diff --git a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
index dc5d9a1bcf..dfc913e537 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/commencement.scm
@@ -86,13 +86,13 @@ (define-module (gnu packages commencement)
 (define bootar
   (package
     (name "bootar")
-    (version "1")
+    (version "1a")
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
-              (uri "https://files.ngyro.com/bootar/bootar-1.ses")
+              (uri "https://files.ngyro.com/bootar/bootar-1a.ses")
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "011p0nky2qp0vmyhvdx220qywxxp7a0m6pvy0lzzg4qxbpyqpf0r"))))
+                "0mvp6vgx0q316fvy3z2lddlc5xgq5np3bm1fypgvj6dnayibg9np"))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      `(#:implicit-inputs? #f
@@ -111,16 +111,6 @@ (define bootar
                       (guile (string-append guile-dir "/bin/guile")))
                  (invoke guile "--no-auto-compile" source)
                  (chdir "bootar")
-                 ;; (commencement bzip2) breaks tar on x86, see
-                 ;; https://bugs.gnu.org/39699
-                 (delete-file "scripts/bzip2.in")
-                 (delete-file "compression/bzip2.scm")
-                 (with-output-to-file "compression/bzip2.scm"
-                   (lambda _
-                     (display "(define-module (compression bzip2))
-(define-public is-bzip2-file? (const #f))
-(define-public make-bzip2-input-port (const #f))
-")))
                  #t)))
            (replace 'configure (bootstrap-configure ,version "." "scripts"))
            (replace 'build (bootstrap-build "."))