diff --git a/nixos/modules/misc/meta.nix b/nixos/modules/misc/meta.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..22622706f2c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/modules/misc/meta.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+{ config, lib, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+  maintainer = mkOptionType {
+    name = "maintainer";
+    check = email: elem email (attrValues lib.maintainers);
+    merge = loc: defs: listToAttrs (singleton (nameValuePair (last defs).file (last defs).value));
+  };
+
+  listOfMaintainers = types.listOf maintainer // {
+    # Returns list of
+    #   { "module-file" = [
+    #        "maintainer1 <first@nixos.org>"
+    #        "maintainer2 <second@nixos.org>" ];
+    #   }
+    merge = loc: defs:
+      zipAttrs
+        (flatten (imap (n: def: imap (m: def':
+          maintainer.merge (loc ++ ["[${toString n}-${toString m}]"])
+            [{ inherit (def) file; value = def'; }]) def.value) defs));
+  };
+
+  docFile = types.path // {
+    # Returns tuples of
+    #   { file = "module location"; value = <path/to/doc.xml>; }
+    merge = loc: defs: defs;
+  };
+in
+
+{
+  options = {
+    meta = {
+
+      maintainers = mkOption {
+        type = listOfMaintainers;
+        internal = true;
+        default = [];
+        example = [ lib.maintainers.all ];
+        description = ''
+	  List of maintainers of each module.  This option should be defined at
+          most once per module.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      doc = mkOption {
+        type = docFile;
+        internal = true;
+        example = "./meta.xml";
+        description = ''
+	  Documentation prologe for the set of options of each module.  This
+          option should be defined at most once per module.
+        '';
+      };
+
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = {
+    meta.maintainers = singleton lib.maintainers.pierron;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
index 853961804e55..6754c8a4f1a6 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
   ./misc/ids.nix
   ./misc/lib.nix
   ./misc/locate.nix
+  ./misc/meta.nix
   ./misc/nixpkgs.nix
   ./misc/passthru.nix
   ./misc/version.nix