diff --git a/install b/install
index 90ebe94..3912f75 100755
--- a/install
+++ b/install
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@ if [[ ! -f "${HOSTCONF}" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+# Git cannot represent an empty directory, so a link whose source contains no
+# files disappears on clone and dotbot fails with "Nonexistent target". Catch
+# it here rather than on someone else's machine.
+missing=0
+while read -r src; do
+  [[ -e "${src}" ]] || { echo "install: link source missing from the repo: ${src}" >&2; missing=1; }
+done < <(grep -hoE '^\s+~[^:]*:\s+\S+' meta/base.conf.yaml "${HOSTCONF}" | awk '{print $NF}')
+(( missing )) && { echo "install: refusing to run with missing sources." >&2; exit 1; }
+
 git submodule update --init --recursive "${DOTBOT_DIR}"
 
 echo "==> base"
diff --git a/meta/base.conf.yaml b/meta/base.conf.yaml
index bcd7573..5b0069b 100644
--- a/meta/base.conf.yaml
+++ b/meta/base.conf.yaml
@@ -28,4 +28,3 @@
     ~/.config/lazygit:               common/lazygit
     ~/.config/ncmpcpp:               common/ncmpcpp
     ~/.config/neofetch:              common/neofetch
-    ~/.config/matplotlib:            common/matplotlib
diff --git a/meta/hosts/mainframe.conf.yaml b/meta/hosts/mainframe.conf.yaml
index 400da12..d124699 100644
--- a/meta/hosts/mainframe.conf.yaml
+++ b/meta/hosts/mainframe.conf.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 - link:
     ~/.config/bob:                   hosts/mainframe/config/bob
-    ~/.config/gtk-3.0:               hosts/mainframe/config/gtk-3.0
     ~/.config/inbox-tidy:            hosts/mainframe/config/inbox-tidy
     ~/.config/llmfit:                hosts/mainframe/config/llmfit
     ~/.config/mimeapps.list:         hosts/mainframe/config/mimeapps.list
diff --git a/meta/hosts/sctfw004.conf.yaml b/meta/hosts/sctfw004.conf.yaml
index 565b6d9..e36429a 100644
--- a/meta/hosts/sctfw004.conf.yaml
+++ b/meta/hosts/sctfw004.conf.yaml
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@
     ~/.config/gh:                    hosts/sctfw004/config/gh
     ~/.config/gtk-2.0:               hosts/sctfw004/config/gtk-2.0
     ~/.config/gtk-3.0:               hosts/sctfw004/config/gtk-3.0
-    ~/.config/gtk-4.0:               hosts/sctfw004/config/gtk-4.0
     ~/.config/mimeapps.list:         hosts/sctfw004/config/mimeapps.list
-    ~/.config/mpv:                   hosts/sctfw004/config/mpv
     ~/.config/pavucontrol.ini:       hosts/sctfw004/config/pavucontrol.ini
     ~/.config/swayimg:               hosts/sctfw004/config/swayimg
     ~/.config/swaync:                hosts/sctfw004/config/swaync
diff --git a/meta/hosts/system76.conf.yaml b/meta/hosts/system76.conf.yaml
index 64aafc6..e2ddd6c 100644
--- a/meta/hosts/system76.conf.yaml
+++ b/meta/hosts/system76.conf.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     ~/.config/glow:                  hosts/system76/config/glow
     ~/.config/gtk-2.0:               hosts/system76/config/gtk-2.0
     ~/.config/gtk-3.0:               hosts/system76/config/gtk-3.0
-    ~/.config/gtk-4.0:               hosts/system76/config/gtk-4.0
     ~/.config/mimeapps.list:         hosts/system76/config/mimeapps.list
     ~/.config/mpd:                   hosts/system76/config/mpd
     ~/.config/mpv:                   hosts/system76/config/mpv