diff --git a/gnu/bootloader.scm b/gnu/bootloader.scm
index 2ab2496412..812193feb8 100644
--- a/gnu/bootloader.scm
+++ b/gnu/bootloader.scm
@@ -82,8 +82,6 @@ (define-module (gnu bootloader)
             bootloader-target-offset
             bootloader-target-device
             bootloader-target-file-system
-            bootloader-target-label
-            bootloader-target-uuid
 
             target-error?
             target-error-type
@@ -317,8 +315,9 @@ (define (symbol-or-boolean? x)
 (define (file-system-label-or-boolean? x)
   (or (file-system-label? x) (boolean? x)))
 
-(define (uuid-or-boolean? x)
-  (or (uuid? x) (boolean? x)))
+;; TODO: Create wrapper record for block-device.
+(define (uuid-or-string-or-boolean? x)
+  (or (uuid? x) (string? x) (boolean? x)))
 
 (define-configuration/no-serialization bootloader-target
   (type symbol "What target this record describes, e.g. 'esp or 'disk.")
@@ -326,7 +325,7 @@ (define-configuration/no-serialization bootloader-target
   (path (string-or-boolean #f) "TODO")
   (offset (symbol-or-boolean #f) "TODO")
   (device
-   (string-or-boolean #f)
+   (uuid-or-string-or-boolean #f)
    "Refers to a physical device or partition.  A string is interpreted
 as a block device.  Note that block devices can vary per boot and may
 not exist at boot-time.  The find-partition-uuid procedure returns a
@@ -335,9 +334,7 @@ (define-configuration/no-serialization bootloader-target
    (string-or-boolean #f)
    "Set the type of the file system, in case it isn't being detected
 properly, or it is unmounted during bootloader installation.  See also
-the find-file-system and uuid->file-system procedures.")
-  (label (string-or-boolean #f) "TODO")
-  (uuid (uuid-or-boolean #f) "TODO"))
+the find-file-system and uuid->file-system procedures."))
 
 (define-condition-type &target-error &error target-error?
   (type target-error-type)
@@ -410,8 +407,8 @@ (define (unfold-pathcat target targets)
 
 (define (target-base? t)
   (or (not t) (match-record t <bootloader-target>
-                (expected? offset device label uuid)
-                (or device label uuid (not offset) expected?))))
+                (expected? offset device)
+                (or device (not offset) expected?))))
 
 (define (type-major? target) (memq target '(root esp disk)))
 
@@ -464,9 +461,15 @@ (define (resolve in target base)
              (:path :devpath :device :fs :label :uuid)
              ((name _) (not (identifier? #'name))
               #`(_ (syntax-error "binds must be to identifiers" #,in)))
-             ((name :device) #'(name (bootloader-target-device base)))
-             ((name :label) #'(name (bootloader-target-label base)))
-             ((name :uuid) #'(name (bootloader-target-uuid base)))
+             ((name :device)
+              #'(name (and (string? (bootloader-target-device base))
+                           (bootloader-target-device base))))
+             ((name :label)
+              #'(name (and (string? (bootloader-target-device base))
+                           (bootloader-target-device base))))
+             ((name :uuid)
+              #'(name (and (uuid? (bootloader-target-device base))
+                           (bootloader-target-device base))))
              ((name :fs) #'(name (bootloader-target-file-system base)))
              ((name :path) #'(name (unfold-pathcat target targets)))
              ((name :devpath)
@@ -650,22 +653,6 @@ (define (mass m)
     `((,(mount-source m) . ,m)
       (,(mount-point m) . ,m)))
 
-  (define (accessible=> d f)
-    (and d (access? d R_OK) (f d)))
-
-  (define (fixuuid target)
-    (match-record target <bootloader-target> (uuid file-system)
-      (let ((type (cond ((not file-system) 'dce)
-                        ((member file-system '("vfat" "fat32")) 'fat)
-                        ((string=? file-system "ntfs") 'ntfs)
-                        ((string=? file-system "iso9660") 'iso9660)
-                        (else 'dce))))
-        (bootloader-target (inherit target)
-          (uuid (cond ((uuid? uuid) uuid)
-                  ((bytevector? uuid) (bytevector->uuid uuid type))
-                  ((string? uuid) (string->uuid uuid type))
-                  (else #f)))))))
-
   (define (arborify target targets)
     (let* ((up (lambda (t) (and t (parent-of t targets))))
            (proto (unfold target-base? identity up (up target) list))
@@ -681,23 +668,22 @@ (define (assoc-mnt f)
 
     (define (scrape target)
       (match-record target <bootloader-target>
-        (expected? path offset device label uuid file-system)
+        (expected? path offset device file-system)
         (if expected? target
           (bootloader-target
             (inherit target)
             (device (or device
-                        (false-if-exception
-                          (or (and=> uuid find-partition-by-uuid)
-                              (and=> label find-partition-by-label)))
                         (and path ((assoc-mnt mount-source)
                                    (unfold-pathcat target targets)))))
-            (label (or label (accessible=> device read-partition-label)))
-            (uuid (or uuid (accessible=> device read-partition-uuid)))
-            (file-system (or file-system (and=> device (assoc-mnt mount-type))))
+            (file-system (or file-system
+                             (match device
+                               ((? string?) ((assoc-mnt mount-type) device))
+                               ((? uuid?) (uuid->file-system device))
+                               (_ #f))))
             (offset (and path offset))
             (path (or path (and=> device (assoc-mnt mount-point))))))))
 
-    (let ((mid (map (compose fixuuid scrape) targets)))
+    (let ((mid (map scrape targets)))
       (map (cut arborify <> mid) mid))))
 
 (define* (bootloader-configuration->gexp bootloader-config args #:key
diff --git a/gnu/system/image.scm b/gnu/system/image.scm
index d70078c102..3c443afcb1 100644
--- a/gnu/system/image.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/image.scm
@@ -389,8 +389,8 @@ (define (targets current)
                  (path (and current? "tmp-root"))
                  (offset #f)
                  (file-system (partition-file-system partition))
-                 (label (partition-label partition))
-                 (uuid (partition-uuid partition)))))
+                 (device (or (partition-uuid partition)
+                             (partition-label partition))))))
         (filter partition-target (image-partitions image)))))
 
   (define (image->genimage-cfg image)