diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/electron-cash/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/electron-cash/default.nix
index e9854ac3ef94..89579d62a4f9 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/electron-cash/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/electron-cash/default.nix
@@ -61,11 +61,6 @@ python3Packages.buildPythonApplication rec {
       --replace "(share_dir" "(\"share\""
   '';
 
-  postInstall = lib.optionalString stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux ''
-    substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/electron-cash.desktop \
-      --replace "Exec=electron-cash" "Exec=$out/bin/electron-cash"
-  '';
-
   # If secp256k1 wasn't added to the library path, the following warning is given:
   #
   #   Electron Cash was unable to find the secp256k1 library on this system.
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/signal-desktop/generic.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/signal-desktop/generic.nix
index 98b056bedd3b..6fefb5016a1d 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/signal-desktop/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/signal-desktop/generic.nix
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
     # Fix the desktop link
     substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/${pname}.desktop \
-      --replace-fail "/opt/${dir}/${pname}" $out/bin/${pname} \
+      --replace-fail "/opt/${dir}/${pname}" ${meta.mainProgram} \
       --replace-fail "StartupWMClass=Signal" "StartupWMClass=signal"
 
     # Note: The following path contains bundled libraries:
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/en/entangle/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/en/entangle/package.nix
index fd5f3873df78..dab4bd89fe73 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/en/entangle/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/en/entangle/package.nix
@@ -120,11 +120,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
       -e "/gtk-update-icon-cache/d"
   '';
 
-  postInstall = ''
-    substituteInPlace "$out/share/applications/org.entangle_photo.Manager.desktop" \
-      --replace "Exec=entangle" "Exec=$out/bin/entangle"
-  '';
-
   meta = {
     description = "Tethered camera control and capture";
     longDescription = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ga/gamepad-tool/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ga/gamepad-tool/package.nix
index 4e7b03bdb4af..3ca6cabddf62 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ga/gamepad-tool/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ga/gamepad-tool/package.nix
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     cp -r usr/share/icons $out/share/icons
     substitute usr/share/applications/gamepad-tool-debian.desktop \
       $out/share/applications/gamepad-tool.desktop \
-      --replace "Exec=gamepad-tool" "Exec=$out/bin/gamepad-tool" \
-      --replace "/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/gamepad-tool.png" "$out/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/gamepad-tool.png"
+      --replace-fail "/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/gamepad-tool.png" "gamepad-tool"
     runHook postInstall
   '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-control-center/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-control-center/package.nix
index 6d10ce16a8db..9600b529c888 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-control-center/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-control-center/package.nix
@@ -200,9 +200,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
       # WM keyboard shortcuts
       --prefix XDG_DATA_DIRS : "${mutter}/share"
     )
-    for i in $out/share/applications/*; do
-      substituteInPlace $i --replace "Exec=gnome-control-center" "Exec=$out/bin/gnome-control-center"
-    done
   '';
 
   separateDebugInfo = true;
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-maps/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-maps/package.nix
index 233c0f2296ee..27eee47cbf61 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-maps/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-maps/package.nix
@@ -68,16 +68,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     libsoup_3
   ];
 
-  postPatch = ''
-    # The .service file isn't wrapped with the correct environment
-    # so misses GIR files when started. By re-pointing from the gjs
-    # entry point to the wrapped binary we get back to a wrapped
-    # binary.
-    substituteInPlace "data/org.gnome.Maps.service.in" \
-      --replace-fail "Exec=@pkgdatadir@/@app-id@" \
-                     "Exec=$out/bin/gnome-maps"
-  '';
-
   preCheck = ''
     # “time.js” included by “timeTest” and “translationsTest” depends on “org.gnome.desktop.interface” schema.
     export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${gsettings-desktop-schemas}/share/gsettings-schemas/${gsettings-desktop-schemas.name}:$XDG_DATA_DIRS"
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/package.nix
index 5ec2383c826b..80c49fda4017 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/package.nix
@@ -45,16 +45,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     ./modulesdir-env-var.patch
   ];
 
-  # make .desktop Exec absolute
-  postPatch = ''
-    patch -p0 <<END_PATCH
-    +++ gnome-panel/gnome-panel.desktop.in
-    @@ -7 +7 @@
-    -Exec=gnome-panel
-    +Exec=$out/bin/gnome-panel
-    END_PATCH
-  '';
-
   preFixup = ''
     gappsWrapperArgs+=(
       --prefix XDG_DATA_DIRS : "${gnome-menus}/share"
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/wrapper.nix
index 9fb6d3c2d1dd..5490c0f6258b 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-panel/wrapper.nix
@@ -54,9 +54,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
     rm $out/share/applications/gnome-panel.desktop
 
