diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index fa00bffcdf92fce..a9332719db92fd9 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
                 system.nixos.versionSuffix =
                   ".${final.substring 0 8 (self.lastModifiedDate or self.lastModified or "19700101")}.${self.shortRev or "dirty"}";
                 system.nixos.revision = final.mkIf (self ? rev) self.rev;
+                nixpkgs.flake.source = final.mkDefault (toString self);
               }];
             } // lib.optionalAttrs (! args?system) {
               # Allow system to be set modularly in nixpkgs.system.
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
index 20ffcb5ebd87391..6ddd46c9057e743 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 
 - LXD now supports virtual machine instances to complement the existing container support
 
+- NIX_PATH and the system flake registry will be automatically set up for
+  flake-based NixOS configurations if
+  [nixpkgs.flake.setNixPath](#opt-nixpkgs.flake.setNixPath) and
+  [nixpkgs.flake.setFlakeRegistry](#opt-nixpkgs.flake.setFlakeRegistry) are
+  set, respectively. These will be made true by default in a future release.
+
 ## New Services {#sec-release-23.11-new-services}
 
 - [MCHPRS](https://github.com/MCHPR/MCHPRS), a multithreaded Minecraft server built for redstone. Available as [services.mchprs](#opt-services.mchprs.enable).
diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/nix.nix b/nixos/modules/config/nix.nix
index cee4f54db0cb5f9..008bed2f9e197e2 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/nix.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/nix.nix
@@ -332,6 +332,16 @@ in
                 always allowed to connect.
               '';
             };
+
+            flake-registry = mkOption {
+              type = types.str;
+              default = "https://channels.nixos.org/flake-registry.json";
+              description = lib.mdDoc ''
+                Path or URI of the global flake registry.
+
+                When empty, disables the global flake registry.
+              '';
+            };
           };
         };
         default = { };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/misc/nixpkgs.nix b/nixos/modules/misc/nixpkgs.nix
index f9d8bccea284359..f206d7b9681aae1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/misc/nixpkgs.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/misc/nixpkgs.nix
@@ -328,64 +328,122 @@ in
         Ignored when `nixpkgs.pkgs`, `nixpkgs.localSystem` or `nixpkgs.hostPlatform` is set.
       '';
     };
-  };
 
-  config = {
-    _module.args = {
-      pkgs =
-        # We explicitly set the default override priority, so that we do not need
-        # to evaluate finalPkgs in case an override is placed on `_module.args.pkgs`.
-        # After all, to determine a definition priority, we need to evaluate `._type`,
-        # which is somewhat costly for Nixpkgs. With an explicit priority, we only
-        # evaluate the wrapper to find out that the priority is lower, and then we
-        # don't need to evaluate `finalPkgs`.
-        lib.mkOverride lib.modules.defaultOverridePriority
-          finalPkgs.__splicedPackages;
-    };
+    flake = {
+      source = mkOption {
+        type = types.nullOr types.str;
 
-    assertions = let
-      # Whether `pkgs` was constructed by this module. This is false when any of
-      # nixpkgs.pkgs or _module.args.pkgs is set.
-      constructedByMe =
-        # We set it with default priority and it can not be merged, so if the
-        # pkgs module argument has that priority, it's from us.
-        (lib.modules.mergeAttrDefinitionsWithPrio options._module.args).pkgs.highestPrio
-          == lib.modules.defaultOverridePriority
-        # Although, if nixpkgs.pkgs is set, we did forward it, but we did not construct it.
-          && !opt.pkgs.isDefined;
-    in [
-      (
-        let
-          nixosExpectedSystem =
-            if config.nixpkgs.crossSystem != null
-            then config.nixpkgs.crossSystem.system or (lib.systems.parse.doubleFromSystem (lib.systems.parse.mkSystemFromString config.nixpkgs.crossSystem.config))
-            else config.nixpkgs.localSystem.system or (lib.systems.parse.doubleFromSystem (lib.systems.parse.mkSystemFromString config.nixpkgs.localSystem.config));
-          nixosOption =
-            if config.nixpkgs.crossSystem != null
-            then "nixpkgs.crossSystem"
-            else "nixpkgs.localSystem";
-          pkgsSystem = finalPkgs.stdenv.targetPlatform.system;
-        in {
-          assertion = constructedByMe -> !hasPlatform -> nixosExpectedSystem == pkgsSystem;
-          message = "The NixOS nixpkgs.pkgs option was set to a Nixpkgs invocation that compiles to target system ${pkgsSystem} but NixOS was configured for system ${nixosExpectedSystem} via NixOS option ${nixosOption}. The NixOS system settings must match the Nixpkgs target system.";
-        }
-      )
-      {
-        assertion = constructedByMe -> hasPlatform -> legacyOptionsDefined == [];
-        message = ''
-          Your system configures nixpkgs with the platform parameter${optionalString hasBuildPlatform "s"}:
-          ${hostPlatformLine
-          }${buildPlatformLine
-          }
-          However, it also defines the legacy options:
-          ${concatMapStrings showOptionWithDefLocs legacyOptionsDefined}
-          For a future proof system configuration, we recommend to remove
-          the legacy definitions.
+        default = null;
+
+        description = mdDoc ''
+          The derivation to the nixpkgs sources, as a string with context. This
+          is set up by the nixpkgs flake.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      setNixPath = mkOption {
+        type = types.bool;
+
+        default = false;
+
+        description = mdDoc ''
+          Whether to create /etc/nix/inputs/nixpkgs as a symlink and set
+          NIX_PATH to include /etc/nix/inputs/nixpkgs.
+
+          This will be true by default for flake-based configurations in a
+          future release.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      setFlakeRegistry = mkOption {
+        type = types.bool;
+
+        default = false;
+
+        description = mdDoc ''
+          Whether to set nixpkgs in the local flake registry and disable the
+          external flake registry.
+
+          This will be true by default for flake-based configurations in a
+          future release.
         '';
-      }
-    ];
+      };
+    };
   };
 
