diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5dc9af7fc0..a8f5a23791 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Makefile
 Makefile.in
+Makefile.config
 
 # /
 /aclocal.m4
diff --git a/Makefile.config.in b/Makefile.config.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3bb8cdda48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.config.in
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+VERSION = @VERSION@
+bindir = @bindir@
+datadir = @datadir@
+datarootdir = @datarootdir@
+exec_prefix = @exec_prefix@
+libexecdir = @libexecdir@
+localstatedir = @localstatedir@
+prefix = @prefix@
+storedir = @storedir@
+sysconfdir = @sysconfdir@
diff --git a/Makefile.lib b/Makefile.lib
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d681cf7412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.lib
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+default: all
+
+here = $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+
+LIBS =
+
+QUIET = @
+
+%.o: %.cc
+	$(QUIET) g++ -o $@ -c $^ -g -fPIC $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS)
+
+%.o: %.c
+	$(QUIET) gcc -o $@ -c $^ -g -fPIC $(CFLAGS) $($@_CFLAGS)
+
+
+# Generate Make rules for libraries.
+libs_list :=
+
+define LIBS_template =
+  _d := $$($(1)_DIR)
+  _objs := $$(foreach src, $$($(1)_SOURCES), $$(_d)$$(basename $$(src)).o)
+  _libs := $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$(lib).a)
+  _lib := $$(_d)$(1).a
+
+  $$(_lib): $$(_objs)
+	$(QUIET) ar crs $$@ $$?
+
+  # Propagate CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  $$(foreach obj, $$(_objs), $$(eval $$(obj)_CXXFLAGS=$$($(1)_CXXFLAGS)))
+
+  clean_list += $$(_lib) $$(_objs)
+  libs_list += $$(_lib)
+endef
+
+
+# Generate Make rules for programs.
+programs_list :=
+
+define PROGRAMS_template =
+  _d := $$($(1)_DIR)
+  _objs := $$(foreach src, $$($(1)_SOURCES), $$(_d)$$(basename $$(src)).o)
+  _libs := $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_DIR)$$(lib).a)
+  _prog := $$(_d)$(1)
+
+  $$(_prog): $$(_objs) $$(_libs)
+	$(QUIET) g++ -o $$@ $$^ $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS))
+
+  # Propagate CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  $$(foreach obj, $$(_objs), $$(eval $$(obj)_CXXFLAGS=$$($(1)_CXXFLAGS)))
+
+  clean_list += $$(_prog) $$(_objs)
+  programs_list += $$(_prog)
+endef
+
+
+# Cleaning stuff.
+clean_list :=
+
+clean:
+	rm -fv $(clean_list)
+
+dryclean:
+	@echo $(clean_list)
diff --git a/Makefile.new b/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..566f1f7be5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+include Makefile.config
+include Makefile.lib
+
+include src/boost/format/Makefile.new
+include src/libutil/Makefile.new
+include src/libstore/Makefile.new
+include src/libmain/Makefile.new
+include src/libexpr/Makefile.new
+include src/nix-hash/Makefile.new
+include src/nix-store/Makefile.new
+include src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.new
+include src/nix-env/Makefile.new
+include src/nix-daemon/Makefile.new
+
+CXXFLAGS = -I . -I src -I src/libutil -I src/libstore -I src/libmain -I src/libexpr
+
+CFLAGS =
+
+$(foreach lib, $(LIBS), $(eval $(call LIBS_template,$(lib))))
+$(foreach prog, $(PROGRAMS), $(eval $(call PROGRAMS_template,$(prog))))
+
+all: $(programs_list)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7acd575574..c64766a2d2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -385,5 +385,6 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
    misc/Makefile
    misc/emacs/Makefile
    tests/Makefile
+   Makefile.config
   ])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/src/boost/format/Makefile.new b/src/boost/format/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..28b66bd62d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/boost/format/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+LIBS += libformat
+
+libformat_DIR := $(here)
+
+libformat_SOURCES = format_implementation.cc free_funcs.cc parsing.cc
diff --git a/src/libexpr/Makefile.new b/src/libexpr/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6c9004315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libexpr/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+LIBS += libexpr
+
+libexpr_DIR := $(here)
+
+libexpr_SOURCES = \
+  nixexpr.cc eval.cc primops.cc lexer-tab.cc parser-tab.cc \
+  get-drvs.cc attr-path.cc value-to-xml.cc value-to-json.cc \
+  common-opts.cc names.cc
+
+# FIXME: add rules for parser-tab.cc / lexer-tab.cc.
