diff --git a/gnu/local.mk b/gnu/local.mk
index 92e6a14e52..21b8a9758d 100644
--- a/gnu/local.mk
+++ b/gnu/local.mk
@@ -1028,6 +1028,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   %D%/packages/patches/elm-compiler-fix-map-key.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/elogind-revert-polkit-detection.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-exec-path.patch			\
+  %D%/packages/patches/emacs-ess-fix-obsolete-function-alias.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-git-email-missing-parens.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-fix-scheme-indent-function.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-json-reformat-fix-tests.patch	\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/emacs-ess-fix-obsolete-function-alias.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/emacs-ess-fix-obsolete-function-alias.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7b61391c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/emacs-ess-fix-obsolete-function-alias.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+From 9cc5520e1998d03f5dec0fbb1fe71b7cdec38b65 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Alex Branham <alex.branham@gmail.com>
+Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2021 06:41:20 -0500
+Subject: [PATCH] Add required when to obsolete function alias
+
+Closes #1085
+---
+ lisp/ess-r-package.el | 2 +-
+ 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/lisp/ess-r-package.el b/lisp/ess-r-package.el
+index 260959955..397ce14e6 100644
+--- a/lisp/ess-r-package.el
++++ b/lisp/ess-r-package.el
+@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ package mode. Use this function if state of the buffer such as
+   (error "As of ESS 16.04, `ess-developer' is deprecated. Use `ess-r-set-evaluation-env' instead"))
+ 
+ (defalias 'ess-toggle-developer 'ess-developer)
+-(define-obsolete-function-alias 'ess-r-devtools-check-package-buildwin 'ess-r-devtools-check-with-winbuilder)
++(define-obsolete-function-alias 'ess-r-devtools-check-package-buildwin 'ess-r-devtools-check-with-winbuilder "18.04")
+ (define-obsolete-function-alias 'ess-r-devtools-ask 'ess-r-devtools-execute-command "18.04")
+ 
+ (make-obsolete-variable 'ess-developer "Please use `ess-developer-select-package' and `ess-r-set-evaluation-env' instead." "16.04")
diff --git a/gnu/packages/statistics.scm b/gnu/packages/statistics.scm
index 244a2f3ecb..aad329400f 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/statistics.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/statistics.scm
@@ -6347,7 +6347,9 @@ (define-public emacs-ess
                 "$(MAKE) -C lisp install; $(MAKE) -C doc install")
                (("\\$\\(INSTALL) -R \\./\\* \\$\\(ESSDESTDIR)/")
                 "$(MAKE) -C etc install"))
-             #t))))
+             #t))
+         (patches
+          (search-patches "emacs-ess-fix-obsolete-function-alias.patch"))))
       (build-system gnu-build-system)
       (arguments
        (let ((base-directory "/share/emacs/site-lisp"))