diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 5c974f2ea4..e419b8d1a4 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -4727,7 +4727,9 @@ Invoking guix pull
 is passed;
 @item
 the system-wide @file{/etc/guix/channels.scm} file, unless @option{-q}
-is passed;
+is passed (on Guix System, this file can be declared in the operating
+system configuration, @pxref{guix-configuration-channels,
+@code{channels} field of @code{guix-configuration}});
 @item
 the built-in default channels specified in the @code{%default-channels}
 variable.
@@ -19806,10 +19808,11 @@ Base Services
 might want to turn it off for instance in a virtual machine that does
 not need it and where the extra boot time is a problem.
 
+@anchor{guix-configuration-channels}
 @item @code{channels} (default: @code{%default-channels})
-File-like object containing a list of channels to be used by
-@command{guix pull}, by default.  The file-like object is symlinked to
-@file{/etc/guix/channels.scm}.
+List of channels to be specified in @file{/etc/guix/channels.scm}, which
+is what @command{guix pull} uses by default (@pxref{Invoking guix
+pull}).
 
 @quotation Note
 When reconfiguring a system, the existing @file{/etc/guix/channels.scm}
diff --git a/gnu/services/base.scm b/gnu/services/base.scm
index dcd66b8064..cd61df718e 100644
--- a/gnu/services/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/base.scm
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ (define-module (gnu services base)
   #:use-module ((gnu build file-systems)
                 #:select (mount-flags->bit-mask
                           swap-space->flags-bit-mask))
-  #:use-module (guix channels)
+  #:autoload   (guix channels) (%default-channels channel->code)
   #:use-module (guix gexp)
   #:use-module (guix records)
   #:use-module (guix modules)
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ (define-module (gnu services base)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-35)
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
   #:use-module (ice-9 format)
-  #:use-module (ice-9 pretty-print)
   #:re-export (user-processes-service-type        ;backwards compatibility
                %default-substitute-urls)
   #:export (fstab-service-type
@@ -1743,17 +1742,13 @@ (define (substitute-key-authorization keys guix)
         ;; Installed the declared ACL.
         (symlink #+default-acl acl-file))))
 
-(define %default-channels-file
-  ;; File-like object containing the default list of channels.
-  (plain-file "channels.scm"
-              (with-output-to-string
-                (lambda _
-                  (pretty-print (map channel->code %default-channels))))))
+(define (install-channels-file channels)
+  "Return a gexp with code to install CHANNELS, a list of channels, in
+/etc/guix/channels.scm."
+  (define channels-file
+    (scheme-file "channels.scm"
+                 `(list ,@(map channel->code channels))))
 
-;; FIXME: Should this gexp be built before boot, like
-;; substitute-key-authorization does?
-(define (install-channels-file channels-file)
-  "Return a gexp with code to install CHANNELS-FILE, a file-like object."
   (with-imported-modules '((guix build utils))
     #~(begin
         (use-modules (guix build utils))
@@ -1828,7 +1823,7 @@ (define-record-type* <guix-configuration>
   (generate-substitute-key? guix-configuration-generate-substitute-key?
                             (default #t))         ;Boolean
   (channels         guix-configuration-channels ;file-like
-                    (default %default-channels-file))
+                    (default %default-channels))
   (chroot-directories guix-configuration-chroot-directories ;list of file-like/strings
                       (default '()))
   (max-silent-time  guix-configuration-max-silent-time ;integer
@@ -2040,7 +2035,7 @@ (define (guix-activation config)
               #~#f)
 
         ;; ... and /etc/guix/channels.scm...
-        #$(install-channels-file channels)
+        #$(and channels (install-channels-file channels))
 
         ;; ... and /etc/guix/machines.scm.
         #$(if (guix-build-machines config)