diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 592a8c239..0a3c97920 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ Makefile.config
 
 /misc/systemd/nix-daemon.service
 /misc/systemd/nix-daemon.socket
+/misc/upstart/nix-daemon.conf
 
 *.a
 *.o
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 77f22db9f..d6c645f0f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ makefiles = \
   scripts/local.mk \
   corepkgs/local.mk \
   misc/systemd/local.mk \
+  misc/upstart/local.mk \
   misc/emacs/local.mk \
   doc/manual/local.mk \
   tests/local.mk
diff --git a/misc/upstart/local.mk b/misc/upstart/local.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..249262d4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/upstart/local.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+$(foreach n, nix-daemon.conf, $(eval $(call install-file-in, $(d)/$(n), $(sysconfdir)/init, 0644)))
diff --git a/misc/upstart/nix-daemon.conf.in b/misc/upstart/nix-daemon.conf.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e806edbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/upstart/nix-daemon.conf.in
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+description "Nix Daemon"
+start on filesystem
+stop on shutdown
+respawn
+exec @bindir@/nix-daemon --daemon