diff --git a/src/libmain/Makefile.new b/src/libmain/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f74cea9c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libmain/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+LIBS += libmain
+
+libmain_DIR := $(here)
+
+libmain_SOURCES = shared.cc stack.cc
+
+libmain_LDFLAGS = -lgc
diff --git a/src/libstore/Makefile.new b/src/libstore/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24011c2443
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libstore/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+LIBS += libstore
+
+libstore_DIR := $(here)
+
+libstore_SOURCES = \
+  store-api.cc local-store.cc remote-store.cc derivations.cc build.cc misc.cc \
+  globals.cc references.cc pathlocks.cc gc.cc optimise-store.cc
+
+libstore_LDFLAGS = -lsqlite3 -lbz2
+
+libstore_CXXFLAGS = \
+ -DNIX_STORE_DIR=\"$(storedir)\" \
+ -DNIX_DATA_DIR=\"$(datadir)\" \
+ -DNIX_STATE_DIR=\"$(localstatedir)/nix\" \
+ -DNIX_LOG_DIR=\"$(localstatedir)/log/nix\" \
+ -DNIX_CONF_DIR=\"$(sysconfdir)/nix\" \
+ -DNIX_LIBEXEC_DIR=\"$(libexecdir)\" \
+ -DNIX_BIN_DIR=\"$(bindir)\" \
+ -DNIX_VERSION=\"$(VERSION)\"
diff --git a/src/libutil/Makefile.new b/src/libutil/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b90c1c0cab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+LIBS += libutil
+
+libutil_DIR := $(here)
+
+libutil_SOURCES = util.cc hash.cc serialise.cc archive.cc xml-writer.cc affinity.cc \
+  md5.c sha1.c sha256.c
+
+# FIXME: md5.c et al. should only be built when we don't have OpenSSL.
+
+libutil_LIBS = src/boost/format/libformat
diff --git a/src/nix-daemon/Makefile.new b/src/nix-daemon/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2d98e7905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-daemon/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROGRAMS += nix-daemon
+
+nix-daemon_DIR := $(here)
+
+nix-daemon_SOURCES = nix-daemon.cc
+
+nix-daemon_LIBS = libmain libstore libutil libformat
diff --git a/src/nix-env/Makefile.new b/src/nix-env/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c92274f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-env/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROGRAMS += nix-env
+
+nix-env_DIR := $(here)
+
+nix-env_SOURCES = nix-env.cc profiles.cc profiles.hh user-env.cc user-env.hh
+
+nix-env_LIBS = libexpr libmain libstore libutil libformat
diff --git a/src/nix-hash/Makefile.new b/src/nix-hash/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87aba716cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-hash/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROGRAMS += nix-hash
+
+nix-hash_DIR := $(here)
+
+nix-hash_SOURCES = nix-hash.cc
+
+nix-hash_LIBS = libmain libstore libutil libformat
diff --git a/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.new b/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..71e40706ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROGRAMS += nix-instantiate
+
+nix-instantiate_DIR := $(here)
+
+nix-instantiate_SOURCES = nix-instantiate.cc
+
+nix-instantiate_LIBS = libexpr libmain libstore libutil libformat
diff --git a/src/nix-store/Makefile.new b/src/nix-store/Makefile.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..195d05a2d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-store/Makefile.new
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROGRAMS += nix-store
+
+nix-store_DIR := $(here)
+
+nix-store_SOURCES = nix-store.cc dotgraph.cc xmlgraph.cc
+
+nix-store_LIBS = libmain libstore libutil libformat