diff --git a/gnu/packages/xdisorg.scm b/gnu/packages/xdisorg.scm
index cc84884b6..2e1ed2ee9 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/xdisorg.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/xdisorg.scm
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ or playing a PCM encoded WAVE file.")
              (let ((imake (assoc-ref inputs "imake"))
                    (out   (assoc-ref outputs "out")))
                ;; Generate Makefile
-               (zero? (system* "xmkmf"))
+               (invoke "xmkmf")
                (substitute* "Makefile"
                  ;; These imake variables somehow remain undefined
                  (("DefaultGcc2[[:graph:]]*Opt") "-O2")
@@ -1369,7 +1369,8 @@ or playing a PCM encoded WAVE file.")
                ;; Old BSD-style 'union wait' is unneeded (defining
                ;; _USE_BSD did not seem to fix it)
                (substitute* "src/engine.c"
-                 (("union wait  status") "int status = 0")))))
+                 (("union wait  status") "int status = 0"))
+               #t)))
          (add-after 'install 'install/man
            (lambda _
              (zero? (system* "make" "install.man")))))))