diff --git a/gnu/local.mk b/gnu/local.mk
index bda6df1280..56727769df 100644
--- a/gnu/local.mk
+++ b/gnu/local.mk
@@ -1833,6 +1833,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   %D%/packages/patches/sbcl-clml-fix-types.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/sbcl-png-fix-sbcl-compatibility.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/scalapack-gcc-10-compilation.patch	\
+  %D%/packages/patches/scsh-nonstring-search-path.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/scheme48-tests.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/scons-test-environment.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/screen-hurd-path-max.patch		\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/scsh-nonstring-search-path.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/scsh-nonstring-search-path.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c79e6cc51e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/scsh-nonstring-search-path.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+diff --git a/scheme/lib-dirs.scm b/scheme/lib-dirs.scm
+index a1fc009..c630fb4 100644
+--- a/scheme/lib-dirs.scm
++++ b/scheme/lib-dirs.scm
+@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
+               (let ((val (read)))
+                 (cond ((eof-object? val) '())
+                       ((string? val) (cons val (recur)))
++                      ((symbol? val) (cons (symbol->string val) (recur)))
+                       ((not val) (append default-lib-dirs (recur)))
+                       (else 
+                        (error 
diff --git a/gnu/packages/shells.scm b/gnu/packages/shells.scm
index cc34f0a0a0..c5ceb3192b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/shells.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/shells.scm
@@ -613,7 +613,8 @@ (define-public scsh
          (file-name (string-append name "-" version "-checkout"))
          (sha256
           (base32
-           "1ghk08akiz7hff1pndi8rmgamgcrn2mv9asbss9l79d3c2iaav3q"))))
+           "1ghk08akiz7hff1pndi8rmgamgcrn2mv9asbss9l79d3c2iaav3q"))
+         (patches (search-patches "scsh-nonstring-search-path.patch"))))
       (build-system gnu-build-system)
       (arguments
        `(#:test-target "test"
@@ -632,6 +633,11 @@ (define-public scsh
        (list scheme48 scheme48-rx))
       (native-inputs
        (list autoconf automake))
+      (native-search-paths
+       (list (search-path-specification
+               (variable "SCSH_LIB_DIRS")
+               (separator " ")
+               (files '("share/scsh-0.7")))))
       (home-page "https://github.com/scheme/scsh")
       (synopsis "Unix shell embedded in Scheme")
       (description