diff --git a/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/default.nix b/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/default.nix
index ab1271e69ae..7ea49571698 100644
--- a/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/default.nix
+++ b/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/default.nix
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ in
 {
   require = [
     (import ./kde.nix)
+    (import ./kde4.nix)
     (import ./gnome.nix)
     (import ./xterm.nix)
     (import ./none.nix)
diff --git a/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/kde4.nix b/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/kde4.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2694057720b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upstart-jobs/xserver/desktopManager/kde4.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+{pkgs, config, ...}:
+
+let
+  inherit (pkgs.lib) mkOption mkIf;
+  cfg = config.services.xserver.desktopManager.kde;
+  xorg = config.services.xserver.package;
+
+  options = { services = { xserver = { desktopManager = {
+
+    kde4 = {
+      enable = mkOption {
+        default = false;
+        example = true;
+        description = "Enable the kde 4 desktop manager.";
+      };
+    };
+
+  }; }; }; };
+in
+
+mkIf cfg.enable {
+  require = options;
+
+  services = {
+    xserver = {
+
+      desktopManager = {
+        session = [{
+          name = "kde4";
+          start = ''
+            # Start KDE.
+            export KDEDIRS=$HOME/.nix-profile:/nix/var/nix/profiles/default:${pkgs.kde42.kdelibs}:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase}:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_runtime}:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_workspace}
+            export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=${pkgs.kde42.kdelibs}/etc/xdg:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_runtime}/etc/xdg:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_workspace}/etc/xdg
+            export XDG_DATA_DIRS=${pkgs.kde42.kdelibs}/share:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase}/share:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_runtime}/share:${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_workspace}/share:${pkgs.shared_mime_info}/share
+            exec ${pkgs.kde42.kdebase_workspace}/bin/startkde
+          '';
+        }];
+      };
+
+    };
+  };
+
+  security = {
+    extraSetuidPrograms = [
+      "kcheckpass"
+    ];
+  };
+
+  environment = {
+    extraPackages = [
+      xorg.xmessage # so that startkde can show error messages
+      pkgs.qt4 # needed for qdbus
+      pkgs.kde42.kdelibs
+      pkgs.kde42.kdebase
+      pkgs.kde42.kdebase_runtime
+      pkgs.kde42.kdebase_workspace
+      xorg.xset # used by startkde, non-essential
+    ];
+
+    etc = [
+      { source = ../../../etc/pam.d/kde;
+        target = "pam.d/kde";
+      }
+      { source = "${pkgs.xkeyboard_config}/etc/X11/xkb";
+        target = "X11/xkb";
+      }
+    ];
+  };
+}