diff --git a/guix/import/elpa.scm b/guix/import/elpa.scm
index dd539cd945..edabb88b7a 100644
--- a/guix/import/elpa.scm
+++ b/guix/import/elpa.scm
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module ((guix utils) #:select (call-with-temporary-output-file))
   #:export (elpa->guix-package
+            guix-package->elpa-name
             %elpa-updater
             elpa-recursive-import))
 
@@ -412,13 +413,17 @@ type '<elpa-package>'."
 ;;; Updates.
 ;;;
 
+(define (guix-package->elpa-name package)
+  "Given a Guix package, PACKAGE, return the upstream name on ELPA."
+  (or (and=> (package-properties package)
+             (cut assq-ref <> 'upstream-name))
+      (if (string-prefix? "emacs-" (package-name package))
+          (string-drop (package-name package) 6)
+          (package-name package))))
+
 (define (latest-release package)
   "Return an <upstream-release> for the latest release of PACKAGE."
-  (define name
-    (if (string-prefix? "emacs-" (package-name package))
-        (string-drop (package-name package) 6)
-        (package-name package)))
-
+  (define name (guix-package->elpa-name package))
   (define repo 'gnu)
 
   (match (elpa-package-info name repo)
diff --git a/tests/elpa.scm b/tests/elpa.scm
index 01ef948b2e..1efdf2457f 100644
--- a/tests/elpa.scm
+++ b/tests/elpa.scm
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2015 Federico Beffa <beffa@fbengineering.ch>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Martin Becze <mjbecze@riseup.net>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 Xinglu Chen <public@yoctocell.xyz>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
 
 (define-module (test-elpa)
   #:use-module (guix import elpa)
+  #:use-module (guix tests)
   #:use-module (guix tests http)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-64)
@@ -71,6 +73,16 @@
 (test-assert "elpa->guix-package test 1"
   (eval-test-with-elpa "auctex"))
 
+(test-equal "guix-package->elpa-name: without 'upstream-name' property"
+  "auctex"
+  (guix-package->elpa-name (dummy-package "emacs-auctex")))
+
+(test-equal "guix-package->elpa-name: with 'upstream-name' property"
+  "project"
+  (guix-package->elpa-name
+   (dummy-package "emacs-fake-name"
+     (properties '((upstream-name . "project"))))))
+
 (test-end "elpa")
 
 ;; Local Variables: