diff --git a/lib/GHCup/GHC.hs b/lib/GHCup/GHC.hs
index 7c9b8ca1..978b16f6 100644
--- a/lib/GHCup/GHC.hs
+++ b/lib/GHCup/GHC.hs
@@ -868,20 +868,26 @@ compileGHC targetGhc crossTarget vps bstrap hghc jobs mbuildConfig patches aargs
         tmpDownload <- lift withGHCupTmpDir
         tmpUnpack <- lift mkGhcupTmpDir
         tar <- liftE $ download uri Nothing Nothing Nothing (fromGHCupPath tmpDownload) Nothing False
-        (bf, tver) <- liftE $ cleanUpOnError @'[UnknownArchive, ArchiveResult, ProcessError] tmpUnpack $ do
+        (workdir, tver) <- liftE $ cleanUpOnError @'[UnknownArchive, ArchiveResult, ProcessError, PatchFailed, DownloadFailed, DigestError, ContentLengthError, GPGError, NotFoundInPATH] tmpUnpack $ do
           liftE $ unpackToDir (fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack) tar
-          let regex = [s|^(.*/)*boot$|] :: B.ByteString
-          [bootFile] <- liftIO $ findFilesDeep
+
+          -- bootstrapped ghc renames boot to boot.source
+          let regex = [s|^(.*/)*boot(.source)*$|] :: B.ByteString
+          (boot:_) <- liftIO $ findFilesDeep
             tmpUnpack
-            (makeRegexOpts compExtended
-                           execBlank
-                           regex
-            )
-          tver <- liftE $ catchAllE @_ @'[ProcessError, ParseError, NotFoundInPATH] @'[] (\_ -> pure Nothing) $ fmap Just $ getGHCVer
-            (appendGHCupPath tmpUnpack (takeDirectory bootFile))
-          pure (bootFile, tver)
+            (makeRegexOpts compExtended execBlank regex)
+
+          let workdir = appendGHCupPath tmpUnpack (takeDirectory boot)
+
+          lift $ logDebug $ "GHC compile workdir: " <> T.pack (fromGHCupPath workdir)
+
+          liftE $ applyAnyPatch patches (fromGHCupPath workdir)
+
+          -- bootstrap, if necessary
+          liftE $ bootAndGenVersion workdir
 
-        let workdir = appendGHCupPath tmpUnpack (takeDirectory bf)
+          tver <- liftE $ catchAllE @_ @'[ProcessError, ParseError, NotFoundInPATH] @'[] (\_ -> pure Nothing) $ fmap Just $ getGHCVer workdir
+          pure (workdir, tver)
 
         ov <- case vps of
                 Just vps' -> fmap Just $ expandVersionPattern tver "" "" "" "" vps'
@@ -934,6 +940,8 @@ compileGHC targetGhc crossTarget vps bstrap hghc jobs mbuildConfig patches aargs
           liftE $ applyAnyPatch patches (fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack)
 
           -- bootstrap
+          liftE $ bootAndGenVersion tmpUnpack
+
           tver <- liftE $ catchAllE @_ @'[ProcessError, ParseError, NotFoundInPATH] @'[] (\_ -> pure Nothing) $ fmap Just $ getGHCVer
             tmpUnpack
           liftE $ catchWarn $ lEM @_ @'[ProcessError] $ darwinNotarization _rPlatform (fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack)
@@ -1035,6 +1043,24 @@ compileGHC targetGhc crossTarget vps bstrap hghc jobs mbuildConfig patches aargs
     pure installVer
 
  where
+  bootAndGenVersion :: ( MonadReader env m
+                      , HasSettings env
+                      , HasDirs env
+                      , HasLog env
+                      , MonadIO m
+                      , MonadThrow m
+                      )
+                   => GHCupPath
+                   -> Excepts '[ProcessError, NotFoundInPATH] m ()
+  bootAndGenVersion tmpUnpack = do
+    let bootFile = fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack </> "boot"
+    hasBootFile <- liftIO $ doesFileExist bootFile
+    when hasBootFile $ do
+      lift $ logDebug "Doing ghc-bootstrap"
+      lEM $ execLogged "python3" ["./boot"] (Just $ fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack) "ghc-bootstrap" Nothing
+      -- This configure is to generate VERSION file
+      liftE $ configureWithGhcBoot Nothing [] (Just $ fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack) "ghc-bootstrap"
+
   getGHCVer :: ( MonadReader env m
                , HasSettings env
                , HasDirs env
@@ -1045,8 +1071,6 @@ compileGHC targetGhc crossTarget vps bstrap hghc jobs mbuildConfig patches aargs
             => GHCupPath
             -> Excepts '[ProcessError, ParseError, NotFoundInPATH] m Version
   getGHCVer tmpUnpack = do
-    lEM $ execLogged "python3" ["./boot"] (Just $ fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack) "ghc-bootstrap" Nothing
-    liftE $ configureWithGhcBoot Nothing [] (Just $ fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack) "ghc-bootstrap"
     let versionFile = fromGHCupPath tmpUnpack </> "VERSION"
     hasVersionFile <- liftIO $ doesFileExist versionFile
     if hasVersionFile