diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bb2e6a28803
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+{stdenv, fetchurl, perl, cross ? null, kernel}:
+
+assert cross == null -> stdenv.isLinux;
+
+let
+  version = kernel.version;
+  kernelHeadersBaseConfig = if (cross == null) then
+      stdenv.platform.kernelHeadersBaseConfig
+    else
+      cross.platform.kernelHeadersBaseConfig;
+in
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "linux-headers-${version}";
+
+  src = kernel.src;
+
+  targetConfig = if (cross != null) then cross.config else null;
+
+  platform =
+    if cross != null then cross.platform.kernelArch else
+    if stdenv.system == "i686-linux" then "i386" else
+    if stdenv.system == "x86_64-linux" then "x86_64" else
+    if stdenv.system == "powerpc-linux" then "powerpc" else
+    if stdenv.system == "armv5tel-linux" then "arm" else
+    if stdenv.platform ? kernelArch then stdenv.platform.kernelArch else
+    abort "don't know what the kernel include directory is called for this platform";
+
+  buildInputs = [perl];
+
+  extraIncludeDirs =
+    if cross != null then
+	(if cross.arch == "powerpc" then ["ppc"] else [])
+    else if stdenv.system == "powerpc-linux" then ["ppc"] else [];
+
+  buildPhase = ''
+    if test -n "$targetConfig"; then
+       export ARCH=$platform
+    fi
+    make ${kernelHeadersBaseConfig}
+    make mrproper headers_check
+  '';
+
+  installPhase = ''
+    make INSTALL_HDR_PATH=$out headers_install
+
+    # Some builds (e.g. KVM) want a kernel.release.
+    ensureDir $out/include/config
+    echo "${version}-default" > $out/include/config/kernel.release
+  '';
+
+  # !!! hacky
+  fixupPhase = ''
+    ln -s asm $out/include/asm-$platform
+    if test "$platform" = "i386" -o "$platform" = "x86_64"; then
+      ln -s asm $out/include/asm-x86
+    fi
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 2234f65fcee..3c30c879ea2 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -5242,7 +5242,7 @@ let
 
   libnl1 = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/libnl/v1.nix { };
 
-  linuxHeaders = linuxHeaders_2_6_32;
+  linuxHeaders = linuxPackages.kernelHeaders;
 
   linuxHeaders26Cross = forceBuildDrv (import ../os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/2.6.32.nix {
     inherit stdenv fetchurl perl;
@@ -5627,6 +5627,8 @@ let
 
     broadcom_sta = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/broadcom-sta/default.nix { };
 
+    kernelHeaders = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/kernel-headers { };
+
     nvidia_x11 = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11 { };
 
     nvidia_x11_legacy96 = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11/legacy96.nix { };