--- profiles.scm        2017-01-21 16:30:02.436621423 +0200
+++ bak/profiles.scm    2017-01-21 16:29:06.631019582 +0200
@@ -516,6 +516,34 @@
   (anym %store-monad
         entry-lookup-package (manifest-entries manifest)))
 
+(define (var-lib-package manifest)
+  (define build
+    (with-imported-modules '((guix build utils))
+    #~(begin
+       (use-modules (guix build utils)
+                    (srfi srfi-1) (srfi srfi-26)
+                    (ice-9 ftw))
+       (define profile-var-lib (string-append #$output "/var/lib"))
+       (define (package-var-libs top)
+         (let ((varlibdir (string-append top "/var/lib")))
+           (map (cut string-append varlibdir "/" <>)
+                (or (scandir varlibdir (lambda (file)
+                                         (not (member file '("." ".."))))) '()))))
+       (define (install-var dir)
+         (copy-recursively dir profile-var-lib)
+         ;; the file mode ends up being overwritten:
+         ;; (chmod dir #o777)
+         ;; guixbuilder* users can't do chown:
+         ;; (chown dir 1000 100)
+         )
+       (mkdir-p profile-var-lib)
+       (exit (every install-var
+                       (append-map package-var-libs
+                                   '#$(manifest-inputs manifest)))))))
+  (gexp->derivation "var-lib" build
+                    #:local-build? #t
+                    #:substitutable? #f))
+
 (define (info-dir-file manifest)
   "Return a derivation that builds the 'dir' file for all the entries of
 MANIFEST."
@@ -909,6 +937,7 @@
   ;; This is the list of derivation-returning procedures that are called by
   ;; default when making a non-empty profile.
   (list info-dir-file
+       var-lib-package
         fonts-dir-file
         ghc-package-cache-file
         ca-certificate-bundle