-    substitute ${gnome-panel}/share/applications/gnome-panel.desktop \
-      $out/share/applications/gnome-panel.desktop --replace \
-      "Exec=${gnome-panel}/bin/gnome-panel" "Exec=$out/bin/gnome-panel"
+    ln -s ${gnome-panel}/share/applications/gnome-panel.desktop \
+      $out/share/applications/gnome-panel.desktop
 
     runHook postInstall
   '';
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-weather/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-weather/package.nix
index 99a475963d3f..edbfa6503a97 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-weather/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gn/gnome-weather/package.nix
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     # entry point to the wrapped binary we get back to a wrapped
     # binary.
     substituteInPlace "data/org.gnome.Weather.service.in" \
-        --replace "Exec=@DATA_DIR@/@APP_ID@" \
-                  "Exec=$out/bin/gnome-weather"
+        --replace-fail "Exec=@DATA_DIR@/@APP_ID@" "Exec=gnome-weather"
 
     chmod +x meson_post_install.py
     patchShebangs meson_post_install.py
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/im/imagej/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/im/imagej/package.nix
index 37fed43765ea..53c984c96132 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/im/imagej/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/im/imagej/package.nix
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       --add-flags "-jar $out/share/java/ij.jar -ijpath $out/share"
 
     install -Dm644 ${icon} $out/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/apps/imagej.png
-    substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/ImageJ.desktop \
-      --replace Exec=imagej Exec=$out/bin/imagej
   '';
 
   meta = with lib; {
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/im/imv/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/im/imv/package.nix
index 178bdfcae3fb..8908a987da4d 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/im/imv/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/im/imv/package.nix
@@ -101,8 +101,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ++ builtins.map (b: backends."${b}") withBackends;
 
   postInstall = ''
-    # fix the executable path and install the desktop item
-    substituteInPlace ../files/imv.desktop --replace "imv %F" "$out/bin/imv %F"
     install -Dm644 ../files/imv.desktop $out/share/applications/
   '';
 
@@ -111,8 +109,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     # so we have to fix those to the binaries we installed into the /nix/store
 
     substituteInPlace "$out/bin/imv" \
-      --replace "imv-wayland" "$out/bin/imv-wayland" \
-      --replace "imv-x11" "$out/bin/imv-x11"
+      --replace-fail "imv-wayland" "$out/bin/imv-wayland" \
+      --replace-fail "imv-x11" "$out/bin/imv-x11"
   '';
 
   doCheck = true;
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/nm/nmapsi4/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/nm/nmapsi4/package.nix
index 682e7f1f2d12..37287dcef021 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/nm/nmapsi4/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/nm/nmapsi4/package.nix
@@ -52,9 +52,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
     for f in $out/share/applications/* ; do
       substituteInPlace $f \
-        --replace Qt4                   Qt5 \
-        --replace Exec=nmapsi4          Exec=$out/bin/nmapsi4 \
-        --replace "Exec=kdesu nmapsi4" "Exec=kdesu $out/bin/nmapsi4"
+        --replace Qt4                   Qt5
     done
   '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ry/ryujinx/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ry/ryujinx/package.nix
index 6e698c3314f0..5b24e80d34bc 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ry/ryujinx/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ry/ryujinx/package.nix
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ buildDotnetModule rec {
     install -D ./mime/Ryujinx.xml $out/share/mime/packages/Ryujinx.xml
     install -D ../misc/Logo.svg $out/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/Ryujinx.svg
 
-    substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/Ryujinx.desktop \
-      --replace "Ryujinx.sh %f" "$out/bin/Ryujinx.sh %f"
-
     ln -s $out/bin/Ryujinx $out/bin/ryujinx
 
     popd
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ti/tilix/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ti/tilix/package.nix
index 4394a2a52f58..07344d23d87a 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ti/tilix/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ti/tilix/package.nix
@@ -61,11 +61,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     patchShebangs meson_post_install.py
   '';
 
-  preFixup = ''
-    substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/com.gexperts.Tilix.desktop \
-      --replace "Exec=tilix" "Exec=$out/bin/tilix"
-  '';
-
   passthru.tests.test = nixosTests.terminal-emulators.tilix;
 
   meta = with lib; {
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/qtcreator/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/qtcreator/default.nix
index 54831c7028f3..9956e931b064 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/qtcreator/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/qtcreator/default.nix
@@ -86,11 +86,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--set-default PERFPROFILER_PARSER_FILEPATH ${lib.getBin perf}/bin"
   ];
 
-  postInstall = ''
-    substituteInPlace $out/share/applications/org.qt-project.qtcreator.desktop \
-      --replace "Exec=qtcreator" "Exec=$out/bin/qtcreator"
-  '';
-
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "Cross-platform IDE tailored to the needs of Qt developers";
     longDescription = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/fclones/gui.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/fclones/gui.nix
index bf010cfa798e..e5e611336439 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/fclones/gui.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/fclones/gui.nix
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ rustPlatform.buildRustPackage rec {
 
   postInstall = ''
     substituteInPlace snap/gui/fclones-gui.desktop \
-      --replace Exec=fclones-gui Exec=$out/bin/fclones-gui \
       --replace 'Icon=''${SNAP}/meta/gui/fclones-gui.png' Icon=fclones-gui
 
     install -Dm444 snap/gui/fclones-gui.desktop -t $out/share/applications