diff --git a/gnu-system.am b/gnu-system.am
index b11706cb99..723d25116b 100644
--- a/gnu-system.am
+++ b/gnu-system.am
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   gnu/packages/patches/procps-make-3.82.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/pulseaudio-fix-mult-test.patch		\
   gnu/packages/patches/pulseaudio-longer-test-timeout.patch	\
+  gnu/packages/patches/pycairo-wscript.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/pybugz-encode-error.patch		\
   gnu/packages/patches/pybugz-stty.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/pyqt-configure.patch			\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/gtk.scm b/gnu/packages/gtk.scm
index cd54cfc5b9..67838a3752 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/gtk.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/gtk.scm
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ (define-module (gnu packages gtk)
   #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
   #:use-module (guix build-system python)
   #:use-module (guix build-system waf)
+  #:use-module (gnu packages)
   #:use-module (gnu packages check)
   #:use-module (gnu packages gettext)
   #:use-module (gnu packages compression)
@@ -733,29 +734,23 @@ (define-public python-pycairo
                           version ".tar.bz2"))
       (sha256
        (base32
-        "1gjkf8x6hyx1skq3hhwcbvwifxvrf9qxis5vx8x5igmmgs70g94s"))))
-    (build-system python-build-system)
+        "1gjkf8x6hyx1skq3hhwcbvwifxvrf9qxis5vx8x5igmmgs70g94s"))
+      (patches (list (search-patch "pycairo-wscript.patch")))))
+    (build-system waf-build-system)
     (native-inputs
-     `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)))
+     `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
+       ("python-waf" ,python-waf)))
     (propagated-inputs                  ;pycairo.pc references cairo
      `(("cairo" ,cairo)))
     (arguments
      `(#:tests? #f
-       #:phases (alist-cons-before
-                 'build 'configure
-                 (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)
-                   (zero? (system* "./waf" "configure"
-                                   (string-append "--prefix="
-                                                  (assoc-ref outputs "out")))))
-                 (alist-replace
-                  'build
-                  (lambda _
-                    (zero? (system* "./waf" "build")))
-                  (alist-replace
-                   'install
-                   (lambda _
-                     (zero? (system* "./waf" "install")))
-                   %standard-phases)))))
+       #:phases
+       (modify-phases %standard-phases
+         (add-before
+          'configure 'patch-waf
+          (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
+            ;; The bundled `waf' doesn't work with python-3.4.x.
+            (copy-file (assoc-ref %build-inputs "python-waf") "./waf"))))))
     (home-page "http://cairographics.org/pycairo/")
     (synopsis "Python bindings for cairo")
     (description
@@ -776,7 +771,11 @@ (define-public python2-pycairo
         "0cblk919wh6w0pgb45zf48xwxykfif16qk264yga7h9fdkq3j16k"))))
     (arguments
      `(#:python ,python-2
-       ,@(package-arguments python-pycairo)))
+       ,@(substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments python-pycairo)
+           ((#:phases phases)
+            `(alist-delete 'patch-waf ,phases))
+           ((#:native-inputs native-inputs)
+            `(alist-delete "python-waf" ,native-inputs)))))
     ;; Dual-licensed under LGPL 2.1 or Mozilla Public License 1.1
     (license (list license:lgpl2.1 license:mpl1.1))))
 
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/pycairo-wscript.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/pycairo-wscript.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c49f0afcb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/pycairo-wscript.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+Update the wscript to work with waf-1.8.8.  Based on:
+http://cgit.freedesktop.org/pycairo/commit/?id=c57cd129407c904f8c2f752a59d0183df7b01a5e
+
+
+--- pycairo-1.10.0.orig/wscript	2011-04-18 15:42:29.000000000 +0800
++++ pycairo-1.10.0/wscript	2015-04-20 13:01:45.383756898 +0800
+@@ -13,18 +13,18 @@
+ 
+ def options(ctx):
+   print('  %s/options()' %d)
+-  ctx.tool_options('gnu_dirs')
+-  ctx.tool_options('compiler_cc')
+-  ctx.tool_options('python') # options for disabling pyc or pyo compilation
++  ctx.load('gnu_dirs')
++  ctx.load('compiler_c')
++  ctx.load('python') # options for disabling pyc or pyo compilation
+ 
+ 
+ def configure(ctx):
+   print('  %s/configure()' %d)
+ 
+   env = ctx.env
+-  ctx.check_tool('gnu_dirs')
+-  ctx.check_tool('compiler_cc')
+-  ctx.check_tool('python')
++  ctx.load('gnu_dirs')
++  ctx.load('compiler_c')
++  ctx.load('python')
+   ctx.check_python_version((3,1,0))
+   ctx.check_python_headers()
+   ctx.check_cfg(package='cairo', atleast_version=cairo_version_required,