diff --git a/doc/stdenv/cross-compilation.chapter.md b/doc/stdenv/cross-compilation.chapter.md
index 3b6e5c34d54..7b8f2b4ce6c 100644
--- a/doc/stdenv/cross-compilation.chapter.md
+++ b/doc/stdenv/cross-compilation.chapter.md
@@ -153,6 +153,24 @@ Add the following to your `mkDerivation` invocation.
 doCheck = stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform;
 ```
 
+#### Package using Meson needs to run binaries for the host platform during build. {#cross-meson-runs-host-code}
+
+Add `mesonEmulatorHook` cross conditionally to `nativeBuildInputs`.
+
+e.g.
+
+```
+nativeBuildInputs = [
+  meson
+] ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform) [
+  mesonEmulatorHook
+];
+```
+
+Example of an error which this fixes.
+
+`[Errno 8] Exec format error: './gdk3-scan'`
+
 ## Cross-building packages {#sec-cross-usage}
 
 Nixpkgs can be instantiated with `localSystem` alone, in which case there is no cross-compiling and everything is built by and for that system, or also with `crossSystem`, in which case packages run on the latter, but all building happens on the former. Both parameters take the same schema as the 3 (build, host, and target) platforms defined in the previous section. As mentioned above, `lib.systems.examples` has some platforms which are used as arguments for these parameters in practice. You can use them programmatically, or on the command line:
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/default.nix
index b457331983a..82be84e1f1d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/default.nix
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 , cairo
 , gnome
 , substituteAll
+, buildPackages
+, gobject-introspection-unwrapped
 , nixStoreDir ? builtins.storeDir
 , x11Support ? true
 }:
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     docbook_xml_dtd_45
     python3
     setupHook # move .gir files
-  ];
+  ] ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) [ gobject-introspection-unwrapped ];
 
   buildInputs = [
     python3
@@ -86,7 +88,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--datadir=${placeholder "dev"}/share"
     "-Ddoctool=disabled"
     "-Dcairo=disabled"
-    "-Dgtk_doc=true"
+    "-Dgtk_doc=${lib.boolToString (stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform)}"
+  ] ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) [
+    "-Dgi_cross_ldd_wrapper=${buildPackages.prelink}/bin/prelink-rtld"
+    "-Dgi_cross_use_prebuilt_gi=true"
+    "-Dgi_cross_binary_wrapper=${stdenv.hostPlatform.emulator buildPackages}"
   ];
 
   doCheck = !stdenv.isAarch64;
@@ -97,6 +103,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     patchShebangs tools/*
   '';
 
+  postInstall = lib.optionalString (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) ''
+    cp -r ${buildPackages.gobject-introspection-unwrapped.devdoc} $devdoc
+  '';
+
   preCheck = ''
     # Our gobject-introspection patches make the shared library paths absolute
     # in the GIR files. When running tests, the library is not yet installed,
@@ -122,7 +132,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "A middleware layer between C libraries and language bindings";
     homepage = "https://gi.readthedocs.io/";
-    maintainers = teams.gnome.members ++ (with maintainers; [ lovek323 ]);
+    maintainers = teams.gnome.members ++ (with maintainers; [ lovek323 artturin ]);
     platforms = platforms.unix;
     license = with licenses; [ gpl2 lgpl2 ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrapper.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..44d31540e64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrapper.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{ lib
+, stdenv
+, buildPackages
+, gobject-introspection-unwrapped
+, targetPackages
+}:
+
+# to build, run
+# `nix build ".#pkgsCross.aarch64-multiplatform.buildPackages.gobject-introspection"`
+gobject-introspection-unwrapped.overrideAttrs (_previousAttrs: {
+  pname = "gobject-introspection-wrapped";
+  postFixup = ''
+    mv $dev/bin/g-ir-compiler $dev/bin/.g-ir-compiler-wrapped
+    mv $dev/bin/g-ir-scanner $dev/bin/.g-ir-scanner-wrapped
+
+    (
+      export bash="${buildPackages.bash}/bin/bash"
+      export emulator=${lib.escapeShellArg (stdenv.targetPlatform.emulator buildPackages)}
+      export buildprelink="${buildPackages.prelink}/bin/prelink-rtld"
+
+      export targetgir="${lib.getDev targetPackages.gobject-introspection-unwrapped}"
+
+      substituteAll "${./wrappers/g-ir-compiler.sh}" "$dev/bin/g-ir-compiler"
+      substituteAll "${./wrappers/g-ir-scanner.sh}" "$dev/bin/g-ir-scanner"
+      chmod +x "$dev/bin/g-ir-compiler"
+      chmod +x "$dev/bin/g-ir-scanner"
+    )
+  '';
+})
