diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index 09a64f754d8..9dfaa46ec3b 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ let
 
   # constants
   licenses = import ./licenses.nix;
-  platforms = import ./platforms.nix;
-  systems = import ./systems.nix;
+  systems = import ./systems;
 
   # misc
   debug = import ./debug.nix;
@@ -42,13 +41,15 @@ in
             attrsets lists strings stringsWithDeps
             customisation maintainers meta sources
             modules options types
-            licenses platforms systems
+            licenses systems
             debug generators misc
             sandbox fetchers filesystem;
+
+    # back-compat aliases
+    platforms = systems.doubles;
   }
   # !!! don't include everything at top-level; perhaps only the most
   # commonly used functions.
   // trivial // lists // strings // stringsWithDeps // attrsets // sources
   // options // types // meta // debug // misc // modules
-  // systems
   // customisation
diff --git a/lib/systems/default.nix b/lib/systems/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..70d431837da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/systems/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+rec {
+  doubles = import ./doubles.nix;
+  parse = import ./parse.nix;
+  platforms = import ./platforms.nix;
+}
diff --git a/lib/platforms.nix b/lib/systems/doubles.nix
similarity index 96%
rename from lib/platforms.nix
rename to lib/systems/doubles.nix
index 6b56e1734ad..945147fe7cf 100644
--- a/lib/platforms.nix
+++ b/lib/systems/doubles.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let lists = import ./lists.nix; in
+let lists = import ../lists.nix; in
 
 rec {
   all = linux ++ darwin ++ cygwin ++ freebsd ++ openbsd ++ netbsd ++ illumos;
diff --git a/lib/systems.nix b/lib/systems/parse.nix
similarity index 97%
rename from lib/systems.nix
rename to lib/systems/parse.nix
index 92d8bdf892b..410995f8a5d 100644
--- a/lib/systems.nix
+++ b/lib/systems/parse.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # Define the list of system with their properties.  Only systems tested for
 # Nixpkgs are listed below
 
-with import ./lists.nix;
-with import ./types.nix;
-with import ./attrsets.nix;
+with import ../lists.nix;
+with import ../types.nix;
+with import ../attrsets.nix;
 
 let
   lib = import ./default.nix;
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/platforms.nix b/lib/systems/platforms.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from pkgs/top-level/platforms.nix
rename to lib/systems/platforms.nix
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 802081cd7f9..11816f580da 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ with pkgs;
 
   composableDerivation = callPackage ../../lib/composable-derivation.nix { };
 
-  platforms = import ./platforms.nix;
+  inherit (lib.systems) platforms;
 
   setJavaClassPath = makeSetupHook { } ../build-support/setup-hooks/set-java-classpath.sh;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/default.nix b/pkgs/top-level/default.nix
index 3e3ecdeea6c..48dbe7118bc 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/default.nix
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ in let
   # Allow setting the platform in the config file. Otherwise, let's use a
   # reasonable default.
   localSystem =
-    { platform = (import ./platforms.nix).selectPlatformBySystem args.localSystem.system; }
+    { platform = lib.systems.platforms.selectPlatformBySystem args.localSystem.system; }
     // builtins.intersectAttrs { platform = null; } config
     // args.localSystem;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/release-cross.nix b/pkgs/top-level/release-cross.nix
index 2b6cdd04974..c68c7d3721e 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/release-cross.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/release-cross.nix
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ in
       float = "hard";
       withTLS = true;
       libc = "glibc";
-      platform = pkgs.platforms.fuloong2f_n32;
+      platform = lib.platforms.fuloong2f_n32;
       openssl.system = "linux-generic32";
       gcc = {
         arch = "loongson2f";
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ in
       fpu = "vfp";
       withTLS = true;
       libc = "glibc";
-      platform = pkgs.platforms.raspberrypi;
+      platform = lib.platforms.raspberrypi;
       openssl.system = "linux-generic32";
       gcc = {
         arch = "armv6";