diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix
index 37773043bda2..ef3c9a16f56e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 { fetchurl, stdenv, libtool, readline, gmp, pkgconfig, boehmgc, libunistring
-, gawk, makeWrapper, coverageAnalysis ? null }:
+, libffi, gawk, makeWrapper, coverageAnalysis ? null }:
 
 # Do either a coverage analysis build or a standard build.
 (if coverageAnalysis != null
@@ -7,14 +7,17 @@
  else stdenv.mkDerivation)
 
 rec {
-  name = "guile-1.9.7";  # This is a beta release!
+  name = "guile-1.9.8";  # This is a beta release!
 
   src = fetchurl {
     url = "ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/guile/${name}.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "1jyvckid3wjx82717fy1018qpdnglawv29r4wbv239cva8gv5nbr";
+    sha256 = "1b8n1dma3fbxf2j3hprl43xnwfs4knqp2g85s5gsq2j1grlmrb5g";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [ makeWrapper gawk readline libtool libunistring pkgconfig ];
+  buildInputs =
+    [ makeWrapper gawk readline libtool libunistring
+      libffi pkgconfig
+    ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ gmp boehmgc ];
 
   patches =
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index e695a4403b66..dee9c2610eda 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2483,12 +2483,12 @@ let
 
   guile_1_9 = import ../development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv readline libtool gmp gawk makeWrapper
-      libunistring pkgconfig boehmgc;
+      libunistring pkgconfig boehmgc libffi;
   };
 
   guile_1_9_coverage = import ../development/interpreters/guile/1.9.nix {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv readline libtool gmp gawk makeWrapper
-      libunistring pkgconfig boehmgc;
+      libunistring pkgconfig boehmgc libffi;
     inherit (releaseTools) coverageAnalysis;
   };