diff --git a/guix-build.in b/guix-build.in
index c241bf4fef..bd32ce951e 100644
--- a/guix-build.in
+++ b/guix-build.in
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # aside from this initial boilerplate, this is actually -*- scheme -*- code
 
+prefix="@prefix@"
+datarootdir="@datarootdir@"
+
 GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH="@guilemoduledir@:$GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH"
 export GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH
 
diff --git a/guix-download.in b/guix-download.in
index 6ebb5148f8..3892b2efe3 100644
--- a/guix-download.in
+++ b/guix-download.in
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # aside from this initial boilerplate, this is actually -*- scheme -*- code
 
+prefix="@prefix@"
+datarootdir="@datarootdir@"
+
 GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH="@guilemoduledir@:$GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH"
 export GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH