diff --git a/src/nix/system-activate.md b/src/nix/system-activate.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdf842854
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/system-activate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+R""(
+
+# Description
+
+This command activates NixOS configurations.
+
+)""
+
diff --git a/src/nix/system-build.md b/src/nix/system-build.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2040dcf20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/system-build.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+R""(
+
+# Description
+
+This command builds NixOS configurations. The default attribute name is the current system hostname.
+
+)""
diff --git a/src/nix/system.cc b/src/nix/system.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e381a3a11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/system.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,254 @@
+#include "args.hh"
+#include "command.hh"
+#include "shared.hh"
+#include "common-args.hh"
+#include "error.hh"
+#include "installables.hh"
+#include "logging.hh"
+#include "shared.hh"
+#include "eval.hh"
+#include "eval-inline.hh"
+#include "flake/flake.hh"
+#include "get-drvs.hh"
+#include "store-api.hh"
+#include "derivations.hh"
+#include "path-with-outputs.hh"
+#include "attr-path.hh"
+#include "fetchers.hh"
+#include "registry.hh"
+#include "eval-cache.hh"
+#include "markdown.hh"
+#include "local-fs-store.hh"
+#include "progress-bar.hh"
+#include "util.hh"
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <queue>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <string>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+using namespace nix;
+
+void executePrivileged(std::string program, Strings args) {
+    args.push_front(program);
+    auto exe = program;
+    if(getuid() != 0) {
+        args.push_front("doas");
+        exe = "doas";
+    }
+    execvp(exe.c_str(), stringsToCharPtrs(args).data());
+
+    throw SysError("unable to execute '%s'", exe);
+}
+
+struct SystemCommand : InstallableCommand
+{
+    Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override
+    {
+        char hostname[1024];
+        hostname[1023] = '\0';
+        gethostname(hostname, 1024);
+        Strings res{
+            "nixosConfigurations." + std::string(hostname),
+        };
+        return res;
+    }
+
+    Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes() override
+    {
+        Strings res{"nixosConfigurations."};
+        return res;
+    }
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Installable> transformInstallable(ref<EvalState> state, std::shared_ptr<Installable> installable) {
+        auto installableFlake = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<InstallableFlake>(installable);
+        if (installableFlake) {
+            auto fragment = *installableFlake->attrPaths.begin();
+            return std::make_shared<InstallableFlake>(
+                    this,
+                    state,
+                    std::move(installableFlake->flakeRef),
+                    fragment + ".config.system.build.toplevel",
+                    installableFlake->outputsSpec,
+                    getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths(),
+                    getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes(),
+                    installableFlake->lockFlags
+                );
+        } else {
+            return installable;
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+struct CmdSystemBuild : SystemCommand, MixDryRun
+{
+    Path outLink = "result";
+    bool printOutputPaths = false;
+
+    CmdSystemBuild()
+    {
+        addFlag({
+            .longName = "out-link",
+            .shortName = 'o',
+            .description = "Use *path* as prefix for the symlinks to the build results. It defaults to `result`.",
+            .labels = {"path"},
+            .handler = {&outLink},
+            .completer = completePath
+        });
+
+        addFlag({
+            .longName = "no-link",
+            .description = "Do not create symlinks to the build results.",
+            .handler = {&outLink, Path("")},
+        });
+
+        addFlag({
+            .longName = "print-out-paths",
+            .description = "Print the resulting output paths",
+            .handler = {&printOutputPaths, true},
+        });
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "build a NixOS system configuration";
+    }
+
+    std::string doc() override
+    {
+        return
+          #include "system-build.md"
+          ;
+    }
+
+    void run(nix::ref<nix::Store> store) override
+    {
+        std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Installable>> installableContext;
+        auto state = getEvalState();
+        installableContext.emplace_back(transformInstallable(state, installable));
+        if (dryRun) {
+            std::vector<DerivedPath> pathsToBuild;
+
+            for (auto & i : installableContext) {
+                auto b = i->toDerivedPaths();
+                pathsToBuild.insert(pathsToBuild.end(), b.begin(), b.end());
+            }
+            printMissing(store, pathsToBuild, lvlError);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        auto buildables = Installable::build(
+            getEvalStore(), store,
+            Realise::Outputs,
+            installableContext, bmNormal);
+
+        if (outLink != "")
+            if (auto store2 = store.dynamic_pointer_cast<LocalFSStore>())
+                for (const auto & [_i, buildable] : enumerate(buildables)) {
+                    auto i = _i;
+                    std::visit(overloaded {
+                        [&](const BuiltPath::Opaque & bo) {
+                            std::string symlink = outLink;
+                            if (i) symlink += fmt("-%d", i);
+                            store2->addPermRoot(bo.path, absPath(symlink));
+                        },
+                        [&](const BuiltPath::Built & bfd) {
+                            for (auto & output : bfd.outputs) {
+                                std::string symlink = outLink;
+                                if (i) symlink += fmt("-%d", i);
+                                if (output.first != "out") symlink += fmt("-%s", output.first);
+                                store2->addPermRoot(output.second, absPath(symlink));
+                            }
+                        },
+                    }, buildable.path.raw());
+                }
+
+        if (printOutputPaths) {
+            stopProgressBar();
+            for (auto & buildable : buildables) {
+                std::visit(overloaded {
+                    [&](const BuiltPath::Opaque & bo) {
+                        std::cout << store->printStorePath(bo.path) << std::endl;
+                    },
+                    [&](const BuiltPath::Built & bfd) {
+                        for (auto & output : bfd.outputs) {
+                            std::cout << store->printStorePath(output.second) << std::endl;
+                        }
+                    },
+                }, buildable.path.raw());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+struct CmdSystemActivate : SystemCommand, MixDryRun
+{
+    CmdSystemActivate()
+    {
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "activate a NixOS system configuration";
+    }
+
+    std::string doc() override
+    {
+        return
+          #include "system-activate.md"
+          ;
+    }
+    void run(nix::ref<nix::Store> store) override
+    {
+        auto state = getEvalState();
+        auto inst = transformInstallable(state, installable);
+        auto cursor = inst->getCursor(*state);
+
+        auto drvPath = cursor->forceDerivation();
+        auto outPath = cursor->getAttr(state->sOutPath)->getString();
+        auto outputName = cursor->getAttr(state->sOutputName)->getString();
+
+        auto app = UnresolvedApp{App {
+            .context = { { drvPath, {outputName} } },
+            .program = outPath + "/bin/switch-to-configuration",
+        }}.resolve(getEvalStore(), store);
+
+        executePrivileged(app.program, Strings{dryRun ? "dry-activate" : "test"});
+    }
+};
+
+struct CmdSystem : NixMultiCommand
+{
+    CmdSystem()
+        : MultiCommand({
+                {"build", []() { return make_ref<CmdSystemBuild>(); }},
+                {"activate", []() { return make_ref<CmdSystemActivate>(); }},
+            })
+    {
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "manage NixOS systems";
+    }
+
+    std::string doc() override
+    {
+        return
+          #include "system.md"
+          ;
+    }
+
+    void run() override
+    {
+        if (!command)
+            throw UsageError("'nix system' requires a sub-command.");
+        settings.requireExperimentalFeature(Xp::NixCommand);
+        command->second->prepare();
+        command->second->run();
+    }
+};
+
+static auto rCmdSystem = registerCommand<CmdSystem>("system");
diff --git a/src/nix/system.md b/src/nix/system.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de2b64647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/system.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+R""(
+
+# Description
+
+This is a group of commands for managing NixOS system configurations.
+
+)""