diff --git a/srcpkgs/gnome-characters/patches/meson-0.61.patch b/srcpkgs/gnome-characters/patches/meson-0.61.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..248f8d5dced
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/gnome-characters/patches/meson-0.61.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+--- a/data/meson.build
++++ b/data/meson.build
+@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ desktop_conf.set('appid', characters_application_id)
+ desktop_conf.set('bindir', characters_bindir)
+ 
+ i18n.merge_file(
+-  'desktop-file',
+   type: 'desktop',
+   input: configure_file (
+     input: characters_name + '.desktop.in',
+@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ i18n.merge_file(
+ )
+ 
+ appdata_file = i18n.merge_file(
+-  'appdata-file',
+   input: characters_name + '.appdata.xml.in',
+   output: characters_application_id + '.appdata.xml',
+   po_dir: po_dir,