diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9757ab3..0f4e9a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ defined the following dependencies:
 ```
 
 Let's suppose that these libraries are available in the `libfoo-dev` and `libbaz-dev`
-in apt-get and that both libraries are installed by the `libbaz` yum package and the `baz` pacman package. We may
+in apt-get and that both libraries are installed by the `libbaz` yum package and the `baz` pacman or nix package. We may
 declare this as follows:
 
 ```julia
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ declare this as follows:
 	})
 	provides(Yum,"libbaz",[foo,baz])
 	provides(Pacman,"baz",[foo,baz])
+	provides(Nix, "baz",[foo,baz])
 ```
 
 One may remember the `provides` function by thinking `AptGet` `provides` the dependencies `foo` and `baz`. 
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ which is equivalent to (and in fact will be internally dispatched) to:
 ```
 
 If one provide satisfied multiple dependencies simultaneously, `dependency` may 
-also be an array of dependencies (as in the `Yum` and `Pacman` cases above). 
+also be an array of dependencies (as in the `Yum`, `Pacman` and `Nix` cases above). 
 
 There are also several builtin options. Some of them are:
 
diff --git a/src/dependencies.jl b/src/dependencies.jl
index f419886..b2f98cd 100644
--- a/src/dependencies.jl
+++ b/src/dependencies.jl
@@ -199,6 +199,36 @@ pkg_name(p::Pacman) = p.package
 
 libdir(p::Pacman,dep) = ["/usr/lib", "/usr/lib32"]
 
+
+# The nix pacakge manager is available on most UNIX platforms 
+
+const has_nix = try success(`nix-env --version`) catch e false end
+type Nix <: PackageManager 
+    package::String
+end
+can_use(::Type{Nix}) = has_nix && OS_NAME == :Linux
+package_available(p::Nix) = can_use(Nix) && !isempty(available_versions(p))
+function available_versions(p::Nix)
+    vers = ASCIIString[]
+    for l in eachline(`nix-env -qa` |> `grep $(p.package)`)
+		parts = split(l, "-")  
+        if length(parts)>1
+			push!(vers, parts[2])
+		end
+    end
+    return vers
+end
+function available_version(p::Nix)
+    vers = available_versions(p)
+    isempty(vers) && error("nix-env did not return version information. This shouldn't happen. Please file a bug!")
+    length(vers) > 1 && warn("Multiple versions of $(p.package) are available.  Use BinDeps.available_versions to get all versions.")
+    return vers[1]  # to be consistent with nix-env behaviour we install the first encountered version
+end
+pkg_name(a::Nix) = a.package
+
+libdir(p::Nix,dep) = ["$(homedir())/.nix-profile/lib", "$(homedir())/.nix-profil/lib64"]
+ 
+
 # Can use everything else without restriction by default
 can_use(::Type) = true
 
@@ -255,7 +285,7 @@ lower(x::GetSources,collection) = push!(collection,generate_steps(x.dep,gethelpe
 
 Autotools(;opts...) = Autotools(nothing,{k => v for (k,v) in opts})
 
-export AptGet, Yum, Pacman, Sources, Binaries, provides, BuildProcess, Autotools, GetSources, SimpleBuild, available_version
+export AptGet, Yum, Pacman, Nix, Sources, Binaries, provides, BuildProcess, Autotools, GetSources, SimpleBuild, available_version
 
 provider{T<:PackageManager}(::Type{T},package::String; opts...) = T(package)
 provider(::Type{Sources},uri::URI; opts...) = NetworkSource(uri)
@@ -319,6 +349,17 @@ function generate_steps(dep::LibraryDependency,h::Pacman,opts)
         ()->(ccall(:jl_read_sonames,Void,()))
     end
 end
+function generate_steps(dep::LibraryDependency,h::Nix,opts)  
+    if get(opts,:force_rebuild,false)
+        error("Will not force nix to rebuild dependency \"$(dep.name)\".\n"*
+              "Please make any necessary adjustments manually (This might just be a version upgrade)")
+    end
+    @build_steps begin
+        println("Installing dependency $(h.package) via `nix-env -i $(h.package)`:")
+        `nix-env -i $(h.package)`
+        ()->(ccall(:jl_read_sonames,Void,()))
+    end
+end
 function generate_steps(dep::LibraryDependency,h::NetworkSource,opts)
     localfile = joinpath(downloadsdir(dep),basename(h.uri.path))
     @build_steps begin