diff --git a/gnu/packages/base.scm b/gnu/packages/base.scm
index 979d657957..81f8b3c8d6 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/base.scm
@@ -905,7 +905,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
 (define glibc-2.25-patched
   (package
     (inherit glibc)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source glibc))
               (patches (search-patches "glibc-ldd-x86_64.patch"
@@ -923,7 +922,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
   (package
     (inherit glibc)
     (version "2.24")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source glibc))
               (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/glibc/glibc-"
@@ -943,7 +941,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
   (package
     (inherit glibc)
     (version "2.23")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source glibc))
               (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/glibc/glibc-"
@@ -963,7 +960,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
   (package
     (inherit glibc)
     (version "2.22")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source glibc))
               (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/glibc/glibc-"
@@ -991,7 +987,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
   (package
     (inherit glibc-2.22)
     (version "2.21")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source glibc-2.22))
               (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/glibc/glibc-"
@@ -1004,7 +999,6 @@ GLIBC/HURD for a Hurd host"
   (package
     (inherit glibc)
     (name "glibc-locales")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin (inherit (package-source glibc))
                     (patches (cons (search-patch "glibc-locales.patch")
                                    (origin-patches (package-source glibc))))))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
index 069ffba888..54cf89bf47 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@
   (let ((perl (package
                 (inherit perl)
                 (name "perl-boot0")
-                (replacement #f)
                 (arguments
                  ;; At the very least, this must not depend on GCC & co.
                  (let ((args `(#:disallowed-references
diff --git a/gnu/packages/fontutils.scm b/gnu/packages/fontutils.scm
index efea81dc11..75736a73d0 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/fontutils.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/fontutils.scm
@@ -415,7 +415,6 @@ and returns a sequence of positioned glyphids from the font.")
   (package
     (inherit graphite2)
     (name "graphite2")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source
      (origin
        (method url-fetch)
diff --git a/gnu/packages/ghostscript.scm b/gnu/packages/ghostscript.scm
index 1cb651c96b..dc5dbcc856 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/ghostscript.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/ghostscript.scm
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ output file formats and printers.")
 (define ghostscript/fixed
   (package
     (inherit ghostscript)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source
       (origin
         (inherit (package-source ghostscript))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnupg.scm b/gnu/packages/gnupg.scm
index 4ddf13dccf..e71ec8dce6 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/gnupg.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/gnupg.scm
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ generation.")
 (define libgcrypt-1.7.8
   (package
     (inherit libgcrypt)
-    (replacement #f)
     (version "1.7.8")
     (source (origin
              (method url-fetch)
@@ -131,7 +130,6 @@ generation.")
 
 (define-public libgcrypt-1.5
   (package (inherit libgcrypt)
-    (replacement #f)
     (version "1.5.6")
     (source
      (origin
diff --git a/gnu/packages/guile.scm b/gnu/packages/guile.scm
index 6bff343429..d79094e1ee 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/guile.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/guile.scm
@@ -217,14 +217,12 @@ without requiring the source code to be rewritten.")
   ;; in the `base' module, and thus changing it entails a full rebuild.
   (package
     (inherit guile-2.0)
-    (properties '((hidden? . #t)))          ;people should install 'guile-2.0'
-    (replacement #f)))
+    (properties '((hidden? . #t)))))        ;people should install 'guile-2.0'
 
 (define-public guile-2.2
   (package (inherit guile-2.0)
     (name "guile")
     (version "2.2.2")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
               (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/guile/guile-" version
diff --git a/gnu/packages/icu4c.scm b/gnu/packages/icu4c.scm
index 3e96520054..224319f84f 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/icu4c.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/icu4c.scm
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ C/C++ part.")
 (define icu4c/fixed
   (package
     (inherit icu4c)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source icu4c))
               (patches
diff --git a/gnu/packages/image.scm b/gnu/packages/image.scm
index 504df60fb5..8a03cbc3c7 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/image.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/image.scm
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ library.  It supports almost all PNG features and is extensible.")
 (define-public libpng-apng
   (package
     (inherit libpng)
-    (replacement #f) ;libpng's replacement doesn't apply here
     (name "libpng-apng")
     (version (package-version libpng))
     (arguments
diff --git a/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm b/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
index 9efe338a19..844b110eb1 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ for `sh' in $PATH, and without nscd, and with static NSS modules."
                     (patches patches)))
          (guile (package (inherit guile-2.0)
                   (name (string-append (package-name guile-2.0) "-static"))
-                  (replacement #f)
                   (source source)
                   (synopsis "Statically-linked and relocatable Guile")
 
