diff --git a/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm b/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
index 0b41d2cbc7..543aa919c3 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
@@ -632,17 +632,17 @@ (define (tarball-package pkg)
              (mkdir out)
              (set-path-environment-variable "PATH" '("bin") (list tar xz))
              (with-directory-excursion input
-               (zero? (system* "tar" "cJvf"
-                               (string-append out "/"
-                                              ,name "-" ,version
-                                              "-"
-                                              ,(or (%current-target-system)
-                                                   (%current-system))
-                                              ".tar.xz")
-                               "."
-                               ;; avoid non-determinism in the archive
-                               "--sort=name" "--mtime=@0"
-                               "--owner=root:0" "--group=root:0"))))))))))
+               (invoke "tar" "cJvf"
+                       (string-append out "/"
+                                      ,name "-" ,version
+                                      "-"
+                                      ,(or (%current-target-system)
+                                           (%current-system))
+                                      ".tar.xz")
+                       "."
+                       ;; avoid non-determinism in the archive
+                       "--sort=name" "--mtime=@0"
+                       "--owner=root:0" "--group=root:0")))))))))
 
 (define %bootstrap-binaries-tarball
   ;; A tarball with the statically-linked bootstrap binaries.