diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
index d8640934d..2b3a9a5d5 100644
--- a/.github/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@
 /modules/misc/xdg-system-dirs.nix                     @tadfisher
 /tests/modules/misc/xdg/system-dirs.nix               @tadfisher
 
+/modules/misc/xdg-desktop-entries.nix                 @cwyc
+/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-entries.nix           @cwyc
+/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-full-expected.desktop @cwyc
+/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-min-expected.desktop  @cwyc
+
 /modules/programs/aria2.nix                           @JustinLovinger
 
 /modules/programs/autojump.nix                        @evanjs
diff --git a/modules/misc/xdg-desktop-entries.nix b/modules/misc/xdg-desktop-entries.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..382d6c2b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/xdg-desktop-entries.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+  desktopEntry = {
+    options = {
+      # Since this module uses the nixpkgs/pkgs/build-support/make-desktopitem function, 
+      # our options and defaults follow its parameters, with the following exceptions:
+
+      # `desktopName` on makeDesktopItem is controlled by `name`.
+      # This is what we'd commonly consider the name of the application.
+      # `name` on makeDesktopItem is controlled by this module's key in the attrset.
+      # This is the file's filename excluding ".desktop".
+
+      # `extraEntries` on makeDesktopItem is controlled by `extraConfig`,
+      # and `extraDesktopEntries` by `settings`,
+      # to match what's commonly used by other home manager modules.
+
+      # `startupNotify` on makeDesktopItem asks for "true" or "false" strings,
+      # for usability's sake we ask for a boolean.
+
+      # `mimeType` and `categories` on makeDesktopItem ask for a string in the format "one;two;three;",
+      # for the same reason we ask for a list of strings.
+
+      # Descriptions are taken from the desktop entry spec: 
+      # https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html#recognized-keys
+
+      type = mkOption {
+        description = "The type of the desktop entry.";
+        default = "Application";
+        type = types.enum [ "Application" "Link" "Directory" ];
+      };
+
+      exec = mkOption {
+        description = "Program to execute, possibly with arguments.";
+        type = types.str;
+      };
+
+      icon = mkOption {
+        description = "Icon to display in file manager, menus, etc.";
+        type = types.nullOr types.str;
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      comment = mkOption {
+        description = "Tooltip for the entry.";
+        type = types.nullOr types.str;
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      terminal = mkOption {
+        description = "Whether the program runs in a terminal window.";
+        type = types.bool;
+        default = false;
+      };
+
+      name = mkOption {
+        description = "Specific name of the application.";
+        type = types.str;
+      };
+
+      genericName = mkOption {
+        description = "Generic name of the application.";
+        type = types.nullOr types.str;
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      mimeType = mkOption {
+        description = "The MIME type(s) supported by this application.";
+        type = types.nullOr (types.listOf types.str);
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      categories = mkOption {
+        description =
+          "Categories in which the entry should be shown in a menu.";
+        type = types.nullOr (types.listOf types.str);
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      startupNotify = mkOption {
+        description = ''
+          If true, it is KNOWN that the application will send a "remove" 
+          message when started with the <literal>DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID</literal> 
+          environment variable set. If false, it is KNOWN that the application 
+          does not work with startup notification at all.'';
+        type = types.nullOr types.bool;
+        default = null;
+      };
+
+      extraConfig = mkOption {
+        description = ''
+          Extra configuration. Will be appended to the end of the file and 
+          may thus contain extra sections.
+        '';
+        type = types.lines;
+        default = "";
+      };
+
+      settings = mkOption {
+        type = types.attrsOf types.string;
+        description = ''
+          Extra key-value pairs to add to the <literal>[Desktop Entry]</literal> section. 
+          This may override other values.
+        '';
+        default = { };
+        example = literalExample ''
+          {
+            Keywords = "calc;math";
+            DBusActivatable = "false";
+          }
+        '';
+      };
+
+      fileValidation = mkOption {
+        type = types.bool;
+        description = "Whether to validate the generated desktop file.";
+        default = true;
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
+  #formatting helpers
+  ifNotNull = a: a': if a == null then null else a';
+  stringBool = bool: if bool then "true" else "false";
+  semicolonList = list:
+    (concatStringsSep ";" list) + ";"; # requires trailing semicolon
+
+  #passes config options to makeDesktopItem in expected format
+  makeFile = name: config:
+    pkgs.makeDesktopItem {
+      name = name;
+      type = config.type;
+      exec = config.exec;
+      icon = config.icon;
+      comment = config.comment;
+      terminal = config.terminal;
+      desktopName = config.name;
+      genericName = config.genericName;
+      mimeType = ifNotNull config.mimeType (semicolonList config.mimeType);
+      categories =
+        ifNotNull config.categories (semicolonList config.categories);
+      startupNotify =
+        ifNotNull config.startupNotify (stringBool config.startupNotify);
+      extraEntries = config.extraConfig;
+      extraDesktopEntries = config.settings;
+    };
+in {
+  meta.maintainers = with maintainers; [ cwyc ];
+
+  options.xdg.desktopEntries = mkOption {
+    description = ''
+      Desktop Entries allow applications to be shown in your desktop environment's app launcher. </para><para>
+      You can define entries for programs without entries or override existing entries. </para><para>
+      See <link xlink:href="https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html#recognized-keys" /> for more information on options.
