diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fdbb2629e..2594544ab 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -251,17 +251,25 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SQLITE3], [sqlite3 >= 3.6.19], [CXXFLAGS="$SQLITE3_CFLAGS $CX
 # Look for libcurl, a required dependency.
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBCURL], [libcurl], [CXXFLAGS="$LIBCURL_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"])
 
-# Look for editline, a required dependency.
+# Look for editline or readline, a required dependency.
 # The the libeditline.pc file was added only in libeditline >= 1.15.2,
 # see https://github.com/troglobit/editline/commit/0a8f2ef4203c3a4a4726b9dd1336869cd0da8607,
-# but e.g. Ubuntu 16.04 has an older version, so we fall back to searching for
-# editline.h when the pkg-config approach fails.
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([EDITLINE], [libeditline], [CXXFLAGS="$EDITLINE_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"], [
-  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([editline.h], [true],
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([Nix requires libeditline; it was found neither via pkg-config nor its normal header.])])
-  AC_SEARCH_LIBS([readline read_history], [editline], [],
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([Nix requires libeditline; it was not found via pkg-config, but via its header, but required functions do not work. Maybe it is too old? >= 1.14 is required.])])
-])
+# Older versions are no longer supported.
+AC_ARG_WITH(
+  [readline-flavor],
+  AS_HELP_STRING([--with-readline-flavor],[Which library to use for nice line editting with the Nix language REPL" [default=editline]]),
+  [readline_flavor=$withval],
+  [readline_flavor=editline])
+AS_CASE(["$readline_flavor"],
+  [editline], [
+    readline_flavor_pc=libeditline
+  ],
+  [readline], [
+    readline_flavor_pc=readline
+    AC_DEFINE([USE_READLINE], [1], [Use readline instead of editline])
+  ],
+  [AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value "$readline_flavor" for --with-readline-flavor, must be one of: editline, readline])])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([EDITLINE], [$readline_flavor_pc], [CXXFLAGS="$EDITLINE_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"])
 
 # Look for libsodium.
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SODIUM], [libsodium], [CXXFLAGS="$SODIUM_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"])
@@ -387,8 +395,7 @@ AS_CASE(["$enable_markdown"],
     ])
   ],
   [no], [have_lowdown=],
-  [AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-markdown must be one of: yes, no, auto])])
-AC_SUBST(HAVE_LOWDOWN, [$have_lowdown])
+  [AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value "$enable_markdown" for --enable-markdown, must be one of: yes, no, auto])])
 
 
 # Look for libgit2.
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 32354a88f..c7aee7541 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -230,6 +230,15 @@
           }
         );
 
+        # Toggles some settings for better coverage. Windows needs these
+        # library combinations, and Debian build Nix with GNU readline too.
+        buildReadlineNoMarkdown = forAllSystems (system:
+          self.packages.${system}.nix.override {
+            enableMarkdown = false;
+            readlineFlavor = "readline";
+          }
+        );
+
         # Perl bindings for various platforms.
         perlBindings = forAllSystems (system: nixpkgsFor.${system}.native.nix.perl-bindings);
 
diff --git a/package.nix b/package.nix
index 727f5e646..d0b9fc3f3 100644
--- a/package.nix
+++ b/package.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 , changelog-d
 , curl
 , editline
+, readline
 , fileset
 , flex
 , git
@@ -71,6 +72,14 @@
 # Whether to enable Markdown rendering in the Nix binary.
 , enableMarkdown ? !stdenv.hostPlatform.isWindows
 
+# Which interactive line editor library to use for Nix's repl.
+#
+# Currently supported choices are:
+#
+# - editline (default)
+# - readline
+, readlineFlavor ? if stdenv.hostPlatform.isWindows then "readline" else "editline"
+
 # Whether to compile `rl-next.md`, the release notes for the next
 # not-yet-released version of Nix in the manul, from the individual
 # change log entries in the directory.
@@ -219,7 +228,7 @@ in {
     sqlite
     xz
   ] ++ lib.optionals (!stdenv.hostPlatform.isWindows) [
-    editline
+    ({ inherit readline editline; }.${readlineFlavor})
   ] ++ lib.optionals enableMarkdown [
     lowdown
   ] ++ lib.optionals buildUnitTests [
@@ -279,6 +288,7 @@ in {
     (lib.enableFeature enableManual "doc-gen")
     (lib.enableFeature enableMarkdown "markdown")
     (lib.enableFeature installUnitTests "install-unit-tests")
+    (lib.withFeatureAs true "readline-flavor" readlineFlavor)
   ] ++ lib.optionals (!forDevShell) [
     "--sysconfdir=/etc"
   ] ++ lib.optionals installUnitTests [
diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl.cc b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
index dea91ba63..9c92f2b6e 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <setjmp.h>
 
-#ifdef READLINE
+#ifdef USE_READLINE
 #include <readline/history.h>
 #include <readline/readline.h>
 #else
@@ -249,14 +249,14 @@ void NixRepl::mainLoop()
     } catch (SysError & e) {
         logWarning(e.info());
     }
-#ifndef READLINE
+#ifndef USE_READLINE
     el_hist_size = 1000;
 #endif
     read_history(historyFile.c_str());
     auto oldRepl = curRepl;
     curRepl = this;
     Finally restoreRepl([&] { curRepl = oldRepl; });
-#ifndef READLINE
+#ifndef USE_READLINE
     rl_set_complete_func(completionCallback);
     rl_set_list_possib_func(listPossibleCallback);
 #endif