diff --git a/gnu/packages/pcre.scm b/gnu/packages/pcre.scm
index 58beab0a96..67a8db1c73 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/pcre.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/pcre.scm
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ POSIX regular expression API.")
 (define pcre/fixed
   (package
     (inherit pcre)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (inherit (package-source pcre))
               (patches (search-patches "pcre-CVE-2017-7186.patch"))))))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/perl.scm b/gnu/packages/perl.scm
index 6da4bb13fd..6a59e6bf86 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/perl.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/perl.scm
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@
 (define perl/fixed
   (package
     (inherit perl)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source
       (origin
         (inherit (package-source perl))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/ruby.scm b/gnu/packages/ruby.scm
index 7680f4eae0..7eba684440 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/ruby.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/ruby.scm
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ a focus on simplicity and productivity.")
   (package
     (inherit ruby)
     (version "2.3.4")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source
      (origin
        (method url-fetch)
@@ -124,7 +123,6 @@ a focus on simplicity and productivity.")
 
 (define-public ruby-2.2
   (package (inherit ruby)
-    (replacement #f)
     (version "2.2.7")
     (source
      (origin
@@ -138,7 +136,6 @@ a focus on simplicity and productivity.")
 
 (define-public ruby-2.1
   (package (inherit ruby)
-    (replacement #f)
     (version "2.1.10")
     (source
      (origin
@@ -172,7 +169,6 @@ a focus on simplicity and productivity.")
 
 (define-public ruby-1.8
   (package (inherit ruby)
-    (replacement #f)
     (version "1.8.7-p374")
     (source
      (origin
diff --git a/gnu/packages/tls.scm b/gnu/packages/tls.scm
index 9198bae026..f80f7d3bcd 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/tls.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/tls.scm
@@ -222,7 +222,6 @@ required structures.")
     ;; We use 'D' instead of '13' here to keep the store file name at
     ;; the same length. See <https://bugs.gnu.org/27308>.
     (version "3.5.D")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
               (uri
@@ -240,7 +239,6 @@ required structures.")
   ;; GnuTLS for Guile 2.2.  This is supported by GnuTLS >= 3.5.5.
   (package
     (inherit gnutls)
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (package-source gnutls-3.5.13))
     (name "guile2.2-gnutls")
     (arguments
diff --git a/gnu/packages/xml.scm b/gnu/packages/xml.scm
index 2b471e80db..67d6c8e8df 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/xml.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/xml.scm
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ things the parser might find in the XML document (like start tags).")
   (package
     (inherit expat)
     (version "2.2.1")
-    (replacement #f)
     (source (origin
              (method url-fetch)
              (uri (string-append "mirror://sourceforge/expat/expat/"
diff --git a/guix/packages.scm b/guix/packages.scm
index 464fc433b2..f60303404f 100644
--- a/guix/packages.scm
+++ b/guix/packages.scm
@@ -269,8 +269,11 @@ name of its URI."
                                                   ; inputs
   (native-search-paths package-native-search-paths (default '()))
   (search-paths package-search-paths (default '()))
+
+  ;; The 'replacement' field is marked as "innate" because it never makes
+  ;; sense to inherit a replacement as is.  See the 'package/inherit' macro.
   (replacement package-replacement                ; package | #f
-               (default #f) (thunked))
+               (default #f) (thunked) (innate))
 
   (synopsis package-synopsis)                    ; one-line description
   (description package-description)              ; one or two paragraphs