diff --git a/system/options.nix b/system/options.nix
index 10f6032ad1a0..8987ab2969ae 100644
--- a/system/options.nix
+++ b/system/options.nix
@@ -481,6 +481,17 @@
   }
 
   
+  {
+    name = ["services" "xserver" "windowManager"];
+    default = "metacity";
+    description = "
+      This option selects the window manager.  Available values are
+      <literal>twm</literal> (extremely primitive),
+      <literal>metacity</literal>, and <literal>compiz</literal>.
+    ";
+  }
+
+  
   {
     name = ["services" "httpd" "enable"];
     default = false;
diff --git a/system/upstart.nix b/system/upstart.nix
index eea9b26b3b9f..29c55362b15d 100644
--- a/system/upstart.nix
+++ b/system/upstart.nix
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ import ../upstart-jobs/gather.nix {
     (import ../upstart-jobs/xserver.nix {
       inherit config;
       inherit (pkgs) stdenv writeText lib xterm slim xorg mesa;
+      inherit (pkgs.gnome) metacity;
       fontDirectories = import ./fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
     })
 
diff --git a/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix b/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
index d5270c0273da..b1743cecf935 100644
--- a/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
+++ b/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, writeText, lib, xorg, mesa, xterm, slim
+{ stdenv, writeText, lib, xorg, mesa, xterm, slim, metacity
 
 , config
 
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ let
 
   resolutions = map (res: "\"${toString res.x}x${toString res.y}\"") (getCfg "resolutions");
 
+  windowManager = getCfg "windowManager";
+
 
   modules = [
     xorg.xorgserver
@@ -63,7 +65,11 @@ let
 
 
   clientScript = writeText "xclient" "
+    ${if windowManager == "twm" then "
     ${xorg.twm}/bin/twm &
+    " else if windowManager == "metacity" then "
+    ${metacity}/bin/metacity &
+    " else abort ("unknown window manager "+ windowManager)}
     ${xterm}/bin/xterm -ls
   ";