diff --git a/system/etc.nix b/system/etc.nix
index da04d8d961e..917491fcb1d 100644
--- a/system/etc.nix
+++ b/system/etc.nix
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
       target = "profile";
     }
 
+    { # Configuration file for fontconfig used to locate
+      # (X11) client-rendered fonts.
+      source = ./etc/fonts/fonts.conf;
+      target = "fonts/fonts.conf";
+    }
+
   ]
 
   # LDAP configuration.
diff --git a/system/etc/fonts/fonts.conf b/system/etc/fonts/fonts.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ff4a608e928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system/etc/fonts/fonts.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
+
+<fontconfig>
+
+  <dir>/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/lib/X11/fonts</dir>
+  <dir>~/.nix-profile/lib/X11/fonts</dir>
+  <dir>~/.fonts</dir>
+  
+</fontconfig>
diff --git a/system/etc/profile.sh b/system/etc/profile.sh
index f2b8d3c8dcf..738eb056ea7 100644
--- a/system/etc/profile.sh
+++ b/system/etc/profile.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ export MODULE_DIR=@kernel@/lib/modules
 export NIX_CONF_DIR=/nix/etc/nix
 export PAGER=less
 export TZ=@timeZone@
+export FONTCONFIG_FILE=/etc/fonts/fonts.conf
 
 PROMPT_COLOR="1;31m"
 PS1="\n\[\033[$PROMPT_COLOR\][\u@\h:\w]$\[\033[0m\] "