diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index 93707a7a4b..a7acd41440 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -1674,15 +1674,13 @@ (define* (pager-wrapped-port #:optional (port (current-output-port)))
      #f)))
 
 (define (find-available-pager)
-  "Returns the program name or path of an available pager.
-If neither less nor more is installed, return an empty string so that
-call-with-paginated-output-port will not call pager."
+  "Return the program name of an available pager or the empty string if none is
+available."
   (or (getenv "GUIX_PAGER")
       (getenv "PAGER")
       (which "less")
       (which "more")
-      "" ;; Returns an empty string so that call-with-paginated-output-port does not call pager.
-      ))
+      ""))
 
 (define* (call-with-paginated-output-port proc
                                           #:key (less-options "FrX"))
diff --git a/tests/ui.scm b/tests/ui.scm
index ff83e66a7e..6a25a204ca 100644
--- a/tests/ui.scm
+++ b/tests/ui.scm
@@ -294,13 +294,12 @@ (define guile-2.0.9
          (>0 (package-relevance libb2
                                 (map rx '("crypto" "library")))))))
 
-(define make-dummy-file
-  (compose
-   close-port
-   open-output-file
-   (cut in-vicinity <> <>)))
+(define (make-empty-file directory file)
+  ;; Create FILE in DIRECTORY.
+  (close-port (open-output-file (in-vicinity directory file))))
 
 (define (assert-equals-find-available-pager expected)
+  ;; Use 'with-paginated-output-port' and return true if it invoked EXPECTED.
   (define used-command "")
   (mock ((ice-9 popen) open-pipe*
          (lambda (mode command . args)
@@ -314,56 +313,51 @@ (define used-command "")
                     (string=? expected used-command)))))
 
 
-(test-assert "find-available-pager, All environment variables are specified and both less and more are installed"
+(test-assert "find-available-pager, GUIX_PAGER takes precedence"
   (call-with-temporary-directory
    (lambda (dir)
-     (with-environment-variables
-         `(("PATH" ,dir)
-           ("GUIX_PAGER" "guix-pager")
-           ("PAGER" "pager"))
-       (make-dummy-file dir "less")
-       (make-dummy-file dir "more")
+     (with-environment-variables `(("PATH" ,dir)
+                                   ("GUIX_PAGER" "guix-pager")
+                                   ("PAGER" "pager"))
+       (make-empty-file dir "less")
+       (make-empty-file dir "more")
        (assert-equals-find-available-pager "guix-pager")))))
 
-(test-assert "find-available-pager, GUIX_PAGER is not specified"
+(test-assert "find-available-pager, PAGER takes precedence"
   (call-with-temporary-directory
    (lambda (dir)
-     (with-environment-variables
-         `(("PATH" ,dir)
-           ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
-           ("PAGER" "pager"))
-       (make-dummy-file dir "less")
-       (make-dummy-file dir "more")
+     (with-environment-variables `(("PATH" ,dir)
+                                   ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
+                                   ("PAGER" "pager"))
+       (make-empty-file dir "less")
+       (make-empty-file dir "more")
        (assert-equals-find-available-pager "pager")))))
 
-(test-assert "find-available-pager, All environment variables are not specified and both less and more are installed"
+(test-assert "find-available-pager, 'less' takes precedence"
   (call-with-temporary-directory
    (lambda (dir)
-     (with-environment-variables
-         `(("PATH" ,dir)
-           ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
-           ("PAGER" #false))
-       (make-dummy-file dir "less")
-       (make-dummy-file dir "more")
+     (with-environment-variables `(("PATH" ,dir)
+                                   ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
+                                   ("PAGER" #false))
+       (make-empty-file dir "less")
+       (make-empty-file dir "more")
        (assert-equals-find-available-pager (in-vicinity dir "less"))))))
 
-(test-assert "find-available-pager, All environment variables are not specified and more is installed"
+(test-assert "find-available-pager, 'more' takes precedence"
   (call-with-temporary-directory
    (lambda (dir)
-     (with-environment-variables
-         `(("PATH" ,dir)
-           ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
-           ("PAGER" #false))
-       (make-dummy-file dir "more")
+     (with-environment-variables `(("PATH" ,dir)
+                                   ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
+                                   ("PAGER" #false))
+       (make-empty-file dir "more")
        (assert-equals-find-available-pager (in-vicinity dir "more"))))))
 
-(test-assert "find-available-pager, All environment variables are not specified and both less and more are not installed"
+(test-assert "find-available-pager, no pager"
   (call-with-temporary-directory
    (lambda (dir)
-     (with-environment-variables
-         `(("PATH" ,dir)
-           ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
-           ("PAGER" #false))
+     (with-environment-variables `(("PATH" ,dir)
+                                   ("GUIX_PAGER" #false)
+                                   ("PAGER" #false))
        (assert-equals-find-available-pager "")))))
 
 (test-end "ui")