diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 1ede6d4..754c19a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2013 Andreas Enge <andreas@enge.fr>
 # Copyright © 2015 Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com>
+# Copyright © 2016 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
 #
 # This file is part of GNU Guix.
 #
@@ -471,3 +472,12 @@ assert-final-inputs-self-contained:
 .PHONY: sync-descriptions gen-ChangeLog gen-AUTHORS clean-go make-go
 .PHONY: assert-no-store-file-names assert-binaries-available
 .PHONY: assert-final-inputs-self-contained
+
+## -------------- ##
+## Silent rules.  ##
+## -------------- ##
+
+AM_V_DL = $(AM_V_DL_$(V))
+AM_V_DL_ = $(AM_V_DL_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
+AM_V_DL_0 = @echo "  DL      " $@;
+
diff --git a/gnu-system.am b/gnu-system.am
index 3426056..a3d43e1 100644
--- a/gnu-system.am
+++ b/gnu-system.am
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 # Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Andreas Enge <andreas@enge.fr>
+# Copyright © 2016 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>
 #
 # This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -808,14 +809,18 @@ DOWNLOAD_FILE =								\
            "$(top_srcdir)/build-aux/download.scm"
 
 gnu/packages/bootstrap/x86_64-linux/guile-2.0.9.tar.xz:
-	$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`
-	$(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@" "037b103522a2d0d7d69c7ffd8de683dfe5bb4b59c1fafd70b4ffd397fd2f57f0"
+	$(AM_V_DL)$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`;			\
+	$(AM_V_P) && fd=1 || fd=- ; $(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@"	\
+	  "037b103522a2d0d7d69c7ffd8de683dfe5bb4b59c1fafd70b4ffd397fd2f57f0" >&$$fd
 gnu/packages/bootstrap/i686-linux/guile-2.0.9.tar.xz:
-	$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`
-	$(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@" "b757cd46bf13ecac83fb8e955fb50096ac2d17bb610ca8eb816f29302a00a846"
+	$(AM_V_DL)$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`;	\
+	$(AM_V_P) && fd=1 || fd=- ; $(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@"	\
+	  "b757cd46bf13ecac83fb8e955fb50096ac2d17bb610ca8eb816f29302a00a846" >&$$fd
 gnu/packages/bootstrap/armhf-linux/guile-2.0.11.tar.xz:
-	$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`
-	$(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@" "e551d05d4d385d6706ab8d574856a087758294dc90ab4c06e70a157a685e23d6"
+	$(AM_V_DL)$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`;	\
+	$(AM_V_P) && fd=1 || fd=- ; $(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@"	\
+	  "e551d05d4d385d6706ab8d574856a087758294dc90ab4c06e70a157a685e23d6" >&$$fd
 gnu/packages/bootstrap/mips64el-linux/guile-2.0.9.tar.xz:
-	$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`
-	$(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@" "994680f0001346864aa2c2cc5110f380ee7518dcd701c614291682b8e948f73b"
+	$(AM_V_DL)$(MKDIR_P) `dirname "$@"`;	\
+	$(AM_V_P) && fd=1 || fd=- ; $(DOWNLOAD_FILE) "$@"	\
+	  "994680f0001346864aa2c2cc5110f380ee7518dcd701c614291682b8e948f73b" >&$$fd