages config.environment.gnome3.excludePackages) ++ [
+      ++ (pkgs.gnome3.removePackagesByName pkgs.gnome3.optionalPackages config.environment.gnome3.excludePackages) ++ [
       pkgs.xdg-user-dirs # Update user dirs as described in http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/xdg-user-dirs/
     ];
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/lxqt.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/lxqt.nix
index 896f70c86ebb..686bbd0dcf98 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/lxqt.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/lxqt.nix
@@ -3,15 +3,6 @@
 with lib;
 
 let
-
-  # Remove packages of ys from xs, based on their names
-  removePackagesByName = xs: ys:
-    let
-      pkgName = drv: (builtins.parseDrvName drv.name).name;
-      ysNames = map pkgName ys;
-    in
-      filter (x: !(builtins.elem (pkgName x) ysNames)) xs;
-
   xcfg = config.services.xserver;
   cfg = xcfg.desktopManager.lxqt;
 
@@ -60,7 +51,7 @@ in
     environment.systemPackages =
       pkgs.lxqt.preRequisitePackages ++
       pkgs.lxqt.corePackages ++
-      (removePackagesByName
+      (pkgs.gnome3.removePackagesByName
         pkgs.lxqt.optionalPackages
         config.environment.lxqt.excludePackages);
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/mate.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/mate.nix
index db83aaf3c19f..4d2fafd14961 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/mate.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/mate.nix
@@ -4,14 +4,6 @@ with lib;
 
 let
 
-  # Remove packages of ys from xs, based on their names
-  removePackagesByName = xs: ys:
-    let
-      pkgName = drv: (builtins.parseDrvName drv.name).name;
-      ysNames = map pkgName ys;
-    in
-      filter (x: !(builtins.elem (pkgName x) ysNames)) xs;
-
   addToXDGDirs = p: ''
     if [ -d "${p}/share/gsettings-schemas/${p.name}" ]; then
       export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$XDG_DATA_DIRS''${XDG_DATA_DIRS:+:}${p}/share/gsettings-schemas/${p.name}
@@ -96,7 +88,7 @@ in
 
     environment.systemPackages =
       pkgs.mate.basePackages ++
-      (removePackagesByName
+      (pkgs.gnome3.removePackagesByName
         pkgs.mate.extraPackages
         config.environment.mate.excludePackages);
 
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/gnome-3/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/gnome-3/default.nix
index 75c474faea0d..f1f4d4738726 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/gnome-3/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/gnome-3/default.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@
 lib.makeScope pkgs.newScope (self: with self; {
   updateScript = callPackage ./update.nix { };
 
+  /* Remove packages of packagesToRemove from packages, based on their names
+
+     Type:
+       removePackagesByName :: [package] -> [package] -> [package]
+
+     Example:
+       removePackagesByName [ nautilus file-roller ] [ file-roller totem ]
+       => [ nautilus ]
+  */
+  removePackagesByName = packages: packagesToRemove:
+    let
+      pkgName = drv: (builtins.parseDrvName drv.name).name;
+      namesToRemove = map pkgName packagesToRemove;
+    in
+      filter (x: !(builtins.elem (pkgName x) namesToRemove)) packages;
+
   maintainers = with pkgs.lib.maintainers; [ lethalman jtojnar hedning ];
 
   corePackages = with gnome3; [