diff --git a/gnu/packages/aspell.scm b/gnu/packages/aspell.scm
index af38c149c2..a5d02a453d 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/aspell.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/aspell.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016 Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 John Darrington <jmd@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2016, 2017, 2019 Efraim Flashner <efraim@flashner.co.il>
@@ -65,14 +65,6 @@
                  (("\"filter-path(.*)DICT_DIR" _ middle)
                   (string-append "\"filter-path" middle
                                  "\"" libdir "\"")))
-               #t)))
-         (add-after 'install 'wrap-aspell
-           (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)
-             (let ((bin/aspell (string-append (assoc-ref outputs "out")
-                                              "/bin/aspell")))
-               (wrap-program bin/aspell
-                 '("ASPELL_CONF" "" =
-                   ("${ASPELL_CONF:-\"dict-dir ${GUIX_PROFILE:-$HOME/.guix-profile}/lib/aspell\"}")))
                #t))))))
     (inputs `(("perl" ,perl)))
 
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/aspell-default-dict-dir.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/aspell-default-dict-dir.patch
index 17a6ff606f..5f759a66d9 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/patches/aspell-default-dict-dir.patch
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/aspell-default-dict-dir.patch
@@ -8,12 +8,34 @@ However it is necessary for applications that use libaspell since
 
 --- a/common/config.cpp
 +++ b/common/config.cpp
+@@ -651,7 +651,20 @@ namespace acommon {
+ 	  } else { // sep == '|'
+ 	    assert(replace[0] == '$');
+ 	    const char * env = getenv(replace.c_str()+1);
+-	    final_str += env ? env : second;
++	    if (env) {
++	      final_str += env;
++	    } else if (second[0] == '$') {
++	      // Expand the right-hand side of '|', which starts with a
++	      // reference to an environment variable.
++	      auto slash = second.find('/');
++	      String variable = second.substr(1, slash - 1);
++	      const char * env = getenv(variable.c_str());
++	      String value = env ? String(env) : "";
++	      value += second.substr(slash, second.size() - slash);
++	      final_str += value;
++	    } else {
++	      final_str += second;
++	    }
+ 	  }
+ 	  replace = "";
+ 	  in_replace = false;
 @@ -1349,6 +1349,9 @@ namespace acommon {
  #  define REPL     ".aspell.<lang>.prepl"
  #endif
  
 +#undef DICT_DIR
-+#define DICT_DIR "<$ASPELL_DICT_DIR|home-dir/.guix-profile/lib/aspell>"
++#define DICT_DIR "<$ASPELL_DICT_DIR|$HOME/.guix-profile/lib/aspell>"
 +
    static const KeyInfo config_keys[] = {
      // the description should be under 50 chars