--- a/gnu/packages/tex.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/tex.scm
@@ -4399,9 +4399,16 @@ develop documents with LaTeX, in a single application.")
                                (assoc-ref inputs "automake")
                                "^install-sh$"))
                              srcdir)
-               (chdir srcdir)))))))
+               (chdir srcdir))))
+         (add-after 'unpack 'set-home
+           (lambda _
+             ;; XXX: Currently tex wants to generate fonts in
+             ;; ~/.texlive2018/texmf-var/fonts, hence this hack.
+             (setenv "HOME" (getcwd))
+             #t)))))
     (native-inputs
-     `(("texlive" ,texlive)
+     `(("texlive" ,(texlive-union (list texlive-fonts-amsfonts
+                                        texlive-fonts-ec)))
        ("automake" ,automake)))
     (home-page "https://www.gnu.org/software/teximpatient/")
     (synopsis "Book on TeX, plain TeX and Eplain")