diff --git a/system/upstart.nix b/system/upstart.nix
index dc89e62c098..86ca22ca7d9 100644
--- a/system/upstart.nix
+++ b/system/upstart.nix
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@ import ../upstart-jobs/gather.nix {
       inherit (pkgs) cron;
     })
 
+    # Name service cache daemon.
+    (import ../upstart-jobs/nscd.nix {
+      inherit (pkgs) glibc pwdutils;
+    })
+
     # Handles the maintenance/stalled event (single-user shell).
     (import ../upstart-jobs/maintenance-shell.nix {
       inherit (pkgs) bash;
diff --git a/upstart-jobs/nscd.conf b/upstart-jobs/nscd.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..786f5fdd8ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upstart-jobs/nscd.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+server-user             nscd
+paranoia                no
+debug-level             0
+
+enable-cache            passwd          yes
+positive-time-to-live   passwd          600
+negative-time-to-live   passwd          20
+suggested-size          passwd          211
+check-files             passwd          yes
+persistent              passwd          yes
+shared                  passwd          yes
+
+enable-cache            group           yes
+positive-time-to-live   group           3600
+negative-time-to-live   group           60
+suggested-size          group           211
+check-files             group           yes
+persistent              group           yes
+shared                  group           yes
+
+enable-cache            hosts           yes
+positive-time-to-live   hosts           600
+negative-time-to-live   hosts           5
+suggested-size          hosts           211
+check-files             hosts           yes
+persistent              hosts           no
+shared                  hosts           yes
diff --git a/upstart-jobs/nscd.nix b/upstart-jobs/nscd.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1e6b39dd9b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upstart-jobs/nscd.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{glibc, pwdutils}:
+
+{
+  name = "nscd";
+  
+  job = "
+description \"Name Service Cache Daemon\"
+
+start on startup
+stop on shutdown
+
+start script
+
+    if ! ${glibc}/bin/getent passwd nscd > /dev/null; then
+        ${pwdutils}/sbin/useradd -g nogroup -d /var/empty -s /noshell \\
+            -c 'Name service cache daemon user' nscd
+    fi
+
+    mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/run/nscd
+    mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/db/nscd
+    
+end script
+
+# !!! -d turns on debug info which probably makes nscd slower
+# 2>/dev/null is to make it shut up
+respawn ${glibc}/sbin/nscd -f ${./nscd.conf} -d 2> /dev/null
+  ";
+  
+}