diff --git a/gnu/build/activation.scm b/gnu/build/activation.scm
index 352e736050..ae614994d6 100644
--- a/gnu/build/activation.scm
+++ b/gnu/build/activation.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015 Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ (define* (copy-account-skeletons home
     (mkdir-p home)
     (for-each (lambda (file)
                 (let ((target (string-append home "/" file)))
-                  (copy-file (string-append directory "/" file) target)
+                  (copy-recursively (string-append directory "/" file)
+                                    target)
                   (make-file-writable target)))
               files)))
 
diff --git a/gnu/system/shadow.scm b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
index 7f3a1dfac2..6e62aeee57 100644
--- a/gnu/system/shadow.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ (define (skeleton-directory skeletons)
   "Return a directory containing SKELETONS, a list of name/derivation tuples."
   (computed-file "skel"
                  #~(begin
-                     (use-modules (ice-9 match))
+                     (use-modules (ice-9 match)
+                                  (guix build utils))
 
                      (mkdir #$output)
                      (chdir #$output)
@@ -198,9 +199,10 @@ (define (skeleton-directory skeletons)
                      ;; would just copy the symlinks as is.
                      (for-each (match-lambda
                                  ((target source)
-                                  (copy-file source target)))
+                                  (copy-recursively source target)))
                                '#$skeletons)
-                     #t)))
+                     #t)
+                 #:modules '((guix build utils))))
 
 (define (assert-valid-users/groups users groups)
   "Raise an error if USERS refer to groups not listed in GROUPS."