diff --git a/src/nix/build.cc b/src/nix/build.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35603f557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/build.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#include "command.hh"
+#include "common-args.hh"
+#include "installables.hh"
+#include "shared.hh"
+#include "store-api.hh"
+
+using namespace nix;
+
+struct CmdBuild : StoreCommand, MixDryRun, MixInstallables
+{
+    CmdBuild()
+    {
+    }
+
+    std::string name() override
+    {
+        return "build";
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "build a derivation or fetch a store path";
+    }
+
+    void run(ref<Store> store) override
+    {
+        auto elems = evalInstallables(store);
+
+        PathSet pathsToBuild;
+
+        for (auto & elem : elems) {
+            if (elem.isDrv)
+                pathsToBuild.insert(elem.drvPath);
+            else
+                pathsToBuild.insert(elem.outPaths.begin(), elem.outPaths.end());
+        }
+
+        printMissing(store, pathsToBuild);
+
+        if (dryRun) return;
+
+        store->buildPaths(pathsToBuild);
+    }
+};
+
+static RegisterCommand r1(make_ref<Command, CmdBuild>());
diff --git a/src/nix/installables.cc b/src/nix/installables.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb5a51582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/installables.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include "attr-path.hh"
+#include "common-opts.hh"
+#include "derivations.hh"
+#include "eval-inline.hh"
+#include "eval.hh"
+#include "get-drvs.hh"
+#include "installables.hh"
+#include "store-api.hh"
+
+namespace nix {
+
+UserEnvElems MixInstallables::evalInstallables(ref<Store> store)
+{
+    UserEnvElems res;
+
+    for (auto & installable : installables) {
+
+        if (std::string(installable, 0, 1) == "/") {
+
+            if (isStorePath(installable)) {
+
+                if (isDerivation(installable)) {
+                    UserEnvElem elem;
+                    // FIXME: handle empty case, drop version
+                    elem.attrPath = {storePathToName(installable)};
+                    elem.isDrv = true;
+                    elem.drvPath = installable;
+                    res.push_back(elem);
+                }
+
+                else {
+                    UserEnvElem elem;
+                    // FIXME: handle empty case, drop version
+                    elem.attrPath = {storePathToName(installable)};
+                    elem.isDrv = false;
+                    elem.outPaths = {installable};
+                    res.push_back(elem);
+                }
+            }
+
+            else
+                throw UsageError(format("don't know what to do with ‘%1%’") % installable);
+        }
+
+        else {
+
+            EvalState state({}, store);
+
+            Expr * e = state.parseExprFromFile(resolveExprPath(lookupFileArg(state, file)));
+
+            Value vRoot;
+            state.eval(e, vRoot);
+
+            std::map<string, string> autoArgs_;
+            Bindings & autoArgs(*evalAutoArgs(state, autoArgs_));
+
+            Value & v(*findAlongAttrPath(state, installable, autoArgs, vRoot));
+            state.forceValue(v);
+
+            DrvInfos drvs;
+            getDerivations(state, v, "", autoArgs, drvs, false);
+
+            for (auto & i : drvs) {
+                UserEnvElem elem;
+                elem.isDrv = true;
+                elem.drvPath = i.queryDrvPath();
+                res.push_back(elem);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return res;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/nix/installables.hh b/src/nix/installables.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5eb897d46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/installables.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "args.hh"
+
+namespace nix {
+
+struct UserEnvElem
+{
+    Strings attrPath;
+
+    // FIXME: should use boost::variant or so.
+    bool isDrv;
+
+    // Derivation case:
+    Path drvPath;
+    StringSet outputNames;
+
+    // Non-derivation case:
+    PathSet outPaths;
+};
+
+typedef std::vector<UserEnvElem> UserEnvElems;
+
+struct MixInstallables : virtual Args
+{
+    Strings installables;
+    Path file = "<nixpkgs>";
+
+    MixInstallables()
+    {
+        mkFlag('f', "file", "file", "evaluate FILE rather than the default", &file);
+        expectArgs("installables", &installables);
+    }
+
+    UserEnvElems evalInstallables(ref<Store> store);
+};
+
+}