diff --git a/gnu/system.scm b/gnu/system.scm
index a5a8f40d666a1f1cffbf7f329de7385bea67e9a2..146af7cf083c1938b818c38a0a5865df05c982d0 100644
--- a/gnu/system.scm
+++ b/gnu/system.scm
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 ;;; along with GNU Guix.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 (define-module (gnu system)
+  #:use-module (guix inferior)
   #:use-module (guix store)
   #:use-module (guix monads)
   #:use-module (guix gexp)
@@ -905,10 +906,17 @@ (define definitions
 
 (define (kernel->boot-label kernel)
   "Return a label for the bootloader menu entry that boots KERNEL."
-  (string-append "GNU with "
-                 (string-titlecase (package-name kernel)) " "
-                 (package-version kernel)
-                 " (beta)"))
+  (cond ((package? kernel)
+         (string-append "GNU with "
+                        (string-titlecase (package-name kernel)) " "
+                        (package-version kernel)
+                        " (beta)"))
+        ((inferior-package? kernel)
+         (string-append "GNU with "
+                        (string-titlecase (inferior-package-name kernel))
+                        (inferior-package-version kernel)
+                        " (beta)"))
+        (else "GNU")))
 
 (define (store-file-system file-systems)
   "Return the file system object among FILE-SYSTEMS that contains the store."