diff --git a/guix/scripts/pack.scm b/guix/scripts/pack.scm
index 5bd405ade4..51afaeb379 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/pack.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/pack.scm
@@ -181,6 +181,15 @@ added to the pack."
          (file-append (store-database (list profile))
                       "/db/db.sqlite")))
 
+  (define set-utf8-locale
+    ;; Arrange to not depend on 'glibc-utf8-locales' when using '--bootstrap'.
+    (and (or (not (profile? profile))
+             (profile-locales? profile))
+         #~(begin
+             (setenv "GUIX_LOCPATH"
+                     #+(file-append glibc-utf8-locales "/lib/locale"))
+             (setlocale LC_ALL "en_US.utf8"))))
+
   (define build
     (with-imported-modules (source-module-closure
                             `((guix build utils)
@@ -226,6 +235,9 @@ added to the pack."
                             "cf" "/dev/null" "--files-from=/dev/null"
                             "--sort=name")))
 
+          ;; Make sure non-ASCII file names are properly handled.
+          #+set-utf8-locale
+
           ;; Add 'tar' to the search path.
           (setenv "PATH" #+(file-append archiver "/bin"))
 
diff --git a/tests/pack.scm b/tests/pack.scm
index 0c1406e687..cb7e110d18 100644
--- a/tests/pack.scm
+++ b/tests/pack.scm
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@
 (unless (network-reachable?) (test-skip 1))
 (test-assertm "self-contained-tarball" %store
   (mlet* %store-monad
-      ((profile (profile-derivation (packages->manifest
-                                     (list %bootstrap-guile))
-                                    #:hooks '()
-                                    #:locales? #f))
+      ((profile -> (profile
+                    (content (packages->manifest (list %bootstrap-guile)))
+                    (hooks '())
+                    (locales? #f)))
        (tarball (self-contained-tarball "pack" profile
                                         #:symlinks '(("/bin/Guile"
                                                       -> "bin/guile"))