diff --git a/nixos/tests/xfce.nix b/nixos/tests/xfce.nix
index 03921491c7b6..0b88fb18870f 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/xfce.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/xfce.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
       services.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable = true;
       environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.xfce.xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin ];
+
+      programs.thunar.plugins = [ pkgs.xfce.thunar-archive-plugin ];
     };
 
   enableOCR = true;
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
index 4673cf878abe..e2889789564e 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/default.nix
@@ -16,82 +16,63 @@
   pcre2,
   xfce4-panel,
   xfconf,
-  makeWrapper,
-  symlinkJoin,
-  thunarPlugins ? [ ],
   withIntrospection ? false,
-  buildPackages,
   gobject-introspection,
 }:
 
-let
-  unwrapped = mkXfceDerivation {
-    category = "xfce";
-    pname = "thunar";
-    version = "4.20.3";
+mkXfceDerivation {
+  category = "xfce";
+  pname = "thunar";
+  version = "4.20.3";
 
-    sha256 = "sha256-YOh7tuCja9F2VvzX+QqsKHJfebXWbhLqvcraq6PBOGo=";
+  sha256 = "sha256-YOh7tuCja9F2VvzX+QqsKHJfebXWbhLqvcraq6PBOGo=";
 
-    nativeBuildInputs =
-      [
-        docbook_xsl
-        libxslt
-      ]
-      ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
-        gobject-introspection
-      ];
-
-    buildInputs = [
-      exo
-      gdk-pixbuf
-      gtk3
-      libX11
-      libexif # image properties page
-      libgudev
-      libnotify
-      libxfce4ui
-      libxfce4util
-      pcre2 # search & replace renamer
-      xfce4-panel # trash panel applet plugin
-      xfconf
+  nativeBuildInputs =
+    [
+      docbook_xsl
+      libxslt
+    ]
+    ++ lib.optionals withIntrospection [
+      gobject-introspection
     ];
 
-    configureFlags = [ "--with-custom-thunarx-dirs-enabled" ];
+  buildInputs = [
+    exo
+    gdk-pixbuf
+    gtk3
+    libX11
+    libexif # image properties page
+    libgudev
+    libnotify
+    libxfce4ui
+    libxfce4util
+    pcre2 # search & replace renamer
+    xfce4-panel # trash panel applet plugin
+    xfconf
+  ];
 
-    # the desktop file … is in an insecure location»
-    # which pops up when invoking desktop files that are
-    # symlinks to the /nix/store
-    #
-    # this error was added by this commit:
-    # https://github.com/xfce-mirror/thunar/commit/1ec8ff89ec5a3314fcd6a57f1475654ddecc9875
-    postPatch = ''
-      sed -i -e 's|thunar_dialogs_show_insecure_program (parent, _(".*"), file, exec)|1|' thunar/thunar-file.c
-    '';
+  configureFlags = [ "--with-custom-thunarx-dirs-enabled" ];
 
-    preFixup = ''
-      gappsWrapperArgs+=(
-        # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/329688
-        --prefix PATH : ${lib.makeBinPath [ exo ]}
-      )
-    '';
+  # the desktop file … is in an insecure location»
+  # which pops up when invoking desktop files that are
+  # symlinks to the /nix/store
+  #
+  # this error was added by this commit:
+  # https://github.com/xfce-mirror/thunar/commit/1ec8ff89ec5a3314fcd6a57f1475654ddecc9875
+  postPatch = ''
+    sed -i -e 's|thunar_dialogs_show_insecure_program (parent, _(".*"), file, exec)|1|' thunar/thunar-file.c
+  '';
 
-    meta = with lib; {
-      description = "Xfce file manager";
-      mainProgram = "thunar";
-      teams = [ teams.xfce ];
-    };
+  preFixup = ''
+    gappsWrapperArgs+=(
+      # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/329688
+      --prefix PATH : ${lib.makeBinPath [ exo ]}
+    )
+  '';
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Xfce file manager";
+    mainProgram = "thunar";
+    teams = [ teams.xfce ];
   };
-
-in
-if thunarPlugins == [ ] then
-  unwrapped
-else
-  import ./wrapper.nix {
-    inherit
-      makeWrapper
-      symlinkJoin
-      thunarPlugins
-      lib
-      ;
-    thunar = unwrapped;
-  }
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/wrapper.nix
index e4b3cec39d84..009710ea353e 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/core/thunar/wrapper.nix
@@ -2,53 +2,61 @@
   lib,
   makeWrapper,
   symlinkJoin,
-  thunar,
-  thunarPlugins,
+  thunar-unwrapped,
+  thunarPlugins ? [ ],
 }:
 
