diff --git a/gnu/build/vm.scm b/gnu/build/vm.scm
index 287d099f79..e793b5b518 100644
--- a/gnu/build/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/build/vm.scm
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ actual /dev name based on DEVICE."
                                      partition-size)
                             partitions)
                        ", "))
-  (apply invoke "parted" "--script"
+  (apply invoke "strace" "parted" "--script"
          device "mklabel" label-type
          (options partitions offset))
 
diff --git a/gnu/packages/linux.scm b/gnu/packages/linux.scm
index 59ffb334e0..72fb3ca49d 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/linux.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/linux.scm
@@ -349,15 +349,15 @@ corresponding UPSTREAM-SOURCE (an origin), using the given DEBLOB-SCRIPTS."
 
 ;; The current "stable" kernel. That is, the most recently released major
 ;; version.
-(define-public linux-libre-5.8-version "5.8.7")
+(define-public linux-libre-5.8-version "5.8.8")
 (define deblob-scripts-5.8
   (linux-libre-deblob-scripts
-   linux-libre-5.8-version
+   "5.8.7"
    (base32 "07z7sglyrfh0706icqqf3shadf638pvyid9386r661ds5lbsa2mw")
    (base32 "0j6jba5fcddqlb42f95gjl78jisfla4nswqila074gglcrbnl9q7")))
 (define-public linux-libre-5.8-pristine-source
   (let ((version linux-libre-5.8-version)
-        (hash (base32 "1zhpzlhl2ykna2nc70m72wlgyv1pkvkpfssb4k8p5pwlkh1ga2vv")))
+        (hash (base32 "0xm901zvvrwsb9k88la6pb65nybi43bygiyz1z68njwsx6ripxik")))
    (make-linux-libre-source version
                             (%upstream-linux-source version hash)
                             deblob-scripts-5.8)))
diff --git a/gnu/system/vm.scm b/gnu/system/vm.scm
index 80a8618729..49489b6159 100644
--- a/gnu/system/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/vm.scm
@@ -376,6 +376,10 @@ system that is passed to 'populate-root-file-system'."
 
              (set-path-environment-variable "PATH" '("bin" "sbin") inputs)
 
+             (setenv "PATH"
+                     (string-append #+(file-append strace "/bin") ":"
+                                    (getenv "PATH")))
+
              (let* ((graphs     '#$(match inputs
                                      (((names . _) ...)
                                       names)))