diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/graphene/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/graphene/default.nix
index a0bfc6f017ad..7c4c072a7003 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/graphene/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/graphene/default.nix
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "graphene";
   version = "1.10.6";
 
-  outputs = [ "out" "devdoc" "installedTests" ];
+  outputs = [ "out" ]
+    ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform) [ "devdoc" "installedTests" ];
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "ebassi";
@@ -33,6 +34,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ./0001-meson-add-options-for-tests-installation-dirs.patch
   ];
 
+  depsBuildBuild = [
+    pkg-config
+  ];
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     docbook_xml_dtd_43
     docbook_xsl
@@ -47,7 +52,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   buildInputs = [
     glib
-    gobject-introspection
   ];
 
   checkInputs = [
@@ -55,7 +59,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   ];
 
   mesonFlags = [
-    "-Dgtk_doc=true"
+    "-Dgtk_doc=${lib.boolToString (stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform)}"
+    "-Dintrospection=${if (stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform) then "enabled" else "disabled"}"
     "-Dinstalled_test_datadir=${placeholder "installedTests"}/share"
     "-Dinstalled_test_bindir=${placeholder "installedTests"}/libexec"
   ];
@@ -64,6 +69,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   postPatch = ''
     patchShebangs tests/gen-installed-test.py
+  '' + lib.optionalString (stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform) ''
     PATH=${python3.withPackages (pp: [ pp.pygobject3 pp.tappy ])}/bin:$PATH patchShebangs tests/introspection.py
   '';