-symlinkJoin {
-  name = "thunar-with-plugins-${thunar.version}";
+let
+  thunar = thunar-unwrapped;
+in
 
-  paths = [ thunar ] ++ thunarPlugins;
+if thunarPlugins == [ ] then
+  thunar
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper ];
+else
+  symlinkJoin {
+    name = "thunar-with-plugins-${thunar.version}";
 
-  postBuild = ''
-    wrapProgram "$out/bin/thunar" \
-      --set "THUNARX_DIRS" "$out/lib/thunarx-3"
+    paths = [ thunar ] ++ thunarPlugins;
 
-    wrapProgram "$out/bin/thunar-settings" \
-      --set "THUNARX_DIRS" "$out/lib/thunarx-3"
+    nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper ];
 
-    # NOTE: we need to remove the folder symlink itself and create
-    # a new folder before trying to substitute any file below.
-    rm -f "$out/lib/systemd/user"
-    mkdir -p "$out/lib/systemd/user"
+    postBuild = ''
+      wrapProgram "$out/bin/thunar" \
+        --set "THUNARX_DIRS" "$out/lib/thunarx-3"
 
-    # point to wrapped binary in all service files
-    for file in "lib/systemd/user/thunar.service" \
-      "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.FileManager.service" \
-      "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.Thunar.FileManager1.service" \
-      "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.Thunar.service"
-    do
-      rm -f "$out/$file"
-      substitute "${thunar}/$file" "$out/$file" \
-        --replace "${thunar}" "$out"
-    done
-  '';
+      wrapProgram "$out/bin/thunar-settings" \
+        --set "THUNARX_DIRS" "$out/lib/thunarx-3"
 
-  meta = with lib; {
-    inherit (thunar.meta)
-      homepage
-      license
-      platforms
-      teams
-      ;
+      # NOTE: we need to remove the folder symlink itself and create
+      # a new folder before trying to substitute any file below.
+      rm -f "$out/lib/systemd/user"
+      mkdir -p "$out/lib/systemd/user"
 
-    description =
-      thunar.meta.description
-      +
-        optionalString (0 != length thunarPlugins)
-          " (with plugins: ${concatStringsSep ", " (map (x: x.name) thunarPlugins)})";
-  };
-}
+      # point to wrapped binary in all service files
+      for file in "lib/systemd/user/thunar.service" \
+        "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.FileManager.service" \
+        "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.Thunar.FileManager1.service" \
+        "share/dbus-1/services/org.xfce.Thunar.service"
+      do
+        rm -f "$out/$file"
+        substitute "${thunar}/$file" "$out/$file" \
+          --replace "${thunar}" "$out"
+      done
+    '';
+
+    meta = with lib; {
+      inherit (thunar.meta)
+        homepage
+        license
+        platforms
+        teams
+        ;
+
+      description =
+        thunar.meta.description
+        +
+          optionalString (0 != length thunarPlugins)
+            " (with plugins: ${concatStringsSep ", " (map (x: x.name) thunarPlugins)})";
+    };
+  }
diff --git a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
index 2a907a4ba39c..bdd3a9aadc84 100644
--- a/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/desktops/xfce/default.nix
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ makeScopeWithSplicing' {
 
       libxfce4windowing = callPackage ./core/libxfce4windowing { };
 
-      thunar = callPackage ./core/thunar {
-        thunarPlugins = [ ];
-      };
+      thunar-unwrapped = callPackage ./core/thunar { };
+
+      thunar = callPackage ./core/thunar/wrapper.nix { };
 
       thunar-volman = callPackage ./core/thunar-volman { };
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ makeScopeWithSplicing' {
 
       xinitrc = self.xfce4-session.xinitrc; # added 2019-11-04
 
-      thunar-bare = self.thunar.override { thunarPlugins = [ ]; }; # added 2019-11-04
+      thunar-bare = self.thunar-unwrapped; # added 2019-11-04
 
       xfce4-datetime-plugin = throw ''
         xfce4-datetime-plugin has been removed: this plugin has been merged into the xfce4-panel's built-in clock