diff --git a/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in b/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in
index 3869f4791..8d9b061ba 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in
+++ b/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     - [Prerequisites](installation/prerequisites-source.md)
     - [Obtaining a Source Distribution](installation/obtaining-source.md)
     - [Building Nix from Source](installation/building-source.md)
+  - [Using Nix within Docker](installation/installing-docker.md)
   - [Security](installation/nix-security.md)
     - [Single-User Mode](installation/single-user.md)
     - [Multi-User Mode](installation/multi-user.md)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/installation/installing-docker.md b/doc/manual/src/installation/installing-docker.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d2255b7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/installation/installing-docker.md
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Using Nix within Docker
+
+To run the latest stable release of Nix with Docker run the following command:
+
+```console
+$ docker -ti run nixos/nix
+Unable to find image 'nixos/nix:latest' locally
+latest: Pulling from nixos/nix
+5843afab3874: Pull complete
+b52bf13f109c: Pull complete
+1e2415612aa3: Pull complete
+Digest: sha256:27f6e7f60227e959ee7ece361f75d4844a40e1cc6878b6868fe30140420031ff
+Status: Downloaded newer image for nixos/nix:latest
+35ca4ada6e96:/# nix --version
+nix (Nix) 2.3.12
+35ca4ada6e96:/# exit
+```
+
+# What is included in Nix' Docker image?
+
+The official Docker image is created using `pkgs.dockerTools.buildLayeredImage`
+(and not with `Dockerfile` as it is usual with Docker images). You can still
+base your custom Docker image on it as you would do with any other Docker
+image.
+
+The Docker image is also not based on any other image and includes minimal set
+of runtime dependencies that are required to use Nix:
+
+ - pkgs.nix
+ - pkgs.bashInteractive
+ - pkgs.coreutils-full
+ - pkgs.gnutar
+ - pkgs.gzip
+ - pkgs.gnugrep
+ - pkgs.which
+ - pkgs.curl
+ - pkgs.less
+ - pkgs.wget
+ - pkgs.man
+ - pkgs.cacert.out
+ - pkgs.findutils
+
+# Docker image with the latest development version of Nix
+
+To get the latest image that was built by [Hydra](https://hydra.nixos.org) run
+the following command:
+
+```console
+$ curl -L https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nix/master/dockerImage.x86_64-linux/latest/download/1 | docker load
+$ docker run -ti nix:2.5pre20211105
+```
+
+You can also build a Docker image from source yourself:
+
+```console
+$ nix build ./\#hydraJobs.dockerImage.x86_64-linux
+$ docker load -i ./result
+$ docker run -ti nix:2.5pre20211105
+```
diff --git a/docker.nix b/docker.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..316d57a36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+{ pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> { }
+, lib ? pkgs.lib
+, name ? "nix"
+, tag ? "latest"
+, crossSystem ? null
+, channelName ? "nixpkgs"
+, channelURL ? "https://nixos.org/channels/nixpkgs-unstable"
+}:
+let
+  buildPkgs = pkgs;
+  targetPkgs =
+    if crossSystem != null && crossSystem != pkgs.system
+    then {
+      aarch64-linux = pkgs.pkgsCross.aarch64-multiplatform;
+      armv7l-linux = pkgs.pkgsCross.armv7l-hf-multiplatform.system;
+      x86_64-linux = pkgs.pkgsCross.gnu64;
+      powerpc64le-linux = pkgs.pkgsCross.musl-power;
+      i686-linux = pkgs.pkgsCross.gnu32;
+    }.${crossSystem}
+    else pkgs;
+
+  defaultPkgs = with targetPkgs; [
+    nix
+    bashInteractive
+    coreutils-full
+    gnutar
+    gzip
+    gnugrep
+    which
