diff --git a/build-aux/build-self.scm b/build-aux/build-self.scm
index a8b05eb0ffbc877566b6f53f365362fad537ea11..9619e0e5b2e2ce81735f09f293829d5a9369015c 100644
--- a/build-aux/build-self.scm
+++ b/build-aux/build-self.scm
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ (define-module (build-self)
 ;;; available at this point.
 ;;;
 
-(define %dependency-variables
-  ;; (guix config) variables corresponding to dependencies.
-  '(%libgcrypt %libz %xz %gzip %bzip2))
-
 (define %persona-variables
   ;; (guix config) variables that define Guix's persona.
   '(%guix-package-name
diff --git a/guix/self.scm b/guix/self.scm
index 7ba2764eb98abb41717665a8876c78cd09e39472..de921e6d9c612746f935a0aeecb6b559285fb865 100644
--- a/guix/self.scm
+++ b/guix/self.scm
@@ -753,10 +753,6 @@ (define (built-modules node-subset)
 ;;; Generating (guix config).
 ;;;
 
-(define %dependency-variables
-  ;; (guix config) variables corresponding to dependencies.
-  '(%libz %xz %gzip %bzip2))
-
 (define %persona-variables
   ;; (guix config) variables that define Guix's persona.
   '(%guix-package-name