diff --git a/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix b/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
index 3e435348f9d..ca18a8ad5b4 100644
--- a/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
+++ b/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ in
           ${config.nix.envVars}
           exec nice -n ${builtins.toString config.nix.daemonNiceLevel} ${nix}/bin/nix-worker --daemon > /dev/null 2>&1
         '';
+
+      extraConfig = 
+        ''
+          limit nofile 4096 4096
+        '';
     };
 
   environment.shellInit =
diff --git a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
index 7c9253b23f0..cdf96d7cb79 100644
--- a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
+++ b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ let
               ${job.postStop}
             end script
           '' else ""}
+
+          ${job.extraConfig}
         '';
 
     in
@@ -238,6 +240,15 @@ in
           '';
         };
 
+        extraConfig = mkOption {
+          type = types.string;
+          default = "";
+          example = "limit nofile 4096 4096";
+          description = ''
+            Additional Upstart stanzas not otherwise supported.
+          '';
+        };
+
       };
       
     };