diff --git a/gnu/packages/base.scm b/gnu/packages/base.scm
index 47fca7c494..b8301828cc 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/base.scm
@@ -52,13 +52,16 @@
   #:use-module (gnu packages pkg-config)
   #:use-module (gnu packages python)
   #:use-module (gnu packages gettext)
+  #:use-module (guix i18n)
   #:use-module (guix utils)
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module (guix download)
   #:use-module (guix git-download)
   #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
   #:use-module (guix build-system trivial)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 format)
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 optargs)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
   #:export (glibc
@@ -1106,9 +1109,16 @@ to the @code{share/locale} sub-directory of this package.")
                                         ,(version-major+minor
                                           (package-version glibc)))))))))))
 
-(define-public (make-glibc-utf8-locales glibc)
+(define %default-utf8-locales
+  ;; These are the locales commonly used for tests---e.g., in Guile's i18n
+  ;; tests.
+  '("de_DE" "el_GR" "en_US" "fr_FR" "tr_TR"))
+(define*-public (make-glibc-utf8-locales glibc #:key
+                                         (locales %default-utf8-locales)
+                                         (name "glibc-utf8-locales"))
+  (define default-locales? (equal? locales %default-utf8-locales))
   (package
-    (name "glibc-utf8-locales")
+    (name name)
     (version (package-version glibc))
     (source #f)
     (build-system trivial-build-system)
@@ -1142,17 +1152,22 @@ to the @code{share/locale} sub-directory of this package.")
                                  (symlink (string-append locale ".utf8")
                                           (string-append localedir "/"
                                                          locale ".UTF-8")))
-
-                               ;; These are the locales commonly used for
-                               ;; tests---e.g., in Guile's i18n tests.
-                               '("de_DE" "el_GR" "en_US" "fr_FR" "tr_TR"))
+                               ',locales)
                      #t))))
     (native-inputs `(("glibc" ,glibc)
                      ("gzip" ,gzip)))
-    (synopsis "Small sample of UTF-8 locales")
+    (synopsis (if default-locales?
+                  (P_ "Small sample of UTF-8 locales")
+                  (P_ "Customized sample of UTF-8 locales")))
     (description
-     "This package provides a small sample of UTF-8 locales mostly useful in
+     (if default-locales?
+         (P_ "This package provides a small sample of UTF-8 locales mostly useful in
 test environments.")
+         (format #f (P_ "This package provides the following UTF-8 locales:
+@itemize
+~{@item ~a~%~}
+@end itemize~%")
+                 locales)))
     (home-page (package-home-page glibc))
     (license (package-license glibc))))