diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f80b8bb82..68ec3ab0c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ makefiles = \
   src/libfetchers/local.mk \
   src/libmain/local.mk \
   src/libexpr/local.mk \
+  src/libcmd/local.mk \
   src/nix/local.mk \
   src/resolve-system-dependencies/local.mk \
   scripts/local.mk \
diff --git a/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc b/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
index 17a0a8373..5b8ab3387 100644
--- a/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
+++ b/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "derivations.hh"
 #include "local-store.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 using namespace nix;
 using std::cin;
diff --git a/src/nix/command.cc b/src/libcmd/command.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/command.cc
rename to src/libcmd/command.cc
diff --git a/src/nix/command.hh b/src/libcmd/command.hh
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/command.hh
rename to src/libcmd/command.hh
diff --git a/src/nix/installables.cc b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/installables.cc
rename to src/libcmd/installables.cc
diff --git a/src/nix/installables.hh b/src/libcmd/installables.hh
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/installables.hh
rename to src/libcmd/installables.hh
diff --git a/src/nix/legacy.cc b/src/libcmd/legacy.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/legacy.cc
rename to src/libcmd/legacy.cc
diff --git a/src/nix/legacy.hh b/src/libcmd/legacy.hh
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/legacy.hh
rename to src/libcmd/legacy.hh
diff --git a/src/libcmd/local.mk b/src/libcmd/local.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab0e0e43d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libcmd/local.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+libraries += libcmd
+
+libcmd_NAME = libnixcmd
+
+libcmd_DIR := $(d)
+
+libcmd_SOURCES := $(wildcard $(d)/*.cc)
+
+libcmd_CXXFLAGS += -I src/libutil -I src/libstore -I src/libexpr -I src/libmain -I src/libfetchers
+
+libcmd_LDFLAGS = -llowdown
+
+libcmd_LIBS = libstore libutil libexpr libmain libfetchers
+
+$(eval $(call install-file-in, $(d)/nix-cmd.pc, $(prefix)/lib/pkgconfig, 0644))
diff --git a/src/nix/markdown.cc b/src/libcmd/markdown.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/markdown.cc
rename to src/libcmd/markdown.cc
diff --git a/src/nix/markdown.hh b/src/libcmd/markdown.hh
similarity index 100%
rename from src/nix/markdown.hh
rename to src/libcmd/markdown.hh
diff --git a/src/libcmd/nix-cmd.pc.in b/src/libcmd/nix-cmd.pc.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1761a9f41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libcmd/nix-cmd.pc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+prefix=@prefix@
+libdir=@libdir@
+includedir=@includedir@
+
+Name: Nix
+Description: Nix Package Manager
+Version: @PACKAGE_VERSION@
+Libs: -L${libdir} -lnixcmd
+Cflags: -I${includedir}/nix -std=c++17
diff --git a/src/nix-build/nix-build.cc b/src/nix-build/nix-build.cc
index d1c14596c..361f9730d 100755
--- a/src/nix-build/nix-build.cc
+++ b/src/nix-build/nix-build.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include "get-drvs.hh"
 #include "common-eval-args.hh"
 #include "attr-path.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 using namespace nix;
 using namespace std::string_literals;
diff --git a/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc b/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
index 309970df6..57189d557 100755
--- a/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
+++ b/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #include "globals.hh"
 #include "filetransfer.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 #include "fetchers.hh"
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
diff --git a/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc b/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
index 57092b887..c1769790a 100644
--- a/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
+++ b/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #include "profiles.hh"
 #include "shared.hh"
 #include "globals.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cerrno>
diff --git a/src/nix-copy-closure/nix-copy-closure.cc b/src/nix-copy-closure/nix-copy-closure.cc
index 10990f7b5..ad2e06067 100755
--- a/src/nix-copy-closure/nix-copy-closure.cc
+++ b/src/nix-copy-closure/nix-copy-closure.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "shared.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 using namespace nix;
 
diff --git a/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc b/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
index d6a16999f..106a78fc4 100644
--- a/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
+++ b/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include "json.hh"
 #include "value-to-json.hh"
 #include "xml-writer.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 #include <cerrno>
 #include <ctime>
diff --git a/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc b/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
index 3956fef6d..ea2e85eb0 100644
--- a/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
+++ b/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "local-fs-store.hh"
 #include "common-eval-args.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 #include <map>
 #include <iostream>
diff --git a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
index b7eda5ba6..37191b9e6 100644
--- a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
+++ b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "util.hh"
 #include "worker-protocol.hh"
 #include "graphml.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <algorithm>
diff --git a/src/nix/daemon.cc b/src/nix/daemon.cc
index a358cb0d9..26006167d 100644
--- a/src/nix/daemon.cc
+++ b/src/nix/daemon.cc
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "globals.hh"
 #include "derivations.hh"
 #include "finally.hh"
-#include "../nix/legacy.hh"
+#include "legacy.hh"
 #include "daemon.hh"
 
 #include <algorithm>
diff --git a/src/nix/local.mk b/src/nix/local.mk
index 23c08fc86..83b6dd08b 100644
--- a/src/nix/local.mk
+++ b/src/nix/local.mk
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ nix_SOURCES := \
   $(wildcard src/nix-instantiate/*.cc) \
   $(wildcard src/nix-store/*.cc) \
 
-nix_CXXFLAGS += -I src/libutil -I src/libstore -I src/libfetchers -I src/libexpr -I src/libmain
+nix_CXXFLAGS += -I src/libutil -I src/libstore -I src/libfetchers -I src/libexpr -I src/libmain -I src/libcmd
 
-nix_LIBS = libexpr libmain libfetchers libstore libutil
+nix_LIBS = libexpr libmain libfetchers libstore libutil libcmd
 
 nix_LDFLAGS = -pthread $(SODIUM_LIBS) $(EDITLINE_LIBS) $(BOOST_LDFLAGS) -llowdown