diff --git a/gnu/packages/base.scm b/gnu/packages/base.scm
index e0f2844bce..20f5ab7de6 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/base.scm
@@ -392,16 +392,15 @@ (define-public gnu-make
 
 (define-public binutils
   (package
-   (replacement binutils/fixed)
    (name "binutils")
-   (version "2.28")
+   (version "2.28.1")
    (source (origin
             (method url-fetch)
             (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/binutils/binutils-"
                                 version ".tar.bz2"))
             (sha256
              (base32
-              "0wiasgns7i8km8nrxas265sh2dfpsw93b3qw195ipc90w4z475v2"))
+              "1sj234nd05cdgga1r36zalvvdkvpfbr12g5mir2n8i1dwsdrj939"))
             (patches (search-patches "binutils-ld-new-dtags.patch"
                                      "binutils-loongson-workaround.patch"))))
    (build-system gnu-build-system)
@@ -434,19 +433,6 @@ (define-public binutils
    (license gpl3+)
    (home-page "https://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/")))
 
-(define binutils/fixed
-  (package
-    (inherit binutils)
-    ;; 2.28.1 is two characters longer than 2.28, so grafting fails due to
-    ;; mismatched lengths of filenames, so we have to force  it to the same length.
-    (version "2281")
-    (source
-      (origin (inherit (package-source binutils))
-              (uri "mirror://gnu/binutils/binutils-2.28.1.tar.bz2")
-              (sha256
-               (base32
-                "1sj234nd05cdgga1r36zalvvdkvpfbr12g5mir2n8i1dwsdrj939"))))))
-
 (define* (make-ld-wrapper name #:key
                           (target (const #f))
                           binutils
diff --git a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
index 23939157ec..68faf36d52 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ (define* (boot-triplet #:optional (system (%current-system)))
 
 (define binutils-boot0
   (package-with-bootstrap-guile
-   (package/inherit binutils
+   (package (inherit binutils)
      (name "binutils-cross-boot0")
      (arguments
       `(#:guile ,%bootstrap-guile
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ (define %boot2-inputs
 
 (define binutils-final
   (package-with-bootstrap-guile
-   (package/inherit binutils
+   (package (inherit binutils)
      (arguments
       `(#:guile ,%bootstrap-guile
         #:implicit-inputs? #f