diff --git a/modules/system/boot/kernel.nix b/modules/system/boot/kernel.nix
index 5bb479698352..326cf64d6b85 100644
--- a/modules/system/boot/kernel.nix
+++ b/modules/system/boot/kernel.nix
@@ -195,16 +195,19 @@ let kernel = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel; in
       isYes = option: {
         assertion = config: config.isYes option;
         message = "CONFIG_${option} is not yes!";
+        configLine = "CONFIG_${option}=y";
       };
 
       isNo = option: {
         assertion = config: config.isNo option;
         message = "CONFIG_${option} is not no!";
+        configLine = "CONFIG_${option}=n";
       };
 
       isModule = option: {
         assertion = config: config.isModule option;
         message = "CONFIG_${option} is not built as a module!";
+        configLine = "CONFIG_${option}=m";
       };
 
       ### Usually you will just want to use these two
@@ -212,12 +215,14 @@ let kernel = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel; in
       isEnabled = option: {
         assertion = config: config.isEnabled option;
         message = "CONFIG_${option} is not enabled!";
+        configLine = "CONFIG_${option}=y";
       };
 
       # True if no or omitted
       isDisabled = option: {
         assertion = config: config.isDisabled option;
         message = "CONFIG_${option} is not disabled!";
+        configLine = "CONFIG_${option}=n";
       };
     };
 
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 4ccbd2ef754f..9f76ee4a254c 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ let
         kde4 = t.kde4.test;
         login = t.login.test;
         misc = t.misc.test;
+        minimal_kernel = t.minimal_kernel.test;
         mpich = t.mpich.test;
         mysql = t.mysql.test;
         mysql_replication = t.mysql_replication.test;
diff --git a/tests/default.nix b/tests/default.nix
index 4edcbd2f325b..2433826a9d17 100644
--- a/tests/default.nix
+++ b/tests/default.nix
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ with import ../lib/testing.nix { inherit system; };
   ipv6 = makeTest (import ./ipv6.nix);
   kde4 = makeTest (import ./kde4.nix);
   login = makeTest (import ./login.nix);
+  minimal_kernel = makeTest (import ./minimal-kernel.nix);
   misc = makeTest (import ./misc.nix);
   mpich = makeTest (import ./mpich.nix);
   mysql = makeTest (import ./mysql.nix);
diff --git a/tests/minimal-kernel.nix b/tests/minimal-kernel.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..04fe17c261b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/minimal-kernel.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{ pkgs, ... }:
+
+
+{
+  machine = { config, pkgs, ... }:
+    let
+      configfile = builtins.storePath (builtins.toFile "config" (pkgs.lib.concatStringsSep "\n"
+          (map (builtins.getAttr "configLine") config.system.requiredKernelConfig)));
+
+      kernel = pkgs.lib.overrideDerivation (pkgs.linuxManualConfig {
+        inherit (pkgs.linux) src version;
+        inherit configfile;
+        allowImportFromDerivation = true;
+      }) (attrs: {
+         configurePhase = ''
+           runHook preConfigure
+           mkdir ../build
+           make $makeFlags "''${makeFlagsArray[@]}" mrproper
+           make $makeFlags "''${makeFlagsArray[@]}" KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=${configfile} allnoconfig
+           runHook postConfigure
+         '';
+       });
+
+       kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackagesFor kernel kernelPackages;
+    in {
+      boot.kernelPackages = kernelPackages;
+    };
+
+  testScript =
+    ''
+      startAll;
+      $machine->shutdown;
+    '';
+}