diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/make-startupitem/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/make-startupitem/default.nix
index 07cdee600d45..dc78b8a704e2 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/make-startupitem/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/make-startupitem/default.nix
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 # as autostart item.
 
 {stdenv, lib}:
-{ name     # name of the desktop file (without .desktop)
-, package  # package where the desktop file resides in
+{ name            # name of the desktop file (without .desktop)
+, package         # package where the desktop file resides in
+, srcPrefix ? ""  # additional prefix that the desktop file may have in the 'package'
 , after ? null
 , condition ? null
 , phase ? "2"
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   buildCommand = ''
     ensureDir $out/share/autostart
     target=${name}.desktop
-    cp ${package}/share/applications/${name}.desktop $target
+    cp ${package}/share/applications/${srcPrefix}${name}.desktop $target
     chmod +rw $target
     echo "X-KDE-autostart-phase=${phase}" >> $target
     ${lib.optionalString (after != null) ''echo "${after}" >> $target''}
@@ -31,4 +32,4 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   # this will automatically put 'package' in the environment when you
   # put its startup item in there.
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ package ];
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}