diff --git a/doc/local.mk b/doc/local.mk
index 9619971296..627d27a5ef 100644
--- a/doc/local.mk
+++ b/doc/local.mk
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 # Copyright © 2016 Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer <taylanbayirli@gmail.com>
 # Copyright © 2016, 2018 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2018, 2021 Julien Lepiller <julien@lepiller.eu>
+# Copyright © 2021 Maxime Devos <maximedevos@telenet.be>
 #
 # This file is part of GNU Guix.
 #
@@ -111,22 +112,33 @@ $(top_srcdir)/pre-inst-env $(GUILE) --no-auto-compile	\
   $@.tmp $<
 endef
 
+# This canned recipe is used in the rules below to translate a Texinfo manual
+# using the translations in po/doc.  The argument $(1) is the name of the
+# untranslated manual, without a .texi extension or directory prefixes.
+define translate_manual_command
+	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/$(1).texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
+	-sed -i "s|$(1)\.info|$$(basename "$@" | sed 's|texi$$|info|')|" "$@.tmp"
+	-$(AM_V_POXREF)LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 $(xref_command)
+	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
+endef
+
+# Likewise, but for individual chapters (or sections), which do not have an
+# Info file name to modify.
+define translate_chapter_command
+	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/$(1).texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
+	-$(AM_V_POXREF)LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 $(xref_command)
+	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
+endef
+
+
 $(srcdir)/%D%/guix.%.texi: po/doc/guix-manual.%.po $(srcdir)/%D%/contributing.%.texi guix/build/po.go
-	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/guix.texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
-	-sed -i "s|guix\.info|$$(basename "$@" | sed 's|texi$$|info|')|" "$@.tmp"
-	-$(AM_V_POXREF)LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 $(xref_command)
-	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
+	$(call translate_manual_command,guix)
 
 $(srcdir)/%D%/guix-cookbook.%.texi: po/doc/guix-cookbook.%.po guix/build/po.go
-	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/guix-cookbook.texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
-	-sed -i "s|guix-cookbook\.info|$$(basename "$@" | sed 's|texi$$|info|')|" "$@.tmp"
-	-$(AM_V_POXREF)LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 $(xref_command)
-	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
+	$(call translate_manual_command,guix-cookbook)
 
 $(srcdir)/%D%/contributing.%.texi: po/doc/guix-manual.%.po guix/build/po.go
-	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/contributing.texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
-	-$(AM_V_POXREF)LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 $(xref_command)
-	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
+	$(call translate_manual_chapter,contributing)
 
 %D%/os-config-%.texi: gnu/system/examples/%.tmpl
 	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MKDIR_P) "`dirname $@`";	\