diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/commands.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/commands.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48b0d5d8cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/commands.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+This patch adds shutdown commands specific to NixOS, as NixOS does not have
+a /sbin or /usr/sbin directory. In order not to have a dependency on the
+package that provides "shutdown" when in an environment other than NixOS,
+we'll make it depend on /var/run/current-system.
+
+Note: this patch does not compromise system security. Other systems than
+NixOS should have already shutdown in the earlier directories being searched,
+and otherwise /var/run is writable only be root.
+
+--- ConsoleKit-0.4.1/tools/linux/ck-system-restart.org	2012-02-13 11:29:57.352902568 +0100
++++ ConsoleKit-0.4.1/tools/linux/ck-system-restart	2012-02-13 11:43:27.593317712 +0100
+@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
+ elif [ -x "/usr/sbin/shutdown" ] ; then
+ 	/usr/sbin/shutdown -r now
+ 	exit $?
++elif [ -x "/var/run/current-system/sw/sbin/shutdown" ] ; then
++    /var/run/current-system/sw/sbin/shutdown -r now
++    exit $?
+ else
+ 	exit 1
+ fi
+--- ConsoleKit-0.4.1/tools/linux/ck-system-stop.org	2012-02-13 11:30:06.228950934 +0100
++++ ConsoleKit-0.4.1/tools/linux/ck-system-stop	2012-02-13 11:44:12.664563304 +0100
+@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
+ elif [ -x "/usr/sbin/shutdown" ] ; then
+ 	/usr/sbin/shutdown -h now
+ 	exit $?
++elif [ -x "/var/run/current-system/sw/sbin/shutdown" ] ; then
++    /var/run/current-system/sw/sbin/shutdown -h now
++    exit $?
+ else
+ 	exit 1
+ fi
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/default.nix
index 5cebc5874bd..e9cedf18857 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/consolekit/default.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   
   buildInputs = [ pkgconfig dbus_glib zlib pam glib libX11 polkit expat ];
   patches = [ ./0001-Don-t-daemonize-when-activated.patch
-    ./0002-Don-t-take-bus-name-until-ready.patch ];
+    ./0002-Don-t-take-bus-name-until-ready.patch
+    ./commands.patch  # adds shutdown commands for NixOS to the list of shutdown commands
+  ];
 
   # For console-kit to get the rpath to libgcc_s, needed for pthread_cancel to work
   NIX_LDFLAGS = "-lgcc_s";