diff --git a/gnu/local.mk b/gnu/local.mk
index c0b7478635..b3c54a752a 100644
--- a/gnu/local.mk
+++ b/gnu/local.mk
@@ -732,6 +732,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   %D%/packages/patches/dvd+rw-tools-add-include.patch 		\
   %D%/packages/patches/efl-mesa-compat.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/elfutils-tests-ptrace.patch		\
+  %D%/packages/patches/elixir-path-length.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/einstein-build.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-exec-path.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/emacs-fix-scheme-indent-function.patch	\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/elixir.scm b/gnu/packages/elixir.scm
index 29c7ee966f..9763c7a22b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/elixir.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/elixir.scm
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 (define-public elixir
   (package
     (name "elixir")
-    (version "1.6.6")
+    (version "1.8.1")
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
               (uri (string-append "https://github.com/elixir-lang/elixir"
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@
               (file-name (string-append name "-" version ".tar.gz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "0c9qz5hasa59a9x1iwpcqpqj6wdbzpijfxqfmzimwj5z8q37nl3l"))))
+                "08lq5p82pnicd49gsj6r2zsbg35wrk6098nrrjb28fcrm5p6736y"))
+	      (patches (search-patches "elixir-path-length.patch"))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      `(#:test-target "test"
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@
     (inputs
      `(("erlang" ,erlang)
        ("git" ,git)))
-    (home-page "http://elixir-lang.org/")
+    (home-page "https://elixir-lang.org/")
     (synopsis "Elixir programming language")
     (description "Elixir is a dynamic, functional language used to build
 scalable and maintainable applications.  Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/elixir-path-length.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/elixir-path-length.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa8bf38829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/elixir-path-length.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+In the package definition the call to the command 'git' is substituted with
+the full path to the git executable. This change causes the mix formatting tool
+to complain that the line is too long. This workaround reformats the file
+after the substitution is made.
+
+--- a/Makefile
++++ b/Makefile
+@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@
+ TEST_ERLS = $(addprefix $(TEST_EBIN)/, $(addsuffix .beam, $(basename $(notdir $(wildcard $(TEST_ERL)/*.erl)))))
+ 
+ test_formatted: compile
++	bin/elixir bin/mix format lib/mix/lib/mix/scm/git.ex
+ 	bin/elixir bin/mix format --check-formatted
+ 
+ test_erlang: compile $(TEST_ERLS)