diff --git a/gnu/installer.scm b/gnu/installer.scm
index 8a6e604fa52..52c595b5b7d 100644
--- a/gnu/installer.scm
+++ b/gnu/installer.scm
@@ -389,6 +389,12 @@ selected keymap."
                          (ice-9 match)
                          (ice-9 textual-ports))
 
+            ;; Enable core dump generation.
+            (setrlimit 'core #f #f)
+            (call-with-output-file "/proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern"
+              (lambda (port)
+                (format port %core-dump)))
+
             ;; Initialize gettext support so that installers can use
             ;; (guix i18n) module.
             #$init-gettext
diff --git a/gnu/installer/dump.scm b/gnu/installer/dump.scm
index daa02f205a0..f91cbae0215 100644
--- a/gnu/installer/dump.scm
+++ b/gnu/installer/dump.scm
@@ -28,13 +28,17 @@
   #:use-module (web http)
   #:use-module (web response)
   #:use-module (webutils multipart)
-  #:export (prepare-dump
+  #:export (%core-dump
+            prepare-dump
             make-dump
             send-dump-report))
 
 ;; The installer crash dump type.
 (define %dump-type "installer-dump")
 
+;; The core dump file.
+(define %core-dump "/tmp/installer-core-dump")
+
 (define (result->list result)
   "Return the alist for the given RESULT."
   (hash-map->list (lambda (k v)
@@ -66,6 +70,10 @@ RESULT is the installer result hash table.  Returns the created directory path."
     ;; syslog
     (copy-file "/var/log/messages" "syslog")
 
+    ;; core dump
+    (when (file-exists? %core-dump)
+      (copy-file %core-dump "core-dump"))
+
     ;; dmesg
     (let ((pipe (open-pipe* OPEN_READ "dmesg")))
       (call-with-output-file "dmesg"
diff --git a/gnu/installer/newt/welcome.scm b/gnu/installer/newt/welcome.scm
index 0bca44d1b2e..5d47591d67e 100644
--- a/gnu/installer/newt/welcome.scm
+++ b/gnu/installer/newt/welcome.scm
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 (define-module (gnu installer newt welcome)
   #:use-module ((gnu build linux-modules)
                 #:select (modules-loaded))
+  #:use-module (gnu installer dump)
   #:use-module (gnu installer steps)
   #:use-module (gnu installer utils)
   #:use-module (gnu installer newt page)
@@ -132,6 +133,20 @@ work well with only free software.  Expect trouble.  If after installation,
 the system does not boot, perhaps you will need to add nomodeset to the
 kernel arguments and need to configure the uvesafb kernel module.")
                       (G_ "Pre-install warning")))
+    (when (file-exists? %core-dump)
+      (match
+          (choice-window
+           (G_ "Previous installation failed")
+           (G_ "Continue")
+           (G_ "Report the failure")
+           (G_ "It seems that the previous installation exited unexpectedly \
+and generated a core dump.  Do you want to continue or to report the failure \
+first?"))
+        (1 #t)
+        (2 (raise
+            (condition
+             (&message
+              (message "User abort.")))))))
     (run-menu-page
      (G_ "GNU Guix install")
      (G_ "Welcome to GNU Guix system installer!