diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index 27c6c3da8..35c01b97a 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -318,8 +318,6 @@ public:
 
     const FlakeRegistry & getFlakeRegistry();
 
-    Value * makeFlakeRegistryValue();
-
 private:
     std::unique_ptr<FlakeRegistry> _flakeRegistry;
     std::once_flag _flakeRegistryInit;
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops/flake.cc b/src/libexpr/primops/flake.cc
index 1e70ccbd6..3bd62a50b 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops/flake.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops/flake.cc
@@ -40,18 +40,18 @@ const FlakeRegistry & EvalState::getFlakeRegistry()
     return *_flakeRegistry;
 }
 
-Value * EvalState::makeFlakeRegistryValue()
+Value * makeFlakeRegistryValue(EvalState & state)
 {
-    auto v = allocValue();
+    auto v = state.allocValue();
 
-    auto registry = getFlakeRegistry();
+    auto registry = state.getFlakeRegistry();
 
-    mkAttrs(*v, registry.entries.size());
+    state.mkAttrs(*v, registry.entries.size());
 
     for (auto & entry : registry.entries) {
-        auto vEntry = allocAttr(*v, entry.first);
-        mkAttrs(*vEntry, 2);
-        mkString(*allocAttr(*vEntry, symbols.create("uri")), entry.second.ref.to_string());
+        auto vEntry = state.allocAttr(*v, entry.first);
+        state.mkAttrs(*vEntry, 2);
+        mkString(*state.allocAttr(*vEntry, state.symbols.create("uri")), entry.second.ref.to_string());
         vEntry->attrs->sort();
     }
 
@@ -163,16 +163,19 @@ static Flake getFlake(EvalState & state, const FlakeRef & flakeRef)
 }
 
 /* Given a flake reference, recursively fetch it and its
-   dependencies. */
-static std::map<FlakeId, Flake> resolveFlake(EvalState & state,
+   dependencies.
+   FIXME: this should return a graph of flakes.
+*/
+static std::tuple<FlakeId, std::map<FlakeId, Flake>> resolveFlake(EvalState & state,
     const FlakeRef & topRef, bool impureTopRef)
 {
     std::map<FlakeId, Flake> done;
     std::queue<std::tuple<FlakeRef, bool>> todo;
-    todo.push({topRef, impureTopRef});
+    std::optional<FlakeId> topFlakeId; /// FIXME: ambiguous
+    todo.push({topRef, true});
 
     while (!todo.empty()) {
-        auto [flakeRef, impureRef] = todo.front();
+        auto [flakeRef, toplevel] = todo.front();
         todo.pop();
 
         if (auto refData = std::get_if<FlakeRef::IsFlakeId>(&flakeRef.data)) {
@@ -180,26 +183,27 @@ static std::map<FlakeId, Flake> resolveFlake(EvalState & state,
             flakeRef = lookupFlake(state, flakeRef);
         }
 
-        if (evalSettings.pureEval && !flakeRef.isImmutable() && !impureRef)
+        if (evalSettings.pureEval && !flakeRef.isImmutable() && (!toplevel || !impureTopRef))
             throw Error("mutable flake '%s' is not allowed in pure mode; use --no-pure-eval to disable", flakeRef.to_string());
 
         auto flake = getFlake(state, flakeRef);
 
         if (done.count(flake.id)) continue;
 
+        if (toplevel) topFlakeId = flake.id;
+
         for (auto & require : flake.requires)
             todo.push({require, false});
 
         done.emplace(flake.id, flake);
     }
 
-    return done;
+    assert(topFlakeId);
+    return {*topFlakeId, done};
 }
 
-static void prim_getFlake(EvalState & state, const Pos & pos, Value * * args, Value & v)
+Value * makeFlakeValue(EvalState & state, std::string flakeUri, Value & v)
 {
-    auto flakeUri = state.forceStringNoCtx(*args[0], pos);
-
     // FIXME: temporary hack to make the default installation source
     // work.
     bool impure = false;
@@ -210,14 +214,20 @@ static void prim_getFlake(EvalState & state, const Pos & pos, Value * * args, Va
 
     auto flakeRef = FlakeRef(flakeUri);
 
-    auto flakes = resolveFlake(state, flakeUri, impure);
+    auto [topFlakeId, flakes] = resolveFlake(state, flakeUri, impure);
+
+    // FIXME: we should call each flake with only its dependencies
+    // (rather than the closure of the top-level flake).
 
