Since Guix 0.11.0-4.1f41, I can't build source derivations while using a custom $TMPDIR. I first described this issue in , but I'm splitting it into its own report. On my Debian system, I set 'TMPDIR=/home/leo/tmp/guix-build'. Then, I can do this: $ ./pre-inst-env guix build nmap guix build: error: build failed: while setting up the build environment: changing into `/home/leo/tmp/guix-build/guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0': No such file or directory And some monitoring of the TMPDIR: $ cd /home/leo/tmp/guix-build && inotifywait --monitor . Setting up watches. Watches established. ./ CREATE,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ ATTRIB,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ ATTRIB,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ OPEN,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ ACCESS,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ ACCESS,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ CLOSE_NOWRITE,CLOSE,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 ./ DELETE,ISDIR guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0 I ran the guix-daemon with strace, and I see these relevant lines: 15337 [pid 30675] mkdir("/home/leo/tmp/guix-build/guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0", 0700) = 0 15338 [pid 30675] getegid() = 0 15339 [pid 30675] chown("/home/leo/tmp/guix-build/guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0", -1, 0) = 0 ... and just a bit later ... 15438 [pid 30693] chdir("/tmp/guix-build-nmap-7.40.tar.bz2.drv-0") = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory) I'm still trying to figure out where the problem is in the code. I guess it's somewhere in these commits or code they interact with: 05ceb8dca download: Use the built-in 'download' builder when available. f9aefa2d5 daemon: Add 'built-in-builders' RPC. 94d92c779 daemon: Add "builtin:download" derivation builder.