diff --git a/gnu/packages/linux.scm b/gnu/packages/linux.scm
index 5ae6366593..16f7195578 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/linux.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/linux.scm
@@ -777,12 +777,12 @@ (define-public linux-libre-headers linux-libre-headers-5.10.35)
 ;;;
 
 (define* (kernel-config arch #:key variant)
-  "Return a file-like object of the Linux-Libre build configuration file for
-ARCH and optionally VARIANT, or #f if there is no such configuration."
+  "Return the absolute file name of the Linux-Libre build configuration file
+for ARCH and optionally VARIANT, or #f if there is no such configuration."
   (let* ((name (string-append (if variant (string-append variant "-") "")
                               (if (string=? "i386" arch) "i686" arch) ".conf"))
          (file (string-append "linux-libre/" name)))
-    (local-file (search-auxiliary-file file))))
+    (search-auxiliary-file file)))
 
 (define %default-extra-linux-options
   `(;; Make the kernel config available at /proc/config.gz
@@ -890,9 +890,8 @@ (define (doc-supported? version)
 (define* (make-linux-libre version gnu-revision hash-string supported-systems
                            #:key
                            (extra-version #f)
-                           ;; A function that takes an arch and a variant, and
-                           ;; return a file-like object.  See kernel-config
-                           ;; for an example.
+                           ;; A function that takes an arch and a variant.
+                           ;; See kernel-config for an example.
                            (configuration-file #f)
                            (defconfig "defconfig")
                            (extra-options %default-extra-linux-options)
@@ -976,20 +975,8 @@ (define* (make-linux-libre* version gnu-revision source supported-systems
                       #$(and extra-version
                              (string-append "-" extra-version)))))
           (replace 'configure
-            (lambda _
-              (let ((config
-                     #$(match (let ((arch (platform-linux-architecture
-                                           (lookup-platform-by-target-or-system
-                                            (or (%current-target-system)
-                                                (%current-system))))))
-                                (and configuration-file arch
-                                     (configuration-file
-                                      arch
-                                      #:variant (version-major+minor version))))
-                         (#f            ;no config for this platform
-                          #f)
-                         ((? file-like? config)
-                          config))))
+            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
+              (let ((config (assoc-ref inputs "kconfig")))
                 ;; Use a custom kernel configuration file or a default
                 ;; configuration file.
                 (if config
@@ -997,15 +984,15 @@ (define* (make-linux-libre* version gnu-revision source supported-systems
                       (copy-file config ".config")
                       (chmod ".config" #o666))
                     (invoke "make" #$defconfig))
-                ;; Appending works even when the option wasn't in the file.
-                ;; The last one prevails if duplicated.
+                ;; Appending works even when the option wasn't in the
+                ;; file.  The last one prevails if duplicated.
                 (let ((port (open-file ".config" "a"))
                       (extra-configuration #$(config->string extra-options)))
                   (display extra-configuration port)
                   (close-port port))
                 (invoke "make" "oldconfig"))))
           (replace 'install
-            (lambda _
+            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
               (let ((moddir (string-append #$output "/lib/modules"))
                     (dtbdir (string-append #$output "/lib/dtbs")))
                 ;; Install kernel image, kernel configuration and link map.
@@ -1020,11 +1007,11 @@ (define* (make-linux-libre* version gnu-revision source supported-systems
                 ;; Install kernel modules
                 (mkdir-p moddir)
                 (invoke "make"
-                        ;; Disable depmod because the Guix system's module
-                        ;; directory is an union of potentially multiple
-                        ;; packages.  It is not possible to use depmod to
-                        ;; usefully calculate a dependency graph while
-                        ;; building only one of them.
+                        ;; Disable depmod because the Guix system's
+                        ;; module directory is an union of potentially
+                        ;; multiple packages.  It is not possible to use
+                        ;; depmod to usefully calculate a dependency
+                        ;; graph while building only one of them.
                         "DEPMOD=true"
                         (string-append "MODULE_DIR=" moddir)
                         (string-append "INSTALL_PATH=" #$output)
@@ -1037,8 +1024,8 @@ (define* (make-linux-libre* version gnu-revision source supported-systems
                        (version (match versions
                                   ((x) x))))
                   ;; There are symlinks to the build and source directory.
-                  ;; Both will point to target /tmp/guix-build* and thus not
-                  ;; be useful in a profile.  Delete the symlinks.
+                  ;; Both will point to target /tmp/guix-build* and thus
+                  ;; not be useful in a profile.  Delete the symlinks.
                   (false-if-file-not-found
                    (delete-file
                     (string-append moddir "/" version "/build")))
@@ -1046,22 +1033,35 @@ (define* (make-linux-libre* version gnu-revision source supported-systems
                    (delete-file
                     (string-append moddir "/" version "/source"))))))))))
     (native-inputs
-     (list perl
-           bc
-           openssl
-           elfutils                  ;needed to enable CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
-           flex
-           bison
-           ;; These are needed to compile the GCC plugins.
-           gmp
-           mpfr
-           mpc))
+     `(("perl" ,perl)
+       ("bc" ,bc)
+       ("openssl" ,openssl)
+       ("elfutils" ,elfutils)        ;needed to enable CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
+       ("flex" ,flex)
+       ("bison" ,bison)
+
+       ;; These are needed to compile the GCC plugins.
+       ("gmp" ,gmp)
+       ("mpfr" ,mpfr)
+       ("mpc" ,mpc)
+       ,@(match (let ((arch (platform-linux-architecture
+                             (lookup-platform-by-target-or-system
+                              (or (%current-target-system)
+                                  (%current-system))))))
+                  (and configuration-file arch
+                       (configuration-file
+                        arch
+                        #:variant (version-major+minor version))))
+           (#f                          ;no config for this platform
+            '())
+           ((? string? config)
+            `(("kconfig" ,config))))))
     (home-page "https://www.gnu.org/software/linux-libre/")
     (synopsis "100% free redistribution of a cleaned Linux kernel")
     (description "GNU Linux-Libre is a free (as in freedom) variant of the
 Linux kernel.  It has been modified to remove all non-free binary blobs.")
     (license license:gpl2)
-    (properties '((max-silent-time . 3600))))) ;don't timeout on blob scan
+    (properties '((max-silent-time . 3600))))) ;don't timeout on blob scan.
 
 
 ;;;