diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap b/scripts/bootstrap
index 4ac72fa7b..3a8a74e56 100755
--- a/scripts/bootstrap
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 git submodule init
 git submodule update
diff --git a/scripts/build b/scripts/build
index bf5353f54..ccc472cb7 100755
--- a/scripts/build
+++ b/scripts/build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 mkdir ./build &> /dev/null
 meson . ./build --buildtype=release
diff --git a/scripts/nixbuild b/scripts/nixbuild
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..20ec10055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/nixbuild
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+nix-shell --pure --run ./scripts/build
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..817082edc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+with (import <nixpkgs> {});
+
+let
+
+  osxdeps = lib.optionals stdenv.isDarwin (with darwin.apple_sdk.frameworks; [
+    Cocoa
+    CoreServices
+  ]);
+
+  deps = [ cmark curl gcc gmp libsigsegv meson ncurses ninja pkgconfig zlib re2c ];
+
+in stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "urbit";
+  buildInputs = osxdeps ++ deps;
+  NIX_LDFLAGS = lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin "-framework CoreServices";
+}