diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1909.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1909.xml
index f831cfcdc57..2b5ae929ece 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1909.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1909.xml
@@ -77,7 +77,17 @@
      <literal>./programs/dwm-status.nix</literal>
     </para>
    </listitem>
+   <listitem>
+    <para>
+     The new <varname>hardware.printers</varname> module allows to declaratively configure CUPS printers
+     via the <varname>ensurePrinters</varname> and
+     <varname>ensureDefaultPrinter</varname> options.
+     <varname>ensurePrinters</varname> will never delete existing printers,
+     but will make sure that the given printers are configured as declared.
+    </para>
+   </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
+
  </section>
 
  <section xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
diff --git a/nixos/modules/hardware/printers.nix b/nixos/modules/hardware/printers.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..12ee5516d4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/modules/hardware/printers.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+with lib;
+let
+  cfg = config.hardware.printers;
+  ppdOptionsString = options: optionalString (options != {})
+    (concatStringsSep " "
+      (mapAttrsToList (name: value: "-o '${name}'='${value}'") options)
+    );
+  ensurePrinter = p: ''
+    ${pkgs.cups}/bin/lpadmin -p '${p.name}' -E \
+      ${optionalString (p.location != null) "-L '${p.location}'"} \
+      ${optionalString (p.description != null) "-D '${p.description}'"} \
+      -v '${p.deviceUri}' \
+      -m '${p.model}' \
+      ${ppdOptionsString p.ppdOptions}
+  '';
+  ensureDefaultPrinter = name: ''
+    ${pkgs.cups}/bin/lpoptions -d '${name}'
+  '';
+
+  # "graph but not # or /" can't be implemented as regex alone due to missing lookahead support
+  noInvalidChars = str: all (c: c != "#" && c != "/") (stringToCharacters str);
+  printerName = (types.addCheck (types.strMatching "[[:graph:]]+") noInvalidChars)
+    // { description = "printable string without spaces, # and /"; };
+
+
+in {
+  options = {
+    hardware.printers = {
+      ensureDefaultPrinter = mkOption {
+        type = types.nullOr printerName;
+        default = null;
+        description = ''
+          Ensures the named printer is the default CUPS printer / printer queue.
+        '';
+      };
+      ensurePrinters = mkOption {
+        description = ''
+          Will regularly ensure that the given CUPS printers are configured as declared here.
+          If a printer's options are manually changed afterwards, they will be overwritten eventually.
+          This option will never delete any printer, even if removed from this list.
+          You can check existing printers with <command>lpstat -s</command>
+          and remove printers with <command>lpadmin -x &lt;printer-name&gt;</command>.
+          Printers not listed here can still be manually configured.
+        '';
+        default = [];
+        type = types.listOf (types.submodule {
+          options = {
+            name = mkOption {
+              type = printerName;
+              example = "BrotherHL_Workroom";
+              description = ''
+                Name of the printer / printer queue.
+                May contain any printable characters except "/", "#", and space.
+              '';
+            };
+            location = mkOption {
+              type = types.nullOr types.str;
+              default = null;
+              example = "Workroom";
+              description = ''
+                Optional human-readable location.
+              '';
+            };
+            description = mkOption {
+              type = types.nullOr types.str;
+              default = null;
+              example = "Brother HL-5140";
+              description = ''
+                Optional human-readable description.
+              '';
+            };
+            deviceUri = mkOption {
+              type = types.str;
+              example = [
+                "ipp://printserver.local/printers/BrotherHL_Workroom"
+                "usb://HP/DESKJET%20940C?serial=CN16E6C364BH"
+              ];
+              description = ''
+                How to reach the printer.
+                <command>lpinfo -v</command> shows a list of supported device URIs and schemes.
+              '';
+            };
+            model = mkOption {
+              type = types.str;
+              example = literalExample ''
+                gutenprint.''${lib.version.majorMinor (lib.getVersion pkgs.cups)}://brother-hl-5140/expert
+              '';
+              description = ''
+                Location of the ppd driver file for the printer.
+                <command>lpinfo -m</command> shows a list of supported models.
+              '';
+            };
+            ppdOptions = mkOption {
+              type = types.attrsOf types.str;
+              example = {
+                "PageSize" = "A4";
+                "Duplex" = "DuplexNoTumble";
+              };
+              default = {};
+              description = ''
+                Sets PPD options for the printer.
+                <command>lpoptions [-p printername] -l</command> shows suported PPD options for the given printer.
+              '';
+            };
+          };
+        });
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = mkIf (cfg.ensurePrinters != [] && config.services.printing.enable) {
+    systemd.services."ensure-printers" = let
+      cupsUnit = if config.services.printing.startWhenNeeded then "cups.socket" else "cups.service";
+    in {
+      description = "Ensure NixOS-configured CUPS printers";
+      wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+      requires = [ cupsUnit ];
+      # in contrast to cups.socket, for cups.service, this is actually not enough,
+      # as the cups service reports its activation before clients can actually interact with it.
+      # Because of this, commands like `lpinfo -v` will report a bad file descriptor
+      # due to the missing UNIX socket without sufficient sleep time.
+      after = [ cupsUnit ];
+
+      serviceConfig = {
+        Type = "oneshot";
+      };
+
+       # sleep 10 is required to wait until cups.service is actually initialized and has created its UNIX socket file
+      script = (optionalString (!config.services.printing.startWhenNeeded) "sleep 10\n")
+        + (concatMapStringsSep "\n" ensurePrinter cfg.ensurePrinters)
+        + optionalString (cfg.ensureDefaultPrinter != null) (ensureDefaultPrinter cfg.ensureDefaultPrinter);
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
index c84ef3d6d9b..12fb67d279d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
   ./hardware/nitrokey.nix
   ./hardware/opengl.nix
   ./hardware/pcmcia.nix
+  ./hardware/printers.nix
   ./hardware/raid/hpsa.nix
   ./hardware/steam-hardware.nix
   ./hardware/usb-wwan.nix
diff --git a/nixos/tests/printing.nix b/nixos/tests/printing.nix
index 74583ae5562..4d0df289cf7 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/printing.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/printing.nix
@@ -1,99 +1,114 @@
 # Test printing via CUPS.
 