+  config = mkMerge [
+    {
+      _module.args = {
+        pkgs =
+          # We explicitly set the default override priority, so that we do not need
+          # to evaluate finalPkgs in case an override is placed on `_module.args.pkgs`.
+          # After all, to determine a definition priority, we need to evaluate `._type`,
+          # which is somewhat costly for Nixpkgs. With an explicit priority, we only
+          # evaluate the wrapper to find out that the priority is lower, and then we
+          # don't need to evaluate `finalPkgs`.
+          lib.mkOverride lib.modules.defaultOverridePriority
+            finalPkgs.__splicedPackages;
+      };
+
+      assertions = let
+        # Whether `pkgs` was constructed by this module. This is false when any of
+        # nixpkgs.pkgs or _module.args.pkgs is set.
+        constructedByMe =
+          # We set it with default priority and it can not be merged, so if the
+          # pkgs module argument has that priority, it's from us.
+          (lib.modules.mergeAttrDefinitionsWithPrio options._module.args).pkgs.highestPrio
+            == lib.modules.defaultOverridePriority
+          # Although, if nixpkgs.pkgs is set, we did forward it, but we did not construct it.
+            && !opt.pkgs.isDefined;
+      in [
+        (
+          let
+            nixosExpectedSystem =
+              if config.nixpkgs.crossSystem != null
+              then config.nixpkgs.crossSystem.system or (lib.systems.parse.doubleFromSystem (lib.systems.parse.mkSystemFromString config.nixpkgs.crossSystem.config))
+              else config.nixpkgs.localSystem.system or (lib.systems.parse.doubleFromSystem (lib.systems.parse.mkSystemFromString config.nixpkgs.localSystem.config));
+            nixosOption =
+              if config.nixpkgs.crossSystem != null
+              then "nixpkgs.crossSystem"
+              else "nixpkgs.localSystem";
+            pkgsSystem = finalPkgs.stdenv.targetPlatform.system;
+          in {
+            assertion = constructedByMe -> !hasPlatform -> nixosExpectedSystem == pkgsSystem;
+            message = "The NixOS nixpkgs.pkgs option was set to a Nixpkgs invocation that compiles to target system ${pkgsSystem} but NixOS was configured for system ${nixosExpectedSystem} via NixOS option ${nixosOption}. The NixOS system settings must match the Nixpkgs target system.";
+          }
+        )
+        {
+          assertion = constructedByMe -> hasPlatform -> legacyOptionsDefined == [];
+          message = ''
+            Your system configures nixpkgs with the platform parameter${optionalString hasBuildPlatform "s"}:
+            ${hostPlatformLine
+            }${buildPlatformLine
+            }
+            However, it also defines the legacy options:
+            ${concatMapStrings showOptionWithDefLocs legacyOptionsDefined}
+            For a future proof system configuration, we recommend to remove
+            the legacy definitions.
+          '';
+        }
+      ];
+    }
+    (mkIf (cfg.flake.source != null) (mkMerge [
+      (mkIf cfg.flake.setNixPath {
+        environment.etc."nix/inputs/nixpkgs".source = mkDefault cfg.flake.source;
+        nix.nixPath = mkDefault [ "nixpkgs=/etc/nix/inputs/nixpkgs" ];
+      })
+      (mkIf cfg.flake.setFlakeRegistry {
+        nix.registry.nixpkgs.to = mkDefault {
+          type = "path";
+          path = cfg.flake.source;
+        };
+        # This is set due to a Nix bug where the registry json is fetched on
+        # every `nix` invocation even if the requested flake is entirely local.
+        nix.settings.flake-registry = mkDefault "";
+      })
+    ]))
+  ];
+
   # needs a full nixpkgs path to import nixpkgs
   meta.buildDocsInSandbox = false;
 }