diff --git a/nixos/modules/misc/documentation.nix b/nixos/modules/misc/documentation.nix
index 0a8b1a313ef..bc43cc33b5d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/misc/documentation.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/misc/documentation.nix
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ let
       in scrubbedEval.options;
   };
 
-  helpScript = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "nixos-help"
-    ''
+
+  nixos-help = let
+    helpScript = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "nixos-help" ''
       # Finds first executable browser in a colon-separated list.
       # (see how xdg-open defines BROWSER)
       browser="$(
@@ -58,14 +59,22 @@ let
       exec "$browser" ${manual.manualHTMLIndex}
     '';
 
-  desktopItem = pkgs.makeDesktopItem {
-    name = "nixos-manual";
-    desktopName = "NixOS Manual";
-    genericName = "View NixOS documentation in a web browser";
-    icon = "nix-snowflake";
-    exec = "nixos-help";
-    categories = "System";
-  };
+    desktopItem = pkgs.makeDesktopItem {
+      name = "nixos-manual";
+      desktopName = "NixOS Manual";
+      genericName = "View NixOS documentation in a web browser";
+      icon = "nix-snowflake";
+      exec = "nixos-help";
+      categories = "System";
+    };
+
+    in pkgs.symlinkJoin {
+      name = "nixos-help";
+      paths = [
+        helpScript
+        desktopItem
+      ];
+    };
 
 in
 
@@ -249,8 +258,8 @@ in
 
       environment.systemPackages = []
         ++ optional cfg.man.enable manual.manpages
-        ++ optionals cfg.doc.enable ([ manual.manualHTML helpScript ]
-           ++ optionals config.services.xserver.enable [ desktopItem pkgs.nixos-icons ]);
+        ++ optionals cfg.doc.enable ([ manual.manualHTML nixos-help ]
+           ++ optionals config.services.xserver.enable [ pkgs.nixos-icons ]);
 
       services.mingetty.helpLine = mkIf cfg.doc.enable (
           "\nRun 'nixos-help' for the NixOS manual."