diff --git a/gnu-system.am b/gnu-system.am
index d88f6bf4e8..871254624a 100644
--- a/gnu-system.am
+++ b/gnu-system.am
@@ -189,11 +189,13 @@ patchdir = $(guilemoduledir)/gnu/packages/patches
 dist_patch_DATA =						\
   gnu/packages/patches/apr-skip-getservbyname-test.patch	\
   gnu/packages/patches/automake-skip-amhello-tests.patch	\
+  gnu/packages/patches/avahi-localstatedir.patch		\
   gnu/packages/patches/bigloo-gc-shebangs.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/binutils-ld-new-dtags.patch		\
   gnu/packages/patches/cdparanoia-fpic.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/cmake-fix-tests.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/cpio-gets-undeclared.patch		\
+  gnu/packages/patches/dbus-localstatedir.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/diffutils-gets-undeclared.patch		\
   gnu/packages/patches/emacs-configure-sh.patch			\
   gnu/packages/patches/findutils-absolute-paths.patch		\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/avahi.scm b/gnu/packages/avahi.scm
index fbdc0e2834..14073b32a0 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/avahi.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/avahi.scm
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ (define-module (gnu packages avahi)
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module (guix download)
   #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
+  #:use-module (gnu packages)
   #:use-module (gnu packages gdbm)
   #:use-module (gnu packages libdaemon)
   #:use-module (gnu packages pkg-config)
@@ -42,13 +43,15 @@ (define-public avahi
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      '(#:configure-flags '("--with-distro=none"
+                           "--localstatedir=/var" ; for the DBus socket
                            "--disable-python"
                            "--disable-mono"
                            "--disable-doxygen-doc"
                            "--disable-xmltoman"
                            "--enable-tests"
                            "--disable-qt3" "--disable-qt4"
-                           "--disable-gtk" "--disable-gtk3")))
+                           "--disable-gtk" "--disable-gtk3")
+       #:patches (list (assoc-ref %build-inputs "patch/localstatedir"))))
     (inputs
      `(("expat" ,expat)
        ("glib" ,glib)
@@ -56,7 +59,10 @@ (define-public avahi
        ("libdaemon" ,libdaemon)
        ("intltool" ,intltool)
        ("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
-       ("gdbm" ,gdbm)))
+       ("gdbm" ,gdbm)
+
+       ("patch/localstatedir"
+        ,(search-patch "avahi-localstatedir.patch"))))
     (synopsis "Avahi, an mDNS/DNS-SD implementation")
     (description
      "Avahi is a system which facilitates service discovery on a local
diff --git a/gnu/packages/glib.scm b/gnu/packages/glib.scm
index fee834f9f9..dd4c036e4b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/glib.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/glib.scm
@@ -50,9 +50,21 @@ (define-public dbus
               (base32
                "1wacqyfkcpayg7f8rvx9awqg275n5pksxq5q7y21lxjx85x6pfjz"))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
+    (arguments
+     '(#:configure-flags (list ;; Install the system bus socket under /var.
+                               "--localstatedir=/var"
+
+                               ;; XXX: Fix the following to allow system-wide
+                               ;; config.
+                               ;; "--sysconfdir=/etc"
+
+                               "--with-session-socket-dir=/tmp")
+       #:patches (list (assoc-ref %build-inputs "patch/localstatedir"))))
     (inputs
      `(("expat" ,expat)
-       ("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)))
+       ("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
+       ("patch/localstatedir"
+        ,(search-patch "dbus-localstatedir.patch"))))
     (home-page "http://dbus.freedesktop.org/")
     (synopsis "Message bus for inter-process communication (IPC)")
     (description
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/avahi-localstatedir.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/avahi-localstatedir.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76377d1057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/avahi-localstatedir.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Don't "mkdir $(localstatedir)" since we can't do it (/var).
+
+--- avahi-0.6.27/avahi-daemon/Makefile.in	2010-07-13 05:06:35.000000000 +0200
++++ avahi-0.6.27/avahi-daemon/Makefile.in	2010-07-13 18:03:45.000000000 +0200
+@@ -1554,7 +1554,6 @@ xmllint:
+ 	done
+ 
+ install-data-local:
+-	test -z "$(localstatedir)/run" || $(mkdir_p) "$(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/run"
+ 
+ update-systemd:
+ 	curl http://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/plain/src/sd-daemon.c > sd-daemon.c
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/dbus-localstatedir.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/dbus-localstatedir.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..61bed91b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/dbus-localstatedir.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+Do not try to create $localstatedir and $sysconfdir since we cannot do this
+when they are /var and /etc.
+
+--- dbus-1.6.4/bus/Makefile.in	2013-09-11 16:15:13.000000000 +0200
++++ dbus-1.6.4/bus/Makefile.in	2013-09-11 16:15:15.000000000 +0200
+@@ -1510,9 +1510,6 @@ clean-local:
+ 	/bin/rm *.bb *.bbg *.da *.gcov || true
+ 
+ install-data-hook:
+-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/run/dbus
+-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(configdir)/system.d
+-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(configdir)/session.d
+ 	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/dbus-1/services
+ 	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/dbus-1/system-services
+ # Install dbus.socket as default implementation of a D-Bus stack.
+
+--- dbus-1.6.4/tools/Makefile.in	2013-09-11 16:10:31.000000000 +0200
++++ dbus-1.6.4/tools/Makefile.in	2013-09-11 16:10:32.000000000 +0200
+@@ -757,11 +757,6 @@ uninstall-am: uninstall-binPROGRAMS
+ 
+ 
+ # create the /var/lib/dbus directory for dbus-uuidgen
+-install-data-local:
+-	$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/lib/dbus
+-
+-installcheck-local:
+-	test -d $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/lib/dbus
+ 
+ # Tell versions [3.59,3.63) of GNU make to not export all variables.
+ # Otherwise a system limit (for SysV at least) may be exceeded.