diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/vte/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/vte/default.nix
index 0d5686ccc0a3..c1774e2c828e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/vte/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/vte/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 { stdenv
+, lib
 , fetchurl
+, fetchpatch
 , gettext
 , pkgconfig
 , meson
@@ -58,6 +60,17 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     pango
   ];
 
+  patches =
+    # VTE needs a small patch to work with musl:
+    # https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/vte/issues/72
+    lib.optional
+      stdenv.hostPlatform.isMusl
+      (fetchpatch {
+            name = "0001-Add-W_EXITCODE-macro-for-non-glibc-systems.patch";
+            url = "https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/vte/uploads/c334f767f5d605e0f30ecaa2a0e4d226/0001-Add-W_EXITCODE-macro-for-non-glibc-systems.patch";
+            sha256 = "1ii9db9i5l3fy2alxz7bjfsgjs3lappnlx339dvxbi2141zknf5r";
+      });
+
   postPatch = ''
     patchShebangs perf/*
     patchShebangs src/box_drawing_generate.sh