+    curl
+    less
+    wget
+    man
+    cacert.out
+    findutils
+  ];
+
+  users = {
+
+    root = {
+      uid = 0;
+      shell = "/bin/bash";
+      home = "/root";
+      gid = 0;
+    };
+
+  } // lib.listToAttrs (
+    map
+      (
+        n: {
+          name = "nixbld${toString n}";
+          value = {
+            uid = 30000 + n;
+            gid = 30000;
+            groups = [ "nixbld" ];
+            description = "Nix build user ${toString n}";
+          };
+        }
+      )
+      (lib.lists.range 1 32)
+  );
+
+  groups = {
+    root.gid = 0;
+    nixbld.gid = 30000;
+  };
+
+  userToPasswd = (
+    k:
+    { uid
+    , gid ? 65534
+    , home ? "/var/empty"
+    , description ? ""
+    , shell ? "/bin/false"
+    , groups ? [ ]
+    }: "${k}:x:${toString uid}:${toString gid}:${description}:${home}:${shell}"
+  );
+  passwdContents = (
+    lib.concatStringsSep "\n"
+      (lib.attrValues (lib.mapAttrs userToPasswd users))
+  );
+
+  userToShadow = k: { ... }: "${k}:!:1::::::";
+  shadowContents = (
+    lib.concatStringsSep "\n"
+      (lib.attrValues (lib.mapAttrs userToShadow users))
+  );
+
+  # Map groups to members
+  # {
+  #   group = [ "user1" "user2" ];
+  # }
+  groupMemberMap = (
+    let
+      # Create a flat list of user/group mappings
+      mappings = (
+        builtins.foldl'
+          (
+            acc: user:
+              let
+                groups = users.${user}.groups or [ ];
+              in
+              acc ++ map
+                (group: {
+                  inherit user group;
+                })
+                groups
+          )
+          [ ]
+          (lib.attrNames users)
+      );
+    in
+    (
+      builtins.foldl'
+        (
+          acc: v: acc // {
+            ${v.group} = acc.${v.group} or [ ] ++ [ v.user ];
+          }
+        )
+        { }
+        mappings)
+  );
+
+  groupToGroup = k: { gid }:
+    let
+      members = groupMemberMap.${k} or [ ];
+    in
+    "${k}:x:${toString gid}:${lib.concatStringsSep "," members}";
+  groupContents = (
+    lib.concatStringsSep "\n"
+      (lib.attrValues (lib.mapAttrs groupToGroup groups))
+  );
+
+  nixConf = {
+    sandbox = "false";
+    build-users-group = "nixbld";
+    trusted-public-keys = "cache.nixos.org-1:6NCHdD59X431o0gWypbMrAURkbJ16ZPMQFGspcDShjY=";
+  };
+  nixConfContents = (lib.concatStringsSep "\n" (lib.mapAttrsFlatten (n: v: "${n} = ${v}") nixConf)) + "\n";
+
+  baseSystem =
+    let
+      nixpkgs = targetPkgs.path;
+      channel = targetPkgs.runCommand "channel-nixos" { } ''
+        mkdir $out
+        ln -s ${nixpkgs} $out/nixpkgs
+        echo "[]" > $out/manifest.nix
+      '';
+      rootEnv = pkgs.buildEnv {
+        name = "root-profile-env";
+        paths = defaultPkgs;
+      };
+      profile = targetPkgs.runCommand "user-environment" { } ''
+        mkdir $out
+        cp -a ${rootEnv}/* $out/
+
+        cat > $out/manifest.nix <<EOF
+        [
+        ${lib.concatStringsSep "\n" (builtins.map (drv: let
+          outputs = drv.outputsToInstall or [ "out" ];
+        in ''
+          {
+            ${lib.concatStringsSep "\n" (builtins.map (output: ''
+              ${output} = { outPath = "${lib.getOutput output drv}"; };
+            '') outputs)}
+            outputs = [ ${lib.concatStringsSep " " (builtins.map (x: "\"${x}\"") outputs)} ];
+            name = "${drv.name}";
+            outPath = "${drv}";
+            system = "${drv.system}";
+            type = "derivation";
+            meta = { };
+          }
+        '') defaultPkgs)}
+        ]
+        EOF
+      '';
+    in
+    targetPkgs.runCommand "base-system"
+      {
