diff --git a/gnu/packages/tex.scm b/gnu/packages/tex.scm
index 16086263e3..eb433a23ab 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/tex.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/tex.scm
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Xinglu Chen <public@yoctocell.xyz>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Ivan Gankevich <i.gankevich@spbu.ru>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Julien Lepiller <julien@lepiller.eu>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 Thiago Jung Bauermann <bauermann@kolabnow.com>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -3387,7 +3388,12 @@ (define-public texlive-latex-l3kernel
                 "0w82d5a4d3rc950ms6ymj4mpw5ndz6qs5x53szcfgzgjxsns9l4w"))))
     (build-system texlive-build-system)
     (arguments
-     '(#:tex-directory "latex/l3kernel"))
+     '(#:tex-directory "latex/l3kernel"
+       #:tex-engine "tex"
+       #:tex-format #f
+       #:texlive-latex-base #f))
+    (native-inputs
+     `(("texlive-docstrip" ,texlive-docstrip)))
     (home-page "https://www.ctan.org/pkg/l3kernel")
     (synopsis "LaTeX3 programmers’ interface")
     (description
@@ -3412,6 +3418,9 @@ (define-public texlive-latex-l3packages
     (build-system texlive-build-system)
     (arguments
      '(#:tex-directory "latex/l3packages"
+       #:tex-engine "tex"
+       #:tex-format #f
+       #:texlive-latex-base #f
        ;; build-targets must be specified manually since they are in
        ;; sub-directories.
        #:build-targets '("l3keys2e.ins" "xparse.ins" "xfrac.ins" "xfp.ins" "xtemplate.ins")
@@ -3433,6 +3442,8 @@ (define-public texlive-latex-l3packages
                                       ":")))
              #t)))
        ))
+    (native-inputs
+     `(("texlive-docstrip" ,texlive-docstrip)))
     (propagated-inputs
      `(("texlive-latex-l3kernel" ,texlive-latex-l3kernel)))
     (home-page "https://www.ctan.org/pkg/l3packages")
diff --git a/guix/build-system/texlive.scm b/guix/build-system/texlive.scm
index 005aad819e..f3838e580a 100644
--- a/guix/build-system/texlive.scm
+++ b/guix/build-system/texlive.scm
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 Thiago Jung Bauermann <bauermann@kolabnow.com>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -116,7 +117,9 @@ (define private-keywords
                    ;; Keep the standard inputs of 'gnu-build-system'.
                    ,@(standard-packages)))
     (build-inputs `(("texlive-bin" ,texlive-bin)
-                    ("texlive-latex-base" ,texlive-latex-base)
+                    ,@(if texlive-latex-base
+                          `(("texlive-latex-base" ,texlive-latex-base))
+                          '())
                     ,@native-inputs))
     (outputs outputs)
     (build texlive-build)
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@ (define* (texlive-build name inputs
                         (tests? #f)
                         tex-directory
                         (build-targets #f)
+                        (tex-engine #f)
 
                         ;; FIXME: This would normally default to "luatex" but
                         ;; LuaTeX has a bug where sometimes it corrupts the
@@ -158,6 +162,9 @@ (define builder
                                #:source #+source
                                #:tex-directory #$tex-directory
                                #:build-targets #$build-targets
+                               #:tex-engine #$(if tex-engine
+                                                  tex-engine
+                                                  tex-format)
                                #:tex-format #$tex-format
                                #:system #$system
                                #:tests? #$tests?
diff --git a/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm b/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
index 4c255700bb..353fb934a6 100644
--- a/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
+++ b/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 Thiago Jung Bauermann <bauermann@kolabnow.com>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -34,16 +35,17 @@ (define-module (guix build texlive-build-system)
 ;;
 ;; Code:
 
-(define (compile-with-latex format file)
-  (invoke format
+(define (compile-with-latex engine format file)
+  (invoke engine
           "-interaction=nonstopmode"
           "-output-directory=build"
-          (string-append "&" format)
+          (if format (string-append "&" format) "-ini")
           file))
 
-(define* (build #:key inputs build-targets tex-format #:allow-other-keys)
+(define* (build #:key inputs build-targets tex-engine tex-format
+                #:allow-other-keys)
   (mkdir "build")
-  (for-each (cut compile-with-latex tex-format <>)
+  (for-each (cut compile-with-latex tex-engine tex-format <>)
             (if build-targets build-targets
                 (scandir "." (cut string-suffix? ".ins" <>)))))