diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.nix b/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.nix
index a4d162dc8b51..5353ae828410 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.nix
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # `contents = {object = ...; symlink = /init;}' is a typical
 # argument.
 
-{ stdenv, closureInfo, cpio, contents, compressor, prepend, ubootTools
+{ stdenv, perl, cpio, contents, compressor, prepend, ubootTools
 , hostPlatform
 }:
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   makeUInitrd = hostPlatform.platform.kernelTarget == "uImage";
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ cpio ]
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ perl cpio ]
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional makeUInitrd ubootTools;
 
   # !!! should use XML.
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   symlinks = map (x: x.symlink) contents;
   suffices = map (x: if x ? suffix then x.suffix else "none") contents;
 
-  closure = closureInfo { rootPaths = (map (x: x.object) contents); };
+  # For obtaining the closure of `contents'.
+  exportReferencesGraph =
+    map (x: [("closure-" + baseNameOf x.symlink) x.object]) contents;
+  pathsFromGraph = ./paths-from-graph.pl;
 
   inherit compressor prepend;
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.sh b/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.sh
index 2e64eeb81c1b..0aeaedeb3724 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/kernel/make-initrd.sh
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@ for ((n = 0; n < ${#objects[*]}; n++)); do
 done
 
 
+# Get the paths in the closure of `object'.
+storePaths=$(perl $pathsFromGraph closure-*)
+
+
 # Paths in cpio archives *must* be relative, otherwise the kernel
 # won't unpack 'em.
-(cd root && cp -prd --parents $(cat $closure/store-paths) .)
+(cd root && cp -prd --parents $storePaths .)
 
 
 # Put the closure in a gzipped cpio archive.