diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
index 5d84f4e411..d9a22b41bb 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@
   #:use-module (gnu packages gl)
   #:use-module (gnu packages compression)
   #:use-module (gnu packages xorg)
-  #:use-module (gnu packages xdisorg))
+  #:use-module (gnu packages xdisorg)
+  #:use-module (gnu packages ncurses))
 
 (define-public brasero
   (package
@@ -1324,3 +1325,57 @@ language features to GNOME developers without imposing any additional runtime
 requirements and without using a different ABI compared to applications and
 libraries written in C.")
     (license license:lgpl2.1+)))
+
+(define-public vte
+  (package
+    (name "vte")
+    (version "0.38.2")
+    (source (origin
+              (method url-fetch)
+              (uri (string-append "mirror://gnome/sources/" name "/"
+                                  (version-major+minor version) "/"
+                                  name "-" version ".tar.xz"))
+              (sha256
+               (base32
+                "1rbxrigff9yszbgdw0gw4c2saz4d1hbbpz21phzxx14w49wvmnmj"))))
+    (build-system gnu-build-system)
+    (native-inputs
+     `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
+       ("intltool" ,intltool)
+       ("vala" ,vala)
+       ("gobject-introspection" ,gobject-introspection)
+       ("glib" ,glib "bin") ; for glib-genmarshal, etc.
+       ("xmllint" ,libxml2)))
+    (propagated-inputs
+     `(("gtk+" ,gtk+))) ; required by libvte-2.91.pc
+    (home-page "http://www.gnome.org/")
+    (synopsis "Virtual Terminal Emulator")
+    (description
+     "VTE is a library (libvte) implementing a terminal emulator widget for
+GTK+, and a minimal sample application (vte) using that.  Vte is mainly used in
+gnome-terminal, but can also be used to embed a console/terminal in games,
+editors, IDEs, etc.")
+    (license license:lgpl2.1+)))
+
+;; stable version for gtk2, required by xfce4-terminal.
+(define-public vte/gtk+-2
+  (package (inherit vte)
+    (name "vte")
+    (version "0.28.2")
+    (source (origin
+              (method url-fetch)
+              (uri (string-append "mirror://gnome/sources/" name "/"
+                                  (version-major+minor version) "/"
+                                  name "-" version ".tar.xz"))
+              (sha256
+               (base32
+                "1bmhahkf8wdsra9whd3k5l5z4rv7r58ksr8mshzajgq2ma0hpkw6"))))
+    (arguments
+     '(#:configure-flags '("--disable-python")))
+    (native-inputs
+     `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
+       ("intltool" ,intltool)
+       ("glib" ,glib "bin")))   ; for glib-genmarshal, etc.
+    (propagated-inputs
+     `(("gtk+" ,gtk+-2)         ; required by libvte.pc
+       ("ncurses" ,ncurses))))) ; required by libvte.la
diff --git a/gnu/packages/xfce.scm b/gnu/packages/xfce.scm
index b2954ff083..2b15c3e35c 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/xfce.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/xfce.scm
@@ -512,3 +512,33 @@ on the screen.")
 optional application menu or icons for minimized applications or launchers,
 devices and folders.")
     (license gpl2+)))
+
+(define-public xfce4-terminal
+  (package
+    (name "xfce4-terminal")
+    (version "0.6.3")
+    (source (origin
+              (method url-fetch)
+              (uri (string-append "http://archive.xfce.org/src/apps/" name "/"
+                                  (version-major+minor version) "/"
+                                  name "-" version ".tar.bz2"))
+              (sha256
+               (base32
+                "023y0lkfijifh05yz8grimxadqpi98mrivr00sl18nirq8b4fbwi"))))
+    (build-system gnu-build-system)
+    (native-inputs
+     `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
+       ("intltool" ,intltool)))
+    (inputs
+     `(("libxfce4ui" ,libxfce4ui)
+       ("vte" ,vte/gtk+-2)))
+    (home-page "http://www.xfce.org/")
+    (synopsis "Xfce terminal emulator")
+    (description
+     "A lightweight and easy to use terminal emulator for Xfce.  Features
+include a simple configuration interface, the ability to use multiple tabs
+with terminals within a single window, the possibility to have a
+pseudo-transparent terminal background, and a compact mode (where both the
+menubar and the window decorations are hidden) that helps you to save space
+on your desktop.")
+    (license gpl2+)))
diff --git a/nix-upstream b/nix-upstream
deleted file mode 160000
index e7720aa10a..0000000000
--- a/nix-upstream
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit e7720aa10a1da63bb15a4587837d649268944943