diff --git a/gnu/packages/tex.scm b/gnu/packages/tex.scm
index 70af0ee83f..104fa11493 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/tex.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/tex.scm
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Vincent Legoll <vincent.legoll@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020, 2021 Paul Garlick <pgarlick@tourbillion-technology.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021, 2022 Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
-;;; Copyright © 2021-2023 Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>
+;;; Copyright © 2021-2024 Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Leo Le Bouter <lle-bout@zaclys.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Xinglu Chen <public@yoctocell.xyz>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Ivan Gankevich <i.gankevich@spbu.ru>
@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ (define-public texlive-libkpathsea
                  "TEXMF = {$GUIX_TEXMF}\n")
                 (("\\$SELFAUTOLOC(/share/texmf-dist/web2c)" _ suffix)
                  (string-append #$output suffix))
+                ;; Ignore system-wide cache.  Use local one, by default
+                ;; "$HOME/.texliveYYYY/texmf-var/".
+                (("^TEXMFCACHE = .*")
+                 "TEXMFCACHE = $TEXMFVAR\n")
                 ;; Don't truncate lines.
                 (("^error_line = .*$") "error_line = 254\n")
                 (("^half_error_line = .*$") "half_error_line = 238\n")
diff --git a/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm b/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
index a9fe9c80cc..4a1afc709b 100644
--- a/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
+++ b/guix/build/texlive-build-system.scm
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2021 Thiago Jung Bauermann <bauermann@kolabnow.com>
-;;; Copyright © 2023 Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>
+;;; Copyright © 2023, 2024 Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ (define* (patch-shell-scripts #:rest _)
         ((command-regexp _ command)
          (which command))))))
 
+(define* (set-texmfvar #:rest _)
+  "Set TEXMFVAR to a writable location."
+  ;; Default value is relative to $HOME, which is not set during build.  This
+  ;; location is used for generating font metrics or building documentation.
+  (setenv "TEXMFVAR" (string-append (getcwd) "/texmf-var")))
+
 (define* (delete-drv-files #:rest _)
   "Delete pre-generated \".drv\" files in order to prevent build failures."
   (when (file-exists? "source")
@@ -289,6 +295,7 @@ (define %standard-phases
     (delete 'bootstrap)
     (delete 'configure)
     (add-after 'unpack 'patch-shell-scripts patch-shell-scripts)
+    (add-before 'build 'set-texmfvar set-texmfvar)
     (add-before 'build 'delete-drv-files delete-drv-files)
     (add-after 'delete-drv-files 'generate-font-metrics generate-font-metrics)
     (replace 'build build)