diff --git a/corepkgs/Makefile.am b/corepkgs/Makefile.am
index 86d7027ed0..a8de601657 100644
--- a/corepkgs/Makefile.am
+++ b/corepkgs/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 all-local: config.nix
 
-files = nar.nix buildenv.nix buildenv.pl unpack-channel.nix unpack-channel.sh
+files = nar.nix buildenv.nix buildenv.pl unpack-channel.nix unpack-channel.sh derivation.nix
 
 install-exec-local:
 	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/corepkgs
diff --git a/corepkgs/derivation.nix b/corepkgs/derivation.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e16ad6fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corepkgs/derivation.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+attrs:
+
+let
+
+  strict = derivationStrict attrs;
+  
+  attrValues = attrs:
+    map (name: builtins.getAttr name attrs) (builtins.attrNames attrs);
+    
+  outputToAttrListElement = output:
+    { name = output;
+      value = attrs // {
+        outPath = builtins.getAttr (output + "Path") strict;
+        drvPath = strict.drvPath;
+        type = "derivation";
+        currentOutput = output;
+      } // outputsAttrs // { all = allList; };
+    };
+    
+  outputsList =
+    if attrs ? outputs
+    then map outputToAttrListElement attrs.outputs
+    else [ (outputToAttrListElement "out") ];
+    
+  outputsAttrs = builtins.listToAttrs outputsList;
+  
+  allList = attrValues outputsAttrs;
+  
+  head = if attrs ? outputs then builtins.head attrs.outputs else "out";
+  
+in builtins.getAttr head outputsAttrs
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 2b97b76fb7..bba14bc354 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -148,8 +148,6 @@ EvalState::EvalState()
     nrAttrsets = nrOpUpdates = nrOpUpdateValuesCopied = 0;
     deepestStack = (char *) -1;
 
-    createBaseEnv();
-    
     allowUnsafeEquality = getEnv("NIX_NO_UNSAFE_EQ", "") == "";
 
 #if HAVE_BOEHMGC
@@ -188,6 +186,8 @@ EvalState::EvalState()
     foreach (Strings::iterator, i, paths) addToSearchPath(*i);
     addToSearchPath("nix=" + nixDataDir + "/nix/corepkgs");
     searchPathInsertionPoint = searchPath.begin();
+
+    createBaseEnv();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops.cc b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
index ca7766487c..02c444cd6b 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
@@ -1099,29 +1099,7 @@ void EvalState::createBaseEnv()
 
     /* Add a wrapper around the derivation primop that computes the
        `drvPath' and `outPath' attributes lazily. */
-    string s = "attrs: \
-      let \
-        strict = derivationStrict attrs; \
-        attrValues = attrs: \
-          map (name: builtins.getAttr name attrs) (builtins.attrNames attrs); \
-        outputToAttrListElement = output: \
-          { \
-            name = output; \
-            value = attrs // { \
-              outPath = builtins.getAttr (output + \"Path\") strict; \
-              drvPath = strict.drvPath; \
-              type = \"derivation\"; \
-              currentOutput = output; \
-            } // outputsAttrs // { all = allList; }; \
-          }; \
-        outputsList = if attrs ? outputs then \
-          map outputToAttrListElement attrs.outputs else \
-          [ (outputToAttrListElement \"out\") ]; \
-        outputsAttrs = builtins.listToAttrs outputsList; \
-        allList = attrValues outputsAttrs; \
-        head = if attrs ? outputs then builtins.head attrs.outputs else \"out\"; \
-      in builtins.getAttr head outputsAttrs";
-    mkThunk_(v, parseExprFromString(s, "/"));
+    mkThunk_(v, parseExprFromFile(findFile("nix/derivation.nix")));
     addConstant("derivation", v);
 
     /* Now that we've added all primops, sort the `builtins' attribute