diff --git a/guix/scripts/system/reconfigure.scm b/guix/scripts/system/reconfigure.scm
index 9bd26a39ee..9ca66687ee 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/system/reconfigure.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/system/reconfigure.scm
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
   #:use-module (guix monads)
   #:use-module (guix store)
   #:use-module ((guix self) #:select (make-config.scm))
-  #:autoload   (guix describe) (current-channels)
+  #:autoload   (guix describe) (current-profile)
   #:use-module (guix channels)
   #:autoload   (guix git) (update-cached-checkout)
   #:use-module (guix i18n)
@@ -372,7 +372,8 @@ currently-deployed commit (from CURRENT-CHANNELS, which is as returned by
 'guix system describe' by default) and the target commit (as returned by 'guix
 describe')."
   (define new
-    (current-channels))
+    (or (and=> (current-profile) profile-channels)
+        '()))
 
   (when (null? current-channels)
     (warning (G_ "cannot determine provenance for current system~%")))