diff --git a/guix/import/hackage.scm b/guix/import/hackage.scm
index 7bc2908405..e915aac58d 100644
--- a/guix/import/hackage.scm
+++ b/guix/import/hackage.scm
@@ -378,7 +378,10 @@ (define* (latest-release package #:key (version #f))
                "warning: failed to parse ~a~%"
                (hackage-cabal-url hackage-name))
        #f)
-      ((_ *** ("version" (version)))
+      ;; Cabal files have no particular order and while usually the version
+      ;; as somewhere in the middle it can also be at the beginning,
+      ;; requiring two pattern.
+      ((or (_ *** ("version" (version))) (("version" (version)) _ ...))
        (let ((url (hackage-uri hackage-name version)))
          (upstream-source
           (package (package-name package))