diff --git a/gnu/build/image.scm b/gnu/build/image.scm
index 361ed3c920..2327cfbb45 100644
--- a/gnu/build/image.scm
+++ b/gnu/build/image.scm
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ turn doesn't take any constant overhead into account, force a 1-MiB minimum."
         (journal-options "lazy_itable_init=1,lazy_journal_init=1"))
     (apply invoke
            `("fakeroot" "mke2fs" "-t" ,fs "-d" ,root
-             "-L" ,label "-U" ,(uuid->string uuid)
+             "-L" ,label
+             ,@(if uuid
+                   `("-U" ,(uuid->string uuid))
+                   '())
              "-E" ,(format #f "root_owner=~a:~a,~a"
                            owner-uid owner-gid journal-options)
              ,@fs-options