diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/etc/etc.nix b/nixos/modules/system/etc/etc.nix
index a8f0a59b6fa9..e9c03df2ba34 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/etc/etc.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/etc/etc.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ let
     sources = map (x: x.source) etc';
     targets = map (x: x.target) etc';
     modes = map (x: x.mode) etc';
+    uids  = map (x: x.uid) etc';
+    gids  = map (x: x.gid) etc';
   };
 
 in
@@ -87,6 +89,24 @@ in
               '';
             };
 
+            uid = mkOption {
+              default = 0;
+              type = types.int;
+              description = ''
+                UID of created file. Only takes affect when the file is
+                copied (that is, the mode is not 'symlink').
+                '';
+            };
+
+            gid = mkOption {
+              default = 0;
+              type = types.int;
+              description = ''
+                GID of created file. Only takes affect when the file is
+                copied (that is, the mode is not 'symlink').
+              '';
+            };
+
           };
 
           config = {
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/etc/make-etc.sh b/nixos/modules/system/etc/make-etc.sh
index 7cf68db9ddce..60d4ba1301a3 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/etc/make-etc.sh
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/etc/make-etc.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ set -f
 sources_=($sources)
 targets_=($targets)
 modes_=($modes)
+uids_=($uids)
+gids_=($gids)
 set +f
 
 for ((i = 0; i < ${#targets_[@]}; i++)); do
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ for ((i = 0; i < ${#targets_[@]}; i++)); do
         
         if test "${modes_[$i]}" != symlink; then
             echo "${modes_[$i]}" > $out/etc/$target.mode
+            echo "${uids_[$i]}" > $out/etc/$target.uid
+            echo "${gids_[$i]}" > $out/etc/$target.gid
         fi
         
     fi
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/etc/setup-etc.pl b/nixos/modules/system/etc/setup-etc.pl
index 4b79dbaab89e..8ba9a370b27a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/etc/setup-etc.pl
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/etc/setup-etc.pl
@@ -60,7 +60,15 @@ sub link {
         if ($mode eq "direct-symlink") {
             atomicSymlink readlink("$static/$fn"), $target or warn;
         } else {
+            open UID, "<$_.uid";
+            my $uid = <UID>; chomp $uid;
+            close UID;
+            open GID, "<$_.gid";
+            my $gid = <GID>; chomp $gid;
+            close GID;
+
             copy "$static/$fn", "$target.tmp" or warn;
+            chown int($uid), int($gid), "$target.tmp" or warn;
             chmod oct($mode), "$target.tmp" or warn;
             rename "$target.tmp", $target or warn;
         }