diff --git a/guix/scripts/pack.scm b/guix/scripts/pack.scm
index 51a7b8f185..eb41eb5563 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/pack.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/pack.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2015, 2017-2022 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2015, 2017-2023 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2017, 2018 Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Konrad Hinsen <konrad.hinsen@fastmail.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Chris Marusich <cmmarusich@gmail.com>
@@ -220,6 +220,11 @@ items, which relies on hard links."
          (file-append (store-database (list profile))
                       "/db/db.sqlite")))
 
+  (define bootstrap?
+    ;; Whether a '--bootstrap' environment is needed, for testing purposes.
+    ;; XXX: Infer that from available info.
+    (and (not database) (not (profile-locales? profile))))
+
   (define (import-module? module)
     ;; Since we don't use deduplication support in 'populate-store', don't
     ;; import (guix store deduplication) and its dependencies, which includes
@@ -287,6 +292,7 @@ items, which relies on hard links."
           (for-each (cut evaluate-populate-directive <> #$output)
                     directives)))
     #:local-build? #f
+    #:guile (if bootstrap? %bootstrap-guile (default-guile))
     #:options (list #:references-graphs `(("profile" ,profile))
                     #:target target)))
 
diff --git a/tests/pack.scm b/tests/pack.scm
index 734ae1c69b..87187bb62c 100644
--- a/tests/pack.scm
+++ b/tests/pack.scm
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@
   (test-assertm "self-contained-tarball + localstatedir" store
     (mlet* %store-monad
         ((guile   (set-guile-for-build (default-guile)))
-         (profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                       (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                      #:hooks '()
-                                      #:locales? #f))
+         (profile -> (profile
+                      (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                      (hooks '())
+                      (locales? #f)))
          (tarball (self-contained-tarball "tar-pack" profile
                                           #:localstatedir? #t))
          (check   (gexp->derivation "check-tarball"
@@ -210,10 +210,10 @@
   (test-assertm "docker-image + localstatedir" store
     (mlet* %store-monad
         ((guile   (set-guile-for-build (default-guile)))
-         (profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                       (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                      #:hooks '()
-                                      #:locales? #f))
+         (profile -> (profile
+                      (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                      (hooks '())
+                      (locales? #f)))
          (tarball (docker-image "docker-pack" profile
                                 #:symlinks '(("/bin/Guile" -> "bin/guile"))
                                 #:localstatedir? #t))
@@ -250,10 +250,10 @@
   (test-assertm "squashfs-image + localstatedir" store
     (mlet* %store-monad
         ((guile   (set-guile-for-build (default-guile)))
-         (profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                       (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                      #:hooks '()
-                                      #:locales? #f))
+         (profile -> (profile
+                      (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                      (hooks '())
+                      (locales? #f)))
          (image   (squashfs-image "squashfs-pack" profile
                                   #:symlinks '(("/bin" -> "bin"))
                                   #:localstatedir? #t))
@@ -288,10 +288,10 @@
   (test-assertm "deb archive with symlinks and control files" store
     (mlet* %store-monad
         ((guile   (set-guile-for-build (default-guile)))
-         (profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                       (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                      #:hooks '()
-                                      #:locales? #f))
+         (profile -> (profile
+                      (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                      (hooks '())
+                      (locales? #f)))
          (deb (debian-archive
                "deb-pack" profile
                #:compressor %gzip-compressor
@@ -376,10 +376,10 @@
   (test-assertm "rpm archive can be installed/uninstalled" store
     (mlet* %store-monad
         ((guile   (set-guile-for-build (default-guile)))
-         (profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                       (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                      #:hooks '()
-                                      #:locales? #f))
+         (profile -> (profile
+                      (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                      (hooks '())
+                      (locales? #f)))
          (rpm-pack (rpm-archive "rpm-pack" profile
                                 #:compressor %gzip-compressor
                                 #:symlinks '(("/bin/guile" -> "bin/guile"))