diff --git a/configuration/rescue-cd.nix b/configuration/rescue-cd.nix
index 75da817481f..755cbf0da82 100644
--- a/configuration/rescue-cd.nix
+++ b/configuration/rescue-cd.nix
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ rec {
           job = "
             start on udev
             stop on shutdown
-            respawn ${pkgs.w3m}/bin/w3m ${import ../doc/manual}/manual.html < /dev/tty7 > /dev/tty7 2>&1
+            respawn ${pkgs.w3m}/bin/w3m ${manual} < /dev/tty7 > /dev/tty7 2>&1
           ";
         }
 
@@ -126,6 +126,14 @@ rec {
   pkgs = system.pkgs;
 
 
+  # The NixOS manual, with a backward compatibility hack for Nix <=
+  # 0.11 (you won't get the manual).
+  manual =
+    if builtins ? unsafeDiscardStringContext
+    then "${import ../doc/manual}/manual.html"
+    else pkgs.writeText "dummy-manual" "Manual not included in this build!";
+
+
   # Since the CD is read-only, the mount points must be on disk.
   cdMountPoints = pkgs.runCommand "mount-points" {} "
     ensureDir $out