diff --git a/guix/profiles.scm b/guix/profiles.scm
index 28150affb6..33a0511a3a 100644
--- a/guix/profiles.scm
+++ b/guix/profiles.scm
@@ -500,7 +500,10 @@ entries of MANIFEST, or #f if MANIFEST does not have any GHC packages."
           (string-append #$output "/" db-subdir))
 
         (define (conf-files top)
-          (find-files (string-append top "/" db-subdir) "\\.conf$"))
+          (let ((db (string-append top "/" db-subdir)))
+            (if (file-exists? db)
+                (find-files db "\\.conf$")
+                '())))
 
         (define (copy-conf-file conf)
           (let ((base (basename conf)))