diff --git a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
index c52b6e8389..54b524aec7 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
@@ -685,8 +685,10 @@ exec ~a/bin/~a-~a -B~a/lib -Wl,-dynamic-linker -Wl,~a/~a \"$@\"~%"
     ,@(alist-delete "bash" %boot3-inputs)))
 
 (define-public guile-final
+  ;; This package must be public because other modules refer to it.  However,
+  ;; mark it as hidden so that 'fold-packages' ignores it.
   (package-with-bootstrap-guile
-   (package-with-explicit-inputs guile-2.0/fixed
+   (package-with-explicit-inputs (hidden-package guile-2.0/fixed)
                                  %boot4-inputs
                                  (current-source-location)
                                  #:guile %bootstrap-guile)))
diff --git a/tests/packages.scm b/tests/packages.scm
index 7c9ad05c21..e9c8690730 100644
--- a/tests/packages.scm
+++ b/tests/packages.scm
@@ -749,6 +749,20 @@
                        r))
                  #f))
 
+(test-assert "fold-packages, hidden package"
+  ;; There are two public variables providing "guile@2.0" ('guile-final' in
+  ;; commencement.scm and 'guile-2.0/fixed' in guile.scm), but only the latter
+  ;; should show up.
+  (match (fold-packages (lambda (p r)
+                          (if (and (string=? (package-name p) "guile")
+                                   (string-prefix? "2.0"
+                                                   (package-version p)))
+                              (cons p r)
+                              r))
+                        '())
+    ((one)
+     (eq? one guile-2.0/fixed))))
+
 (test-assert "find-packages-by-name"
   (match (find-packages-by-name "hello")
     (((? (cut eq? hello <>))) #t)