diff --git a/gnu/build/install.scm b/gnu/build/install.scm
index d4982650c18..618a51af8e4 100644
--- a/gnu/build/install.scm
+++ b/gnu/build/install.scm
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2013-2020, 2022 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 Chris Marusich <cmmarusich@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2022 Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
+;;; Copyright © 2024 Nicolas Graves <ngraves@ngraves.fr>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -134,7 +135,6 @@ STORE."
     (directory "/var/guix/gcroots")
     (directory "/var/empty")                        ; for no-login accounts
     (directory "/var/db")                           ; for dhclient, etc.
-    (directory "/var/run")
     (directory "/run")
     (directory "/mnt")
     (directory "/var/guix/profiles/per-user/root" 0 0)
diff --git a/gnu/services.scm b/gnu/services.scm
index 23c3d8a9f4c..59481af10f3 100644
--- a/gnu/services.scm
+++ b/gnu/services.scm
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Christine Lemmer-Webber <cwebber@dustycloud.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020, 2021 Brice Waegeneire <brice@waegenei.re>
 ;;; Copyright © 2023 Brian Cully <bjc@spork.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2024 Nicolas Graves <ngraves@ngraves.fr>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -692,6 +693,7 @@ ACTIVATION-SCRIPT-TYPE."
                       (use-modules (gnu build activation)
                                    (guix build utils))
 
+                      (mkdir-p "/var/run")
                       ;; Make sure the user accounting database exists.  If it
                       ;; does not exist, 'setutxent' does not create it and
                       ;; thus there is no accounting at all.