diff --git a/gnu/packages/freedesktop.scm b/gnu/packages/freedesktop.scm
index 83300be611..ce00f959ad 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/freedesktop.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/freedesktop.scm
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ (define-public libqmi
 (define-public modem-manager
   (package
     (name "modem-manager")
-    (version "1.12.10")
+    (version "1.18.10")
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
               (uri (string-append
@@ -1640,21 +1640,24 @@ (define-public modem-manager
                     "ModemManager-" version ".tar.xz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "1apq9camys2gaw6y6ic1ld20cncfwpmxnzvh4j5zkbbjpf5hbcxj"))))
+                "1sv53lvz9nfbq6jzprl5xhai0vylc01kglcdrgz2vszf5615y98n"))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
-     '(#:configure-flags
-       `(,(string-append "--with-udev-base-dir=" %output "/lib/udev"))))
+     (list
+      #:configure-flags
+      #~(list (string-append "--with-udev-base-dir=" #$output "/lib/udev"))))
     (native-inputs
-     `(("glib:bin" ,glib "bin") ; for glib-mkenums
-       ("gobject-introspection" ,gobject-introspection)
-       ("intltool" ,intltool)
-       ("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
-       ("vala" ,vala)
-       ;; For testing.
-       ("dbus" ,dbus)))
+     (list dbus
+           gobject-introspection
+           `(,glib "bin")               ;for glib-mkenums
+           gettext-minimal
+           pkg-config
+           python
+           python-dbus
+           python-pygobject
+           vala))
     (propagated-inputs
-     (list glib)) ; required by mm-glib.pc
+     (list glib))                       ;required by mm-glib.pc
     (inputs
      (list libgudev libmbim libqmi polkit))
     (synopsis "Mobile broadband modems manager")