diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/de/desktop-file-utils/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/by-name/de/desktop-file-utils/setup-hook.sh
index 728070e345810..af6b3fab34ee8 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/de/desktop-file-utils/setup-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/de/desktop-file-utils/setup-hook.sh
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ mimeinfoPreFixupPhase() {
     rm -f $out/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache
 }
 
-preFixupPhases="${preFixupPhases-} mimeinfoPreFixupPhase"
+appendToVar preFixupPhases mimeinfoPreFixupPhase