-import ./make-test.nix ({pkgs, ... }: {
+import ./make-test.nix ({pkgs, ... }:
+let
+  printingServer = startWhenNeeded: {
+    services.printing.enable = true;
+    services.printing.startWhenNeeded = startWhenNeeded;
+    services.printing.listenAddresses = [ "*:631" ];
+    services.printing.defaultShared = true;
+    services.printing.extraConf =
+      ''
+        <Location />
+          Order allow,deny
+          Allow from all
+        </Location>
+      '';
+    networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 631 ];
+    # Add a HP Deskjet printer connected via USB to the server.
+    hardware.printers.ensurePrinters = [{
+      name = "DeskjetLocal";
+      deviceUri = "usb://foobar/printers/foobar";
+      model = "drv:///sample.drv/deskjet.ppd";
+    }];
+  };
+  printingClient = startWhenNeeded: {
+    services.printing.enable = true;
+    services.printing.startWhenNeeded = startWhenNeeded;
+    # Add printer to the client as well, via IPP.
+    hardware.printers.ensurePrinters = [{
+      name = "DeskjetRemote";
+      deviceUri = "ipp://${if startWhenNeeded then "socketActivatedServer" else "serviceServer"}/printers/DeskjetLocal";
+      model = "drv:///sample.drv/deskjet.ppd";
+    }];
+    hardware.printers.ensureDefaultPrinter = "DeskjetRemote";
+  };
+
+in
+
+{
   name = "printing";
   meta = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; {
     maintainers = [ domenkozar eelco matthewbauer ];
   };
 
   nodes = {
+    socketActivatedServer = { ... }: (printingServer true);
+    serviceServer = { ... }: (printingServer false);
 
-    server =
-      { ... }:
-      { services.printing.enable = true;
-        services.printing.listenAddresses = [ "*:631" ];
-        services.printing.defaultShared = true;
-        services.printing.extraConf =
-          ''
-            <Location />
-              Order allow,deny
-              Allow from all
-            </Location>
-          '';
-        networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 631 ];
-      };
-
-    client =
-      { ... }:
-      { services.printing.enable = true;
-      };
-
+    socketActivatedClient = { ... }: (printingClient true);
+    serviceClient = { ... }: (printingClient false);
   };
 
   testScript =
     ''
       startAll;
 