+    '';
+    default = { };
+    type = types.attrsOf (types.submodule desktopEntry);
+    example = literalExample ''
+      {
+        firefox = {
+          name = "Firefox";
+          genericName = "Web Browser";
+          exec = "firefox %U";
+          terminal = false;
+          categories = [ "Application" "Network" "WebBrowser" ];
+          mimeType = [ "text/html" "text/xml" ];
+        };
+      }
+    '';
+  };
+
+  config.home.packages = mkIf (config.xdg.desktopEntries != { })
+    (map hiPrio # we need hiPrio to override existing entries
+      (attrsets.mapAttrsToList makeFile config.xdg.desktopEntries));
+
+}
diff --git a/modules/modules.nix b/modules/modules.nix
index e7f4c1b63..c0dd457c7 100644
--- a/modules/modules.nix
+++ b/modules/modules.nix
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ let
     (loadModule ./misc/version.nix { })
     (loadModule ./misc/vte.nix { })
     (loadModule ./misc/xdg-system-dirs.nix { condition = hostPlatform.isLinux; })
+    (loadModule ./misc/xdg-desktop-entries.nix { condition = hostPlatform.isLinux; })
     (loadModule ./misc/xdg-mime.nix { condition = hostPlatform.isLinux; })
     (loadModule ./misc/xdg-mime-apps.nix { condition = hostPlatform.isLinux; })
     (loadModule ./misc/xdg-user-dirs.nix { condition = hostPlatform.isLinux; })
diff --git a/tests/modules/misc/xdg/default.nix b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/default.nix
index 45610154c..b637cd1bf 100644
--- a/tests/modules/misc/xdg/default.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/default.nix
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@
   xdg-mime-apps-basics = ./mime-apps-basics.nix;
   xdg-file-attr-names = ./file-attr-names.nix;
   xdg-system-dirs = ./system-dirs.nix;
+  xdg-desktop-entries = ./desktop-entries.nix;
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-entries.nix b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-entries.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..098aa7eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-entries.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+{
+  config = {
+    xdg.desktopEntries = {
+      full = { # full definition
+        type = "Application";
+        exec = "test --option";
+        icon = "test";
+        comment = "My Application";
+        terminal = true;
+        name = "Test";
+        genericName = "Web Browser";
+        mimeType = [ "text/html" "text/xml" ];
+        categories = [ "Network" "WebBrowser" ];
+        startupNotify = false;
+        extraConfig = ''
+          [X-ExtraSection]
+          Exec=foo -o
+        '';
+        settings = {
+          Keywords = "calc;math";
+          DBusActivatable = "false";
+        };
+        fileValidation = true;
+      };
+      min = { # minimal definition
+        exec = "test --option";
+        name = "Test";
+      };
+    };
+
+    #testing that preexisting entries in the store are overridden
+    home.packages = [
+      (pkgs.makeDesktopItem {
+        name = "full";
+        desktopName = "We don't want this";
+        exec = "no";
+      })
+      (pkgs.makeDesktopItem {
+        name = "min";
+        desktopName = "We don't want this";
+        exec = "no";
+      })
+    ];
+
+    nmt.script = ''
+      assertFileExists home-path/share/applications/full.desktop
+      assertFileExists home-path/share/applications/min.desktop
+      assertFileContent home-path/share/applications/full.desktop \
+        ${./desktop-full-expected.desktop}
+      assertFileContent home-path/share/applications/min.desktop \
+        ${./desktop-min-expected.desktop}
+    '';
+  };
+}
diff --git a/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-full-expected.desktop b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-full-expected.desktop
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd5ace1b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-full-expected.desktop
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[Desktop Entry]
+Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
+Comment=My Application
+DBusActivatable=false
+Exec=test --option
+GenericName=Web Browser
+Icon=test
+Keywords=calc;math
+MimeType=text/html;text/xml;
+Name=Test
+StartupNotify=false
+Terminal=true
+Type=Application
+[X-ExtraSection]
+Exec=foo -o
+
diff --git a/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-min-expected.desktop b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-min-expected.desktop
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9475024ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/misc/xdg/desktop-min-expected.desktop
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[Desktop Entry]
+Exec=test --option
+Name=Test
+Terminal=false
+Type=Application