diff --git a/src/nix/build.cc b/src/nix/build.cc
index d8ce8cc80..f63150012 100644
--- a/src/nix/build.cc
+++ b/src/nix/build.cc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 using namespace nix;
 
-struct CmdBuild : MixDryRun, InstallablesCommand
+struct CmdBuild : MixDryRun, MixProfile, InstallablesCommand
 {
     Path outLink = "result";
 
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ struct CmdBuild : MixDryRun, InstallablesCommand
                 "To build the build.x86_64-linux attribute from release.nix:",
                 "nix build -f release.nix build.x86_64-linux"
             },
+            Example{
+                "To make a profile point at GNU Hello:",
+                "nix build --profile /tmp/profile nixpkgs:hello"
+            },
         };
     }
 
@@ -52,18 +56,19 @@ struct CmdBuild : MixDryRun, InstallablesCommand
         evalState->addRegistryOverrides(registryOverrides);
         if (dryRun) return;
 
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < buildables.size(); ++i) {
-            auto & b(buildables[i]);
-
-            if (outLink != "")
-                for (auto & output : b.outputs)
+        if (outLink != "") {
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < buildables.size(); ++i) {
+                for (auto & output : buildables[i].outputs)
                     if (auto store2 = store.dynamic_pointer_cast<LocalFSStore>()) {
                         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), true);
                     }
+            }
         }
+
+        updateProfile(buildables);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/nix/command.cc b/src/nix/command.cc
index 89fa0cba4..8191cb831 100644
--- a/src/nix/command.cc
+++ b/src/nix/command.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "command.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "derivations.hh"
+#include "profiles.hh"
 
 namespace nix {
 
@@ -81,4 +82,44 @@ void StorePathCommand::run(ref<Store> store)
     run(store, *storePaths.begin());
 }
 
+MixProfile::MixProfile()
+{
+    mkFlag()
+        .longName("profile")
+        .description("profile to update")
+        .labels({"path"})
+        .dest(&profile);
+}
+
+void MixProfile::updateProfile(const Path & storePath)
+{
+    if (!profile) return;
+    auto store = getStore().dynamic_pointer_cast<LocalFSStore>();
+    if (!store) throw Error("'--profile' is not supported for this Nix store");
+    switchLink(*profile,
+        createGeneration(
+            ref<LocalFSStore>(store),
+            *profile, storePath));
+}
+
+void MixProfile::updateProfile(const Buildables & buildables)
+{
+    if (!profile) return;
+
+    std::optional<Path> result;
+
+    for (auto & buildable : buildables) {
+        for (auto & output : buildable.outputs) {
+            if (result)
+                throw Error("'--profile' requires that the arguments produce a single store path, but there are multiple");
+            result = output.second;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!result)
+        throw Error("'--profile' requires that the arguments produce a single store path, but there are none");
+
+    updateProfile(*result);
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/nix/command.hh b/src/nix/command.hh
index 59c6f8578..d6153e42b 100644
--- a/src/nix/command.hh
+++ b/src/nix/command.hh
@@ -219,4 +219,18 @@ PathSet toDerivations(ref<Store> store,
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Installable>> installables,
     bool useDeriver = false);
 
+struct MixProfile : virtual Args, virtual StoreCommand
+{
+    std::optional<Path> profile;
+
+    MixProfile();
+
+    /* If 'profile' is set, make it point at 'storePath'. */
+    void updateProfile(const Path & storePath);
+
+    /* If 'profile' is set, make it point at the store path produced
+       by 'buildables'. */
+    void updateProfile(const Buildables & buildables);
+};
+
 }