diff --git a/guix/git-download.scm b/guix/git-download.scm
index f1f19397c6..505dff0a89 100644
--- a/guix/git-download.scm
+++ b/guix/git-download.scm
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ (define-module (guix git-download)
   #:use-module (guix records)
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module (guix modules)
+  #:use-module ((guix derivations) #:select (raw-derivation))
   #:autoload   (guix build-system gnu) (standard-packages)
   #:autoload   (guix download) (%download-fallback-test)
   #:autoload   (git bindings)   (libgit2-init!)
@@ -78,15 +79,19 @@ (define (git-package)
   (let ((distro (resolve-interface '(gnu packages version-control))))
     (module-ref distro 'git-minimal)))
 
-(define* (git-fetch ref hash-algo hash
-                    #:optional name
-                    #:key (system (%current-system)) (guile (default-guile))
-                    (git (git-package)))
-  "Return a fixed-output derivation that fetches REF, a <git-reference>
-object.  The output is expected to have recursive hash HASH of type
-HASH-ALGO (a symbol).  Use NAME as the file name, or a generic name if #f."
+(define* (git-fetch/in-band ref hash-algo hash
+                            #:optional name
+                            #:key (system (%current-system))
+                            (guile (default-guile))
+                            (git (git-package)))
+  "Return a fixed-output derivation that performs a Git checkout of REF, using
+GIT and GUILE (thus, said derivation depends on GIT and GUILE).
+
+This method is deprecated in favor of the \"builtin:git-download\" builder.
+It will be removed when versions of guix-daemon implementing
+\"builtin:git-download\" will be sufficiently widespread."
   (define inputs
-    `(("git" ,git)
+    `(("git" ,(or git (git-package)))
 
       ;; When doing 'git clone --recursive', we need sed, grep, etc. to be
       ;; available so that 'git submodule' works.
@@ -154,7 +159,8 @@ (define* (git-fetch ref hash-algo hash
                                      #:recursive? recursive?
                                      #:git-command "git")))))
 
-  (mlet %store-monad ((guile (package->derivation guile system)))
+  (mlet %store-monad ((guile (package->derivation (or guile (default-guile))
+                                                  system)))
     (gexp->derivation (or name "git-checkout") build
 
                       ;; Use environment variables and a fixed script name so
@@ -181,6 +187,50 @@ (define* (git-fetch ref hash-algo hash
                       #:recursive? #t
                       #:guile-for-build guile)))
 
+(define* (git-fetch/built-in ref hash-algo hash
+                             #:optional name
+                             #:key (system (%current-system)))
+  "Return a fixed-output derivation without any dependency that performs a Git
+checkout of REF, using the \"builtin:git-download\" derivation builder."
+  (raw-derivation (or name "git-checkout") "builtin:git-download" '()
+                  #:system system
+                  #:hash-algo hash-algo
+                  #:hash hash
+                  #:recursive? #t
+                  #:env-vars
+                  `(("url" . ,(object->string
+                               (match (%download-fallback-test)
+                                 ('content-addressed-mirrors
+                                  "https://example.org/does-not-exist")
+                                 (_
+                                  (git-reference-url ref)))))
+                    ("commit" . ,(git-reference-commit ref))
+                    ("recursive?" . ,(object->string
+                                      (git-reference-recursive? ref))))
+                  #:leaked-env-vars '("http_proxy" "https_proxy"
+                                      "LC_ALL" "LC_MESSAGES" "LANG"
+                                      "COLUMNS")
+                  #:local-build? #t))
+
+(define built-in-builders*
+  (store-lift built-in-builders))
+
+(define* (git-fetch ref hash-algo hash
+                    #:optional name
+                    #:key (system (%current-system))
+                    guile git)
+  "Return a fixed-output derivation that fetches REF, a <git-reference>
+object.  The output is expected to have recursive hash HASH of type
+HASH-ALGO (a symbol).  Use NAME as the file name, or a generic name if #f."
+  (mlet %store-monad ((builtins (built-in-builders*)))
+    (if (member "git-download" builtins)
+        (git-fetch/built-in ref hash-algo hash name
+                            #:system system)
+        (git-fetch/in-band ref hash-algo hash name
+                           #:system system
+                           #:guile guile
+                           #:git git))))
+
 (define (git-version version revision commit)
   "Return the version string for packages using git-download."
   ;; git-version is almost exclusively executed while modules are being loaded.
diff --git a/tests/builders.scm b/tests/builders.scm
index 0b5577c7a3..619caa5f31 100644
--- a/tests/builders.scm
+++ b/tests/builders.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2012-2015, 2018-2019, 2021, 2023 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Lars-Dominik Braun <lars@6xq.net>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 (define-module (tests builders)
   #:use-module (guix download)
+  #:use-module (guix git-download)
   #:use-module (guix build-system)
   #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
   #:use-module (guix build gnu-build-system)
@@ -31,9 +32,12 @@ (define-module (tests builders)
   #:use-module (guix base32)
   #:use-module (guix derivations)
   #:use-module (gcrypt hash)
+  #:use-module ((guix hash) #:select (file-hash*))
   #:use-module (guix tests)
+  #:use-module (guix tests git)
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module (gnu packages bootstrap)
+  #:use-module ((ice-9 ftw) #:select (scandir))
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
   #:use-module (ice-9 textual-ports)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
@@ -84,6 +88,29 @@ (define url-fetch*
     (and (file-exists? out)
          (valid-path? %store out))))
 
+(test-equal "git-fetch, file URI"
+  '("." ".." "a.txt" "b.scm")
+  (let ((nonce (random-text)))
+    (with-temporary-git-repository directory
+        `((add "a.txt" ,nonce)
+          (add "b.scm" "#t")
+          (commit "Commit.")
+          (tag "v1.0.0" "The tag."))
+      (run-with-store %store
+        (mlet* %store-monad ((hash
+                              -> (file-hash* directory
+                                             #:algorithm (hash-algorithm sha256)
+                                             #:recursive? #t))
+                             (drv (git-fetch
+                                   (git-reference
+                                    (url (string-append "file://" directory))
+                                    (commit "v1.0.0"))
+                                   'sha256 hash
+                                   "git-fetch-test")))
+          (mbegin %store-monad
+            (built-derivations (list drv))
+            (return (scandir (derivation->output-path drv)))))))))
+
 (test-assert "gnu-build-system"
   (build-system? gnu-build-system))
 