-      $client->succeed("lpstat -r") =~ /scheduler is running/ or die;
-      # check local encrypted connections work without error
-      $client->succeed("lpstat -E -r") =~ /scheduler is running/ or die;
-      # Test that UNIX socket is used for connections.
-      $client->succeed("lpstat -H") =~ "/run/cups/cups.sock" or die;
-      # Test that HTTP server is available too.
-      $client->succeed("curl --fail http://localhost:631/");
-      $client->succeed("curl --fail http://server:631/");
-      $server->fail("curl --fail --connect-timeout 2  http://client:631/");
-
-      # Add a HP Deskjet printer connected via USB to the server.
-      $server->succeed("lpadmin -p DeskjetLocal -E -v usb://foobar/printers/foobar");
-
-      # Add it to the client as well via IPP.
-      $client->succeed("lpadmin -p DeskjetRemote -E -v ipp://server/printers/DeskjetLocal");
-      $client->succeed("lpadmin -d DeskjetRemote");
-
-      # Do some status checks.
-      $client->succeed("lpstat -a") =~ /DeskjetRemote accepting requests/ or die;
-      $client->succeed("lpstat -h server:631 -a") =~ /DeskjetLocal accepting requests/ or die;
-      $client->succeed("cupsdisable DeskjetRemote");
-      $client->succeed("lpq") =~ /DeskjetRemote is not ready.*no entries/s or die;
-      $client->succeed("cupsenable DeskjetRemote");
-      $client->succeed("lpq") =~ /DeskjetRemote is ready.*no entries/s or die;
-
-      # Test printing various file types.
-      foreach my $file ("${pkgs.groff.doc}/share/doc/*/examples/mom/penguin.pdf",
-                        "${pkgs.groff.doc}/share/doc/*/meref.ps",
-                        "${pkgs.cups.out}/share/doc/cups/images/cups.png",
-                        "${pkgs.pcre.doc}/share/doc/pcre/pcre.txt")
-      {
-          $file =~ /([^\/]*)$/; my $fn = $1;
-
-          subtest "print $fn", sub {
-
-              # Print the file on the client.
-              $client->succeed("lp $file");
-              $client->sleep(10);
-              $client->succeed("lpq") =~ /active.*root.*$fn/ or die;
-
-              # Ensure that a raw PCL file appeared in the server's queue
-              # (showing that the right filters have been applied).  Of
-              # course, since there is no actual USB printer attached, the
-              # file will stay in the queue forever.
-              $server->waitForFile("/var/spool/cups/d*-001");
-              $server->sleep(10);
-              $server->succeed("lpq -a") =~ /$fn/ or die;
-
-              # Delete the job on the client.  It should disappear on the
-              # server as well.
-              $client->succeed("lprm");
-              $client->sleep(10);
-              $client->succeed("lpq -a") =~ /no entries/;
-              Machine::retry sub {
-                return 1 if $server->succeed("lpq -a") =~ /no entries/;
+      # Make sure that cups is up on both sides.
+      $serviceServer->waitForUnit("cups.service");
+      $serviceClient->waitForUnit("cups.service");
+      # wait until cups is fully initialized and ensure-printers has executed with 10s delay
+      $serviceClient->sleep(20);
+      $socketActivatedClient->waitUntilSucceeds("systemctl status ensure-printers | grep -q -E 'code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS'");
+      sub testPrinting {
+          my ($client, $server) = (@_);
+          my $clientHostname = $client->name();
+          my $serverHostname = $server->name();
+          $client->succeed("lpstat -r") =~ /scheduler is running/ or die;
+          # Test that UNIX socket is used for connections.
+          $client->succeed("lpstat -H") =~ "/var/run/cups/cups.sock" or die;
+          # Test that HTTP server is available too.
+          $client->succeed("curl --fail http://localhost:631/");
+          $client->succeed("curl --fail http://$serverHostname:631/");
+          $server->fail("curl --fail --connect-timeout 2  http://$clientHostname:631/");
+          # Do some status checks.
+          $client->succeed("lpstat -a") =~ /DeskjetRemote accepting requests/ or die;
+          $client->succeed("lpstat -h $serverHostname:631 -a") =~ /DeskjetLocal accepting requests/ or die;
+          $client->succeed("cupsdisable DeskjetRemote");
+          $client->succeed("lpq") =~ /DeskjetRemote is not ready.*no entries/s or die;
+          $client->succeed("cupsenable DeskjetRemote");
+          $client->succeed("lpq") =~ /DeskjetRemote is ready.*no entries/s or die;
+          # Test printing various file types.
+          foreach my $file ("${pkgs.groff.doc}/share/doc/*/examples/mom/penguin.pdf",
+                            "${pkgs.groff.doc}/share/doc/*/meref.ps",
+                            "${pkgs.cups.out}/share/doc/cups/images/cups.png",
+                            "${pkgs.pcre.doc}/share/doc/pcre/pcre.txt")
+          {
+              $file =~ /([^\/]*)$/; my $fn = $1;
+              subtest "print $fn", sub {
+                  # Print the file on the client.
+                  $client->succeed("lp $file");
+                  $client->waitUntilSucceeds("lpq | grep -q -E 'active.*root.*$fn'");
+                  # Ensure that a raw PCL file appeared in the server's queue
+                  # (showing that the right filters have been applied).  Of
+                  # course, since there is no actual USB printer attached, the
+                  # file will stay in the queue forever.
+                  $server->waitForFile("/var/spool/cups/d*-001");
+                  $server->waitUntilSucceeds("lpq -a | grep -q -E '$fn'");
+                  # Delete the job on the client.  It should disappear on the
+                  # server as well.
+                  $client->succeed("lprm");
+                  $client->waitUntilSucceeds("lpq -a | grep -q -E 'no entries'");
+                  Machine::retry sub {
+                    return 1 if $server->succeed("lpq -a") =~ /no entries/;
+                  };
+                  # The queue is empty already, so this should be safe.
+                  # Otherwise, pairs of "c*"-"d*-001" files might persist.
+                  $server->execute("rm /var/spool/cups/*");
               };
-              # The queue is empty already, so this should be safe.
-              # Otherwise, pairs of "c*"-"d*-001" files might persist.
-              $server->execute("rm /var/spool/cups/*");
-          };
+          }
       }
-    '';
+      testPrinting($serviceClient, $serviceServer);
+      testPrinting($socketActivatedClient, $socketActivatedServer);
+  '';
 })