diff --git a/modules/default.nix b/modules/default.nix
index 4cba27ffb..9b6ad758d 100644
--- a/modules/default.nix
+++ b/modules/default.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ let
     ./misc/news.nix
     ./misc/nixpkgs.nix
     ./misc/pam.nix
+    ./misc/xdg.nix
     ./programs/bash.nix
     ./programs/beets.nix
     ./programs/browserpass.nix
diff --git a/modules/misc/xdg.nix b/modules/misc/xdg.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..941d51ed8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/xdg.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+{ options, config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+
+  cfg = config.xdg;
+
+  fileType = basePath: (types.loaOf (types.submodule (
+    { name, config, ... }: {
+      options = {
+        target = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          apply = p: "${cfg.configHome}/${p}";
+          description = ''
+            Path to target file relative to <varname>${basePath}</varname>.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        text = mkOption {
+          default = null;
+          type = types.nullOr types.lines;
+          description = "Text of the file.";
+        };
+
+        source = mkOption {
+          type = types.path;
+          description = ''
+            Path of the source file. The file name must not start
+            with a period since Nix will not allow such names in
+            the Nix store.
+            </para><para>
+            This may refer to a directory.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        executable = mkOption {
+          type = types.bool;
+          default = false;
+          description = "Whether the file should be executable.";
+        };
+      };
+
+      config = {
+        target = mkDefault name;
+        source = mkIf (config.text != null) (
+          let
+            file = pkgs.writeTextFile {
+              inherit (config) text executable;
+              name = "user-etc-" + baseNameOf name;
+            };
+          in
+            mkDefault file
+        );
+      };
+    }
+  )));
+
+  defaultCacheHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.cache";
+  defaultConfigHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.config";
+  defaultDataHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.local/share";
+
+  getXdgDir = name: fallback:
+    let
+      value = builtins.getEnv name;
+    in
+      if value != "" then value else fallback;
+
+in
+
+{
+  options.xdg = {
+    enable = mkEnableOption "management of XDG base directories";
+
+    cacheHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.cache";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application caches.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    configFile = mkOption {
+      type = fileType "xdg.configHome";
+      default = {};
+      description = ''
+        Attribute set of files to link into the user's XDG
+        configuration home.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    configHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.config";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application configurations.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    dataHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.local/share";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application data.
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = mkMerge [
+    (mkIf cfg.enable {
+      xdg.cacheHome = mkDefault defaultCacheHome;
+      xdg.configHome = mkDefault defaultConfigHome;
+      xdg.dataHome = mkDefault defaultDataHome;
+
+      home.sessionVariables = {
+        XDG_CACHE_HOME = cfg.cacheHome;
+        XDG_CONFIG_HOME = cfg.configHome;
+        XDG_DATA_HOME = cfg.dataHome;
+      };
+    })
+
+    (mkIf (!cfg.enable) {
+      xdg.cacheHome = getXdgDir "XDG_CACHE_HOME" defaultCacheHome;
+      xdg.configHome = getXdgDir "XDG_CONFIG_HOME" defaultConfigHome;
+      xdg.dataHome = getXdgDir "XDG_DATA_HOME" defaultDataHome;
+    })
+
+    {
+      home.file =
+        let
+          f = n: v: {
+            inherit (v) source target;
+            mode = if v.executable then "777" else "444";
+          };
+        in mapAttrsToList f cfg.configFile;
+    }
+  ];
+}