diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 7fd29b90a..8b4c431b2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -593,13 +593,11 @@ AM_DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS =			\
   --enable-daemon				\
   ac_cv_guix_test_root="$(GUIX_TEST_ROOT)"
 
-# The self-contained tarball.  Add 'glibc-utf8-locales' along with glibc just
-# so 'etc/profile' defines 'GUIX_LOCPATH' pointing to a valid set of locales.
+# The self-contained tarball.
 guix-binary.%.tar.xz:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH=					\
 	tarball=`$(top_builddir)/pre-inst-env guix pack -K -C xz	\
-	  -s "$*" --localstatedir guix glibc-utf8-locales		\
-	  -e  '(@@ (gnu packages commencement) glibc-final)'` ;		\
+	  -s "$*" --localstatedir --profile-name=current-guix guix` ;	\
 	cp "$$tarball" "$@.tmp" ; mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
 
 
diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 7265eed91..de9f6ec25 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -487,18 +487,20 @@ archive content is independent of its creation time, thus making it
 reproducible.
 
 @item
-Make @code{root}'s profile available under @file{~root/.guix-profile}:
+Make the profile available under @file{~root/.config/guix/current}, which is
+where @command{guix pull} will install updates (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}):
 
 @example
-# ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile \
-         ~root/.guix-profile
+# mkdir -p ~root/.config/guix
+# ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix \
+         ~root/.config/guix/current
 @end example
 
 Source @file{etc/profile} to augment @code{PATH} and other relevant
 environment variables:
 
 @example
-# GUIX_PROFILE="`echo ~root`/.guix-profile" ; \
+# GUIX_PROFILE="`echo ~root`/.config/guix/current" ; \
   source $GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile
 @end example
 
@@ -520,8 +522,8 @@ with these commands:
 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2017-01/msg01199.html
 
 @example
-# cp ~root/.guix-profile/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service \
-        /etc/systemd/system/
+# cp ~root/.config/guix/current/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service \
+     /etc/systemd/system/
 # systemctl start guix-daemon && systemctl enable guix-daemon
 @end example
 
@@ -529,14 +531,16 @@ If your host distro uses the Upstart init system:
 
 @example
 # initctl reload-configuration
-# cp ~root/.guix-profile/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf /etc/init/
+# cp ~root/.config/guix/current/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf \
+     /etc/init/
 # start guix-daemon
 @end example
 
 Otherwise, you can still start the daemon manually with:
 
 @example
-# ~root/.guix-profile/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
+# ~root/.config/guix/current/bin/guix-daemon \
+       --build-users-group=guixbuild
 @end example
 
 @item
@@ -546,7 +550,7 @@ for instance with:
 @example
 # mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
 # cd /usr/local/bin
-# ln -s /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix
+# ln -s /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix
 @end example
 
 It is also a good idea to make the Info version of this manual available
@@ -555,7 +559,7 @@ there:
 @example
 # mkdir -p /usr/local/share/info
 # cd /usr/local/share/info
-# for i in /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/share/info/* ;
+# for i in /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/share/info/* ;
   do ln -s $i ; done
 @end example
 
@@ -570,7 +574,8 @@ To use substitutes from @code{hydra.gnu.org} or one of its mirrors
 (@pxref{Substitutes}), authorize them:
 
 @example
-# guix archive --authorize < ~root/.guix-profile/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub
+# guix archive --authorize < \
+     ~root/.config/guix/current/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub
 @end example
 
 @item
@@ -604,7 +609,8 @@ make guix-binary.@var{system}.tar.xz
 ... which, in turn, runs:
 
 @example
-guix pack -s @var{system} --localstatedir guix
+guix pack -s @var{system} --localstatedir \
+  --profile-name=current-guix guix
 @end example
 
 @xref{Invoking guix pack}, for more info on this handy tool.
diff --git a/etc/guix-daemon.conf.in b/etc/guix-daemon.conf.in
index 74706055f..755192d55 100644
--- a/etc/guix-daemon.conf.in
+++ b/etc/guix-daemon.conf.in
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ start on runlevel [2345]
 
 stop on runlevel [016]
 