+        inherit passwdContents groupContents shadowContents nixConfContents;
+        passAsFile = [
+          "passwdContents"
+          "groupContents"
+          "shadowContents"
+          "nixConfContents"
+        ];
+        allowSubstitutes = false;
+        preferLocalBuild = true;
+      } ''
+      env
+      set -x
+      mkdir -p $out/etc
+
+      cat $passwdContentsPath > $out/etc/passwd
+      echo "" >> $out/etc/passwd
+
+      cat $groupContentsPath > $out/etc/group
+      echo "" >> $out/etc/group
+
+      cat $shadowContentsPath > $out/etc/shadow
+      echo "" >> $out/etc/shadow
+
+      mkdir -p $out/usr
+      ln -s /nix/var/nix/profiles/share $out/usr/
+
+      mkdir -p $out/nix/var/nix/gcroots
+
+      mkdir $out/tmp
+
+      mkdir -p $out/etc/nix
+      cat $nixConfContentsPath > $out/etc/nix/nix.conf
+
+      mkdir -p $out/root
+      mkdir -p $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root
+
+      ln -s ${profile} $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/default-1-link
+      ln -s $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/default-1-link $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/default
+      ln -s /nix/var/nix/profiles/default $out/root/.nix-profile
+
+      ln -s ${channel} $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels-1-link
+      ln -s $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels-1-link $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels
+
+      mkdir -p $out/root/.nix-defexpr
+      ln -s $out/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels $out/root/.nix-defexpr/channels
+      echo "${channelURL} ${channelName}" > $out/root/.nix-channels
+
+      mkdir -p $out/bin $out/usr/bin
+      ln -s ${targetPkgs.coreutils}/bin/env $out/usr/bin/env
+      ln -s ${targetPkgs.bashInteractive}/bin/bash $out/bin/sh
+    '';
+
+in
+targetPkgs.dockerTools.buildLayeredImageWithNixDb {
+
+  inherit name tag;
+
+  contents = [ baseSystem ];
+
+  extraCommands = ''
+    rm -rf nix-support
+    ln -s /nix/var/nix/profiles nix/var/nix/gcroots/profiles
+  '';
+
+  config = {
+    Cmd = [ "/root/.nix-profile/bin/bash" ];
+    Env = [
+      "USER=root"
+      "PATH=${lib.concatStringsSep ":" [
+        "/root/.nix-profile/bin"
+        "/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin"
+        "/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/sbin"
+      ]}"
+      "MANPATH=${lib.concatStringsSep ":" [
+        "/root/.nix-profile/share/man"
+        "/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/share/man"
+      ]}"
+      "SSL_CERT_FILE=/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt"
+      "GIT_SSL_CAINFO=/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt"
+      "NIX_SSL_CERT_FILE=/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt"
+      "NIX_PATH=/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels:/root/.nix-defexpr/channels"
+    ];
+  };
+
+}
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index ed622ec86..fd5e18429 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -405,6 +405,13 @@
         installerScript = installScriptFor [ "x86_64-linux" "i686-linux" "aarch64-linux" "x86_64-darwin" "aarch64-darwin" "armv6l-linux" "armv7l-linux" ];
         installerScriptForGHA = installScriptFor [ "x86_64-linux" "x86_64-darwin" "armv6l-linux" "armv7l-linux"];
 
+        # docker image with Nix inside
+        dockerImage = nixpkgs.lib.genAttrs linux64BitSystems (system:
+          import ./docker.nix {
+            pkgs = nixpkgsFor.${system};
+            tag = version;
+          });
+
         # Line coverage analysis.
         coverage =
           with nixpkgsFor.x86_64-linux;