     auto vResult = state.allocValue();
 
     state.mkAttrs(*vResult, flakes.size());
 
+    Value * vTop = 0;
+
     for (auto & flake : flakes) {
         auto vFlake = state.allocAttr(*vResult, flake.second.id);
+        if (topFlakeId == flake.second.id) vTop = vFlake;
         state.mkAttrs(*vFlake, 2);
         mkString(*state.allocAttr(*vFlake, state.sDescription), flake.second.description);
         auto vProvides = state.allocAttr(*vFlake, state.symbols.create("provides"));
@@ -228,6 +238,14 @@ static void prim_getFlake(EvalState & state, const Pos & pos, Value * * args, Va
     vResult->attrs->sort();
 
     v = *vResult;
+
+    assert(vTop);
+    return vTop;
+}
+
+static void prim_getFlake(EvalState & state, const Pos & pos, Value * * args, Value & v)
+{
+    makeFlakeValue(state, state.forceStringNoCtx(*args[0], pos), v);
 }
 
 static RegisterPrimOp r2("getFlake", 1, prim_getFlake);
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops/flake.hh b/src/libexpr/primops/flake.hh
index 6be6e99d2..e504dc196 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops/flake.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops/flake.hh
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 
 namespace nix {
 
+struct Value;
+class EvalState;
+
 struct FlakeRegistry
 {
     struct Entry
@@ -14,4 +17,8 @@ struct FlakeRegistry
     std::map<FlakeId, Entry> entries;
 };
 
+Value * makeFlakeRegistryValue(EvalState & state);
+
+Value * makeFlakeValue(EvalState & state, std::string flakeUri, Value & v);
+
 }
diff --git a/src/nix/command.hh b/src/nix/command.hh
index 04183c7ed..a08347945 100644
--- a/src/nix/command.hh
+++ b/src/nix/command.hh
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ struct Installable
 
 struct SourceExprCommand : virtual Args, StoreCommand, MixEvalArgs
 {
-    Path file;
+    std::optional<Path> file;
+    std::optional<std::string> flakeUri;
 
     SourceExprCommand();
 
diff --git a/src/nix/installables.cc b/src/nix/installables.cc
index b4584f168..0453c72c2 100644
--- a/src/nix/installables.cc
+++ b/src/nix/installables.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "get-drvs.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "shared.hh"
+#include "primops/flake.hh"
 
 #include <regex>
 
@@ -18,8 +19,15 @@ SourceExprCommand::SourceExprCommand()
         .shortName('f')
         .longName("file")
         .label("file")
-        .description("evaluate FILE rather than the default")
+        .description("evaluate FILE rather than use the default installation source")
         .dest(&file);
+
+    mkFlag()
+        .shortName('F')
+        .longName("flake")
+        .label("flake")
+        .description("evaluate FLAKE rather than use the default installation source")
+        .dest(&flakeUri);
 }
 
 Value * SourceExprCommand::getSourceExpr(EvalState & state)
@@ -28,9 +36,17 @@ Value * SourceExprCommand::getSourceExpr(EvalState & state)
 
     vSourceExpr = state.allocValue();
 
-    if (file != "")
-        state.evalFile(lookupFileArg(state, file), *vSourceExpr);
-    else {
+    if (file && flakeUri)
+        throw Error("cannot use both --file and --flake");
+
+    if (file)
+        state.evalFile(lookupFileArg(state, *file), *vSourceExpr);
+    else if (flakeUri) {
+        // FIXME: handle flakeUri being a relative path
+        auto vTemp = state.allocValue();
+        auto vFlake = *makeFlakeValue(state, "impure:" + *flakeUri, *vTemp);
+        *vSourceExpr = *((*vFlake.attrs->get(state.symbols.create("provides")))->value);
+    } else {
         // FIXME: remove "impure" hack, call some non-user-accessible
         // variant of getFlake instead.
         auto fun = state.parseExprFromString(
@@ -38,7 +54,7 @@ Value * SourceExprCommand::getSourceExpr(EvalState & state)
              "  (getFlake (\"impure:\" + flakeInfo.uri)).${flakeName}.provides.packages or {})", "/");
         auto vFun = state.allocValue();
         state.eval(fun, *vFun);
-        auto vRegistry = state.makeFlakeRegistryValue();
+        auto vRegistry = makeFlakeRegistryValue(state);
         mkApp(*vSourceExpr, *vFun, *vRegistry);
     }