diff --git a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
index 78cfa4acd0..17745705f7 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
@@ -1997,24 +1997,41 @@ (define coreutils-boot0
      `(("make" ,gnu-make-boot0)
        ,@(%bootstrap-inputs+toolchain)))
     (arguments
-     `(#:tests? #f
-       #:implicit-inputs? #f
-       #:guile ,%bootstrap-guile
-       ,@(package-arguments coreutils)
-       ;; The %bootstrap-glibc for aarch64 and armhf doesn't have
-       ;; $output/include/linux/prctl.h which causes some binaries
-       ;; to fail to build with coreutils-9.0+.
-       ,@(if (target-arm?)
-           `(#:configure-flags '(,(string-append
-                                    "--enable-no-install-program="
-                                    ;; the defaults to not install.
-                                    "arch,coreutils,hostname"
-                                    ;; fails due to missing headers.
-                                    ",timeout,sort")
-                                  ,@(if (target-arm32?)
-                                      `("--disable-year2038")
-                                      `())))
-           '())))))
+     (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments coreutils)
+       ((#:tests? _ #t)
+        #f)
+       ((#:implicit-inputs? _ #t)
+        #f)
+       ((#:guile _ #f)
+        %bootstrap-guile)
+       ((#:configure-flags flags ''())
+        ;; The %bootstrap-glibc for aarch64 and armhf doesn't have
+        ;; $output/include/linux/prctl.h which causes some binaries
+        ;; to fail to build with coreutils-9.0+.
+        (if (target-arm?)
+            `'(,(string-append "--enable-no-install-program="
+                               ;; the defaults to not install.
+                               "arch,coreutils,hostname"
+                               ;; fails due to missing headers.
+                               ",timeout,sort")
+               ,@(if (target-arm32?)
+                     `("--disable-year2038")
+                     `()))
+            ''()))
+       ((#:phases phases '%standard-phases)
+        (if (target-hurd?)
+            `(modify-phases ,phases
+               (add-after 'unpack 'build-nothing-but-rm
+                 ;; XXX: Normally we wouldn't depend on coreutils-boot0 for
+                 ;; GNU/Hurd; unfortunately, it is used for the gcc-boot0
+                 ;; snippet below.  Since the snippet needs nothing but 'rm',
+                 ;; build just that (thus avoiding build errors in other
+                 ;; programs).
+                 (lambda _
+                   (substitute* "Makefile.in"
+                     (("^bin_PROGRAMS = .*")
+                      "bin_PROGRAMS = src/rm\n")))))
+            phases))))))
 
 (define diffutils-boot0
   (package
diff --git a/guix/packages.scm b/guix/packages.scm
index e26602d589..0802d863b1 100644
--- a/guix/packages.scm
+++ b/guix/packages.scm
@@ -944,6 +944,13 @@ (define* (patch-and-repack source patches
         (locales (lookup-input "locales"))
         (comp    (and=> (compressor source-file-name) lookup-input))
         (patches (map instantiate-patch patches)))
+    (define fail-on-error?
+      #t
+      #;(let-system (system target)
+        (pk 'fail? system (->bool (or locales
+                               target
+                               (not (string-prefix? "-gnu" system)))))))
+
     (define build
       (with-imported-modules '((guix build utils))
         #~(begin
@@ -986,7 +993,7 @@ (define* (patch-and-repack source patches
                                 (format port "~a~%" name))
                               (find-files directory
                                           #:directories? #t
-                                          #:fail-on-error? #t)))))
+                                          #:fail-on-error? #$fail-on-error?)))))
 
               (apply invoke #+(file-append tar "/bin/tar")
                      "cvfa" output