-exec @localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
+exec @localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
diff --git a/etc/guix-daemon.service.in b/etc/guix-daemon.service.in
index 988cf90c0..99ec7c48f 100644
--- a/etc/guix-daemon.service.in
+++ b/etc/guix-daemon.service.in
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 Description=Build daemon for GNU Guix
 
 [Service]
-ExecStart=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
-Environment=GUIX_LOCPATH=/root/.guix-profile/lib/locale
+ExecStart=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
+Environment=GUIX_LOCPATH=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/lib/locale
 RemainAfterExit=yes
 StandardOutput=syslog
 StandardError=syslog
diff --git a/etc/guix-install.sh b/etc/guix-install.sh
index ca6874ba0..6a01e5972 100755
--- a/etc/guix-install.sh
+++ b/etc/guix-install.sh
@@ -269,12 +269,13 @@ sys_create_store()
     fi
 
     _msg "${INF}Linking the root user's profile"
-    ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile \
-       "${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile"
+    mkdir -p "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix"
+    ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix \
+       "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current"
 
-    GUIX_PROFILE="${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile"
+    GUIX_PROFILE="${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current"
     source "${GUIX_PROFILE}/etc/profile"
-    _msg "${PAS}activated root profile at /root/.guix-profile"
+    _msg "${PAS}activated root profile at ${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current"
 }
 
 sys_create_build_user()
@@ -317,18 +318,18 @@ sys_enable_guix_daemon()
 
     info_path="/usr/local/share/info"
     local_bin="/usr/local/bin"
-    var_guix="/var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile"
+    var_guix="/var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix"
 
     case "$INIT_SYS" in
         upstart)
             { initctl reload-configuration;
-              cp "${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf" \
+              cp "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf" \
                  /etc/init/ &&
                   start guix-daemon; } &&
                 _msg "${PAS}enabled Guix daemon via upstart"
             ;;
         systemd)
-            { cp "${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service" \
+            { cp "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service" \
                  /etc/systemd/system/;
               chmod 664 /etc/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service;
               systemctl daemon-reload &&
@@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ sys_enable_guix_daemon()
             ;;
         NA|*)
             _msg "${ERR}unsupported init system; run the daemon manually:"
-            echo "  ${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild"
+            echo "  ${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild"
             ;;
     esac
 
@@ -358,9 +359,9 @@ sys_authorize_build_farms()
     while true; do
         read -p "Permit downloading pre-built package binaries from the project's build farms? (yes/no) " yn
         case $yn in
-            [Yy]*) guix archive --authorize < "${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub" &&
+            [Yy]*) guix archive --authorize < "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub" &&
                          _msg "${PAS}Authorized public key for hydra.gnu.org";
-                   guix archive --authorize < "${ROOT_HOME}/.guix-profile/share/guix/berlin.guixsd.org.pub" &&
+                   guix archive --authorize < "${ROOT_HOME}/.config/guix/current/share/guix/berlin.guixsd.org.pub" &&
                        _msg "${PAS}Authorized public key for berlin.guixsd.org";
                    break;;
             [Nn]*) _msg "${INF}Skipped authorizing build farm public keys"
diff --git a/etc/guix-publish.conf.in b/etc/guix-publish.conf.in
index 241c59455..7b319f66a 100644
--- a/etc/guix-publish.conf.in
+++ b/etc/guix-publish.conf.in
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ stop on runlevel [016]
 
 task
 
-exec @localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix publish --user=nobody --port=8181
+exec @localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix publish --user=nobody --port=8181
diff --git a/etc/guix-publish.service.in b/etc/guix-publish.service.in
index 8aaf09e3c..0526f9799 100644
--- a/etc/guix-publish.service.in
+++ b/etc/guix-publish.service.in
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 Description=Publish the GNU Guix store
 
 [Service]
-ExecStart=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix publish --user=nobody --port=8181
-Environment=GUIX_LOCPATH=/root/.guix-profile/lib/locale
+ExecStart=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix publish --user=nobody --port=8181
+Environment=GUIX_LOCPATH=@localstatedir@/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/lib/locale
 RemainAfterExit=yes
 StandardOutput=syslog
 StandardError=syslog
