diff --git a/gnu/packages/version-control.scm b/gnu/packages/version-control.scm
index 3992f74644..23b5ba41e2 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/version-control.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/version-control.scm
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Brice Waegeneire <brice@waegenei.re>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 John D. Boy <jboy@bius.moe>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
-;;; Copyright © 2020 Vinicius Monego <monego@posteo.net>
+;;; Copyright © 2020, 2021 Vinicius Monego <monego@posteo.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Tanguy Le Carrour <tanguy@bioneland.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Michael Rohleder <mike@rohleder.de>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Greg Hogan <code@greghogan.com>
@@ -1505,7 +1505,7 @@ control to Git repositories.")
 (define-public pre-commit
   (package
     (name "pre-commit")
-    (version "2.8.1")
+    (version "2.12.1")
     (source
      (origin
        ;; No tests in the PyPI tarball.
@@ -1515,12 +1515,12 @@ control to Git repositories.")
              (commit (string-append "v" version))))
        (file-name (git-file-name name version))
        (sha256
-        (base32 "0b3ks6viccq3n4p8i8zgfd40vp1k5nkhmmlz7p4nxcdizw8zxgn8"))))
+        (base32 "0gwy5bnjnlj6yjcmghsibrcijvz9isxcygln7ihvi728p04rgymf"))))
     (build-system python-build-system)
     (arguments
      `(#:phases
        (modify-phases %standard-phases
-         (add-before 'check 'set-up-git
+         (add-before 'check 'prepare-check-env
            (lambda _
              ;; Change from /homeless-shelter to /tmp for write permission.
              (setenv "HOME" "/tmp")
@@ -1529,72 +1529,36 @@ control to Git repositories.")
              (setenv "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME" "Your Name")
              (setenv "GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL" "you@example.com")
              (setenv "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL" "you@example.com")
+             ;; Some tests still fail with PermissionError.  Make the source
+             ;; tree writable.
+             (for-each make-file-writable (find-files "."))
+             ;; Some tests will need a working git repository.
+             (invoke "git" "init")
              (invoke "git" "config" "--global" "user.name" "Your Name")
              (invoke "git" "config" "--global" "user.email" "you@example.com")
-           #t))
+             #t))
          (replace 'check
            (lambda* (#:key inputs outputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (add-installed-pythonpath inputs outputs)
-             (invoke "pytest" "tests" "-k"
+             ;; The file below contains about 30 tests that fail because they
+             ;; depend on tools from multiple languages (cargo, npm, cpan,
+             ;; Rscript, etc).  There are other tests that pass, but it's more
+             ;; convenient to skip the whole file than list 30 tests to skip.
+             (invoke "pytest" "--ignore=tests/repository_test.py"
+                     ;; Ruby and Node tests require node and gem.
+                     "--ignore=tests/languages/node_test.py"
+                     "--ignore=tests/languages/ruby_test.py"
+                     ;; FIXME: Python tests fail because of distlib version
+                     ;; mismatch.  Even with python-distlib/next it is
+                     ;; pulling version 0.3.0, while 0.3.1 is required.
+                     "--ignore=tests/languages/python_test.py" "-k"
                      (string-append
-                     ;; Disable conda tests.
-                      "not test_conda_hook"
-                      " and not test_conda_with_additional_dependencies_hook"
-                      " and not test_local_conda_additional_dependencies"
-                      ;; Disable cpan tests.
-                      " and not test_local_perl_additional_dependencies"
-                      " and not test_perl_hook"
-                      ;; Disable Ruby tests.
-                      " and not test_additional_ruby_dependencies_installed"
-                      " and not test_install_rbenv"
-                      " and not test_install_rbenv_with_version"
-                      " and not test_run_a_ruby_hook"
-                      " and not test_run_ruby_hook_with_disable_shared_gems"
-                      " and not test_run_versioned_ruby_hook"
-                      ;; Disable Cargo tests.
-                      " and not test_additional_rust_cli_dependencies_installed"
-                      " and not test_additional_rust_lib_dependencies_installed"
-                      " and not test_local_rust_additional_dependencies"
-                      " and not test_rust_hook"
-                      ;; Disable dotnet tests.
-                      " and not test_dotnet_hook"
-                      ;; Disable nodejs tests.
-                      " and not test_unhealthy_if_system_node_goes_missing"
-                      " and not test_installs_without_links_outside_env"
-                      " and not test_healthy_system_node"
-                      ;; Disable python2 test.
-                      " and not test_switch_language_versions_doesnt_clobber"
-                      ;; These tests try to open a network socket.
-                      " and not test_additional_golang_dependencies_installed"
-                      " and not test_additional_node_dependencies_installed"
-                      " and not test_golang_hook"
-                      " and not test_golang_hook_still_works_when_gobin_is_set"
-                      " and not test_local_golang_additional_dependencies"
-                      " and not test_main"
-                      " and not test_node_hook_with_npm_userconfig_set"
-                      " and not test_run_a_node_hook"
-                      " and not test_run_versioned_node_hook"
-                      ;; Tests failing with a permission error.
-                      ;; They try to write to the filesystem.
-                      " and not test_autoupdate_hook_disappearing_repo"
-                      " and not test_hook_disppearing_repo_raises"
-                      " and not test_img_conflict"
-                      " and not test_img_something_unstaged"
-                      " and not test_installed_from_venv"
-                      " and not test_too_new_version"
-                      " and not test_try_repo_uncommitted_changes"
-                      " and not test_versions_ok"
-                      ;; This test tries to activate a virtualenv.
-                      " and not test_healthy_venv_creator"
-                      ;; Fatal error: Not a Git repository.
-                      " and not test_all_cmds"
-                      " and not test_try_repo"
-                      ;; No module named 'pip._internal.cli.main'.
-                      " and not test_additional_dependencies_roll_forward"
-                      ;; Assertion errors.
-                      " and not test_install_existing_hooks_no_overwrite"
-                      " and not test_uninstall_restores_legacy_hooks"))))
-         (add-before 'reset-gzip-timestamps 'make-files-writable
+                      ;; TODO: these tests fail with AssertionError.  It may
+                      ;; be possible to fix them.
+                      "not test_install_existing_hooks_no_overwrite"
+                      " and not test_uninstall_restores_legacy_hooks"
+                      " and not test_installed_from_venv"))))
+         (add-before 'reset-gzip-timestamps 'make-gz-writable
            (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)
              ;; Make sure .gz files are writable so that the
              ;; 'reset-gzip-timestamps' phase can do its work.
@@ -1603,9 +1567,14 @@ control to Git repositories.")
                          (find-files out "\\.gz$"))
                #t))))))
     (native-inputs
-     `(("git" ,git-minimal)
+     `(("git" ,git)
+       ("python-covdefaults" ,python-covdefaults)
+       ("python-coverage" ,python-coverage)
+       ("python-distlib" ,python-distlib/next)
        ("python-pytest" ,python-pytest)
-       ("python-re-assert" ,python-re-assert)))
+       ("python-pytest-env" ,python-pytest-env)
+       ("python-re-assert" ,python-re-assert)
+       ("which" ,which)))
     ;; Propagate because pre-commit is also used as a module.
     (propagated-inputs
      `(("python-cfgv" ,python-cfgv)