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-compiler.sh b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-compiler.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fde3dcfe0c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-compiler.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#! @bash@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+exec @emulator@ @targetgir@/bin/g-ir-compiler "$@"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-scanner.sh b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-scanner.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0825f10e166
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrappers/g-ir-scanner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#! @bash@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+exec @dev@/bin/.g-ir-scanner-wrapped \
+    --use-binary-wrapper=@emulator@ \
+    --use-ldd-wrapper=@buildprelink@ \
+    "$@"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4f08087cf5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+add_meson_exe_wrapper_cross_flag() {
+  mesonFlagsArray+=(--cross-file=@crossFile@)
+}
+
+preConfigureHooks+=(add_meson_exe_wrapper_cross_flag)
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/prelink/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/prelink/default.nix
index 2fbee4ca5f5..384829daadf 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/prelink/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/prelink/default.nix
@@ -1,22 +1,54 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, libelf }:
+{ stdenv
+, lib
+, fetchgit
+, autoreconfHook
+, libelf
+, libiberty
+}:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "prelink";
-  version = "20130503";
+  version = "unstable-2019-06-24";
 
-  buildInputs = [
-    libelf stdenv.cc.libc (lib.getOutput "static" stdenv.cc.libc)
+  src = fetchgit {
+    url = "https://git.yoctoproject.org/git/prelink-cross";
+    branchName = "cross_prelink";
+    rev = "f9975537dbfd9ade0fc813bd5cf5fcbe41753a37";
+    sha256 = "sha256-O9/oZooLRyUBBZX3SFcB6LFMmi2vQqkUlqtZnrq5oZc=";
+  };
+
+  strictDeps = true;
+
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ];
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    autoreconfHook
   ];
 
-  src = fetchurl {
-    url = "https://people.redhat.com/jakub/prelink/prelink-${version}.tar.bz2";
-    sha256 = "1w20f6ilqrz8ca51qhrn1n13h7q1r34k09g33d6l2vwvbrhcffb3";
-  };
+  buildInputs = [
+    stdenv.cc.libc
+    libelf
+    libiberty
+  ];
 
-  meta = {
-    homepage = "https://people.redhat.com/jakub/prelink/";
-    license = "GPL";
+  # Disable some tests because they're failing
+  preCheck = ''
+    for f in reloc2 layout1 unprel1 tls3 cxx2 cxx3 quick1 quick2 deps1 deps2; do
+      echo '#' > testsuite/''${f}.sh
+    done
+    patchShebangs --build testsuite
+  '';
+
+  # most tests fail
+  doCheck = !stdenv.isAarch64;
+
+  enableParallelBuilding = true;
+
+  meta = with lib;{
     description = "ELF prelinking utility to speed up dynamic linking";
-    platforms = lib.platforms.linux;
+    homepage = "https://wiki.yoctoproject.org/wiki/Cross-Prelink";
+    license = licenses.gpl2Plus;
+    platforms = platforms.linux;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ artturin ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 5270ed642bf..cb4ce940f38 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -3965,6 +3965,24 @@ with pkgs;
 
   meson = callPackage ../development/tools/build-managers/meson { };
 
+  # while building documentation meson may want to run binaries for host
+  # which needs an emulator
+  # example of an error which this fixes
+  # [Errno 8] Exec format error: './gdk3-scan'
+  mesonEmulatorHook =
+    if (stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.targetPlatform) then
+      makeSetupHook
+        {
+          name = "mesonEmulatorHook";
+          substitutions = {
+            crossFile = writeText "cross-file.conf" ''
+              [binaries]
+              exe_wrapper = ${lib.escapeShellArg (stdenv.targetPlatform.emulator buildPackages)}
+            '';
+          };
+        } ../development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh
+    else throw "mesonEmulatorHook has to be in a cross conditional i.e. (stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform)";
+
   meson-tools = callPackage ../misc/meson-tools { };
 
   metabase = callPackage ../servers/metabase { };
@@ -17630,7 +17648,10 @@ with pkgs;
   gns3-gui = gns3Packages.guiStable;
   gns3-server = gns3Packages.serverStable;
 
-  gobject-introspection = callPackage ../development/libraries/gobject-introspection {
+  gobject-introspection = if (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.targetPlatform)
+    then callPackage ../development/libraries/gobject-introspection/wrapper.nix { } else gobject-introspection-unwrapped;
+
+  gobject-introspection-unwrapped = callPackage ../development/libraries/gobject-introspection {
     nixStoreDir = config.nix.storeDir or builtins.storeDir;
     inherit (darwin) cctools;
   };