diff --git a/modules/lib/default.nix b/modules/lib/default.nix
index 6b2bbacc2..266aa66a4 100644
--- a/modules/lib/default.nix
+++ b/modules/lib/default.nix
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ rec {
         entryBefore = d.dagEntryBefore;
       };
 
+  gvariant = import ./gvariant.nix { inherit lib; };
+
   strings = import ./strings.nix { inherit lib; };
-  types = import ./types.nix { inherit dag lib; };
+  types = import ./types.nix { inherit dag gvariant lib; };
 
   shell = import ./shell.nix { inherit lib; };
   zsh = import ./zsh.nix { inherit lib; };
diff --git a/modules/lib/gvariant.nix b/modules/lib/gvariant.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83951c207
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/lib/gvariant.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+# A partial and basic implementation of GVariant formatted strings.
+#
+# Note, this API is not considered fully stable and it might therefore
+# change in backwards incompatible ways without prior notice.
+
+{ lib }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+
+  mkPrimitive = t: v: {
+    _type = "gvariant";
+    type = t;
+    value = v;
+    __toString = self: "@${self.type} ${toString self.value}";
+  };
+
+  type = {
+    arrayOf = t: "a${t}";
+    tupleOf = ts: "(${concatStrings ts})";
+    string = "s";
+    boolean = "b";
+    uchar = "y";
+    int16 = "n";
+    uint16 = "q";
+    int32 = "i";
+    uint32 = "u";
+    int64 = "x";
+    uint64 = "t";
+    double = "d";
+  };
+
+  # Returns the GVariant type of a given Nix value. If no type can be
+  # found for the value then the empty string is returned.
+  typeOf = v:
+    with type;
+    if builtins.isBool v then
+      boolean
+    else if builtins.isInt v then
+      int32
+    else if builtins.isFloat v then
+      double
+    else if builtins.isString v then
+      string
+    else if builtins.isList v then
+      let elemType = elemTypeOf v;
+      in if elemType == "" then "" else arrayOf elemType
+    else if builtins.isAttrs v && v ? type then
+      v.type
+    else
+      "";
+
+  elemTypeOf = vs:
+    if builtins.isList vs then
+      if vs == [ ] then "" else typeOf (head vs)
+    else
+      "";
+
+in rec {
+
+  inherit type typeOf;
+
+  isArray = hasPrefix "a";
+  isTuple = hasPrefix "(";
+
+  # Returns the GVariant value that most closely matches the given Nix
+  # value. If no GVariant value can be found then `null` is returned.
+  #
+  # No support for dictionaries, maybe types, or variants.
+  mkValue = v:
+    if builtins.isBool v then
+      mkBoolean v
+    else if builtins.isInt v then
+      mkInt32 v
+    else if builtins.isFloat v then
+      mkDouble v
+    else if builtins.isString v then
+      mkString v
+    else if builtins.isList v then
+      if v == [ ] then mkArray type.string [ ] else mkArray (elemTypeOf v) v
+    else if builtins.isAttrs v && (v._type or "") == "gvariant" then
+      v
+    else
+      null;
+
+  mkArray = elemType: elems:
+    mkPrimitive (type.arrayOf elemType) (map mkValue elems) // {
+      __toString = self:
+        "@${self.type} [${concatMapStringsSep "," toString self.value}]";
+    };
+
+  mkEmptyArray = elemType: mkArray elemType [ ];
+
+  mkTuple = elems:
+    let
+      gvarElems = map mkValue elems;
+      tupleType = type.tupleOf (map (e: e.type) gvarElems);
+    in mkPrimitive tupleType gvarElems // {
+      __toString = self:
+        "@${self.type} (${concatMapStringsSep "," toString self.value})";
+    };
+
+  mkBoolean = v:
+    mkPrimitive type.boolean v // {
+      __toString = self: if self.value then "true" else "false";
+    };
+
+  mkString = v:
+    mkPrimitive type.string v // {
+      __toString = self: "'${escape [ "'" ] self.value}'";
+    };
+
+  mkObjectpath = v:
+    mkPrimitive type.string v // {
+      __toString = self: "objectpath '${escape [ "'" ] self.value}'";
+    };
+
+  mkUchar = mkPrimitive type.uchar;
+
+  mkInt16 = mkPrimitive type.int16;
+
+  mkUint16 = mkPrimitive type.uint16;
+
+  mkInt32 = v:
+    mkPrimitive type.int32 v // {
+      __toString = self: toString self.value;
+    };
+
+  mkUint32 = mkPrimitive type.uint32;
+
+  mkInt64 = mkPrimitive type.int64;
+
+  mkUint64 = mkPrimitive type.uint64;
+
+  mkDouble = v:
+    mkPrimitive type.double v // {
+      __toString = self: toString self.value;
+    };
+
+}
diff --git a/modules/lib/types.nix b/modules/lib/types.nix
index fb871cf81..f47f717c8 100644
--- a/modules/lib/types.nix
+++ b/modules/lib/types.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-{ lib, dag ? import ./dag.nix { inherit lib; } }:
+{ lib
+, dag ? import ./dag.nix { inherit lib; }
+, gvariant ? import ./gvariant.nix { inherit lib; }
+}:
 
