diff --git a/gnu/packages/base.scm b/gnu/packages/base.scm
index b9fb09272d..558abf8492 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/base.scm
@@ -416,6 +416,10 @@ used to apply commands with arbitrarily long arguments.")
                                    " test-renameatu"
                                    " test-utimensat")))
             '())
+      ,@(if (not (target-64bit?))
+          ;; Not all software is ready for 64bit time_t.
+          '(#:configure-flags (list "--disable-year2038"))
+          '())
       #:phases (modify-phases %standard-phases
                  (add-before 'build 'patch-shell-references
                    (lambda _