 with lib;
 
@@ -6,9 +9,13 @@ let
 
   typesDag = import ./types-dag.nix { inherit dag lib; };
 
+  # Needed since the type is called gvariant and its merge attribute
+  # must refer back to the type.
+  gvar = gvariant;
+
 in
 
-{
+rec {
 
   inherit (typesDag) dagOf listOrDagOf;
 
@@ -56,4 +63,35 @@ in
     };
   };
 
+  gvariant = mkOptionType rec {
+    name = "gvariant";
+    description = "GVariant value";
+    check = v: gvar.mkValue v != null;
+    merge = loc: defs:
+      let
+        vdefs = map (d: d // { value = gvar.mkValue d.value; }) defs;
+        vals = map (d: d.value) vdefs;
+        defTypes = map (x: x.type) vals;
+        sameOrNull = x: y: if x == y then y else null;
+        # A bit naive to just check the first entry…
+        sharedDefType = foldl' sameOrNull (head defTypes) defTypes;
+        allChecked = all (x: check x) vals;
+      in
+        if sharedDefType == null then
+          throw ("Cannot merge definitions of `${showOption loc}' with"
+                 + " mismatched GVariant types given in"
+                 + " ${showFiles (getFiles defs)}.")
+        else if gvar.isArray sharedDefType && allChecked then
+          (types.listOf gvariant).merge
+            loc (map (d: d // { value = d.value.value; } ) vdefs)
+        else if gvar.isTuple sharedDefType && allChecked then
+          mergeOneOption loc defs
+        else if gvar.type.string == sharedDefType && allChecked then
+          types.str.merge loc defs
+        else if gvar.type.double == sharedDefType && allChecked then
+          types.float.merge loc defs
+        else
+          mergeDefaultOption loc defs;
+  };
+
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/types/default.nix b/tests/lib/types/default.nix
index 9fce65f88..bc5cfbaba 100644
--- a/tests/lib/types/default.nix
+++ b/tests/lib/types/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 {
   lib-types-dag-merge = ./dag-merge.nix;
   lib-types-list-or-dag-merge = ./list-or-dag-merge.nix;
+
+  lib-types-gvariant-merge = ./gvariant-merge.nix;
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/types/gvariant-merge.nix b/tests/lib/types/gvariant-merge.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0eeccf7f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/types/gvariant-merge.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+
+in {
+  options.examples = mkOption { type = types.attrsOf hm.types.gvariant; };
+
+  config = {
+    examples = with hm.gvariant;
+      mkMerge [
+        { bool = true; }
+        { bool = true; }
+
+        { float = 3.14; }
+
+        { int = 42; }
+        { int = 42; }
+
+        { list = [ "one" ]; }
+        { list = mkArray type.string [ "two" ]; }
+
+        { emptyArray1 = [ ]; }
+        { emptyArray2 = mkEmptyArray type.uint32; }
+
+        { string = "foo"; }
+        { string = "foo"; }
+
+        { tuple = mkTuple [ 1 [ "foo" ] ]; }
+      ];
+
+    home.file."result.txt".text = let
+      mkLine = n: v: "${n} = ${toString (hm.gvariant.mkValue v)}";
+      result = concatStringsSep "\n" (mapAttrsToList mkLine config.examples);
+    in result + "\n";
+
+    nmt.script = ''
+      assertFileContent \
+        home-files/result.txt \
+        ${
+          pkgs.writeText "expected.txt" ''
+            bool = true
+            emptyArray1 = @as []
+            emptyArray2 = @as []
+            float = 3.140000
+            int = 42
+            list = @as ['one','two']
+            string = 'foo'
+            tuple = @(ias) (1,@as ['foo'])
+          ''
+        }
+    '';
+  };
+}