diff --git a/doc/manual/.version b/doc/manual/.version
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..b7badcd0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/.version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../.version
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/manual/book.toml b/doc/manual/book.toml
index 73fb7e75e..acae7aec7 100644
--- a/doc/manual/book.toml
+++ b/doc/manual/book.toml
@@ -7,9 +7,21 @@ additional-js = ["redirects.js"]
 edit-url-template = "https://github.com/NixOS/nix/tree/master/doc/manual/{path}"
 git-repository-url = "https://github.com/NixOS/nix"
 
+# Handles replacing @docroot@ with a path to ./src relative to that markdown file,
+# {{#include handlebars}}, and the @generated@ syntax used within these. it mostly
+# but not entirely replaces the links preprocessor (which we cannot simply use due
+# to @generated@ files living in a different directory to make meson happy). we do
+# not want to disable the links preprocessor entirely though because that requires
+# disabling *all* built-in preprocessors and selectively reenabling those we want.
+[preprocessor.substitute]
+command = "python3 ./substitute.py"
+before = ["anchors", "links"]
+
 [preprocessor.anchors]
 renderers = ["html"]
-command = "jq --from-file doc/manual/anchors.jq"
+command = "jq --from-file ./anchors.jq"
+
+[output.markdown]
 
 [output.linkcheck]
 # no Internet during the build (in the sandbox)
diff --git a/doc/manual/generate-deps.py b/doc/manual/generate-deps.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..297bd3939
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/generate-deps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import glob
+import sys
+
+# meson expects makefile-style dependency declarations, i.e.
+#
+#   target: dependency...
+#
+# meson seems to pass depfiles straight on to ninja even though
+# it also parses the file itself (or at least has code to do so
+# in its tree), so we must live by ninja's rules: only slashes,
+# spaces and octothorpes can be escaped, anything else is taken
+# literally. since the rules for these aren't even the same for
+# all three we will just fail when we encounter any of them (if
+# asserts are off for some reason the depfile will likely point
+# to nonexistant paths, making everything phony and thus fine.)
+for path in glob.glob(sys.argv[1] + '/**', recursive=True):
+    assert '\\' not in path
+    assert ' ' not in path
+    assert '#' not in path
+    print("ignored:", path)
diff --git a/doc/manual/local.mk b/doc/manual/local.mk
index fcc50f460..3c777efc3 100644
--- a/doc/manual/local.mk
+++ b/doc/manual/local.mk
@@ -223,8 +223,13 @@ $(docdir)/manual/index.html: $(MANUAL_SRCS) $(d)/book.toml $(d)/anchors.jq $(d)/
 			sed -i "s,@docroot@,$$docroot,g" "$$file"; \
 		done; \
 		set -euo pipefail; \
-		RUST_LOG=warn mdbook build "$$tmp/manual" -d $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual.tmp 2>&1 \
-			| { grep -Fv "because fragment resolution isn't implemented" || :; }; \
+		( \
+		    cd "$$tmp/manual"; \
+		    RUST_LOG=warn \
+		        MDBOOK_SUBSTITUTE_SEARCH=$(d)/src \
+		        mdbook build -d $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual.tmp 2>&1 \
+			    | { grep -Fv "because fragment resolution isn't implemented" || :; } \
+		); \
 		rm -rf "$$tmp/manual"
 	@rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual
 	@mv $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual.tmp/html $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual
diff --git a/doc/manual/meson.build b/doc/manual/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31d1814d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,353 @@
+project('nix-manual',
+  version : files('.version'),
+  meson_version : '>= 1.1',
+  license : 'LGPL-2.1-or-later',
+)
+
+nix = find_program('nix', native : true)
+
+mdbook = find_program('mdbook', native : true)
+bash = find_program('bash', native : true)
+
+pymod = import('python')
+python = pymod.find_installation('python3')
+
+nix_env_for_docs = {
+  'HOME': '/dummy',
+  'NIX_CONF_DIR': '/dummy',
+  'NIX_SSL_CERT_FILE': '/dummy/no-ca-bundle.crt',
+  'NIX_STATE_DIR': '/dummy',
+  'NIX_CONFIG': 'cores = 0',
+}
+
+nix_for_docs = [nix, '--experimental-features', 'nix-command']
+nix_eval_for_docs_common = nix_for_docs + [
+  'eval',
+  '-I', 'nix=' + meson.current_source_dir(),
+  '--store', 'dummy://',
+  '--impure',
+]
+nix_eval_for_docs = nix_eval_for_docs_common + '--raw'
+
+conf_file_json = custom_target(
+  command : nix_for_docs + ['config', 'show', '--json'],
+  capture : true,
+  output : 'conf-file.json',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+language_json = custom_target(
+  command: [nix, '__dump-language'],
+  output : 'language.json',
+  capture : true,
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+nix3_cli_json = custom_target(
+  command : [nix, '__dump-cli'],
+  capture : true,
+  output : 'nix.json',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+generate_manual_deps = files(
+  'generate-deps.py',
+)
+
+# Generates types
+subdir('src/store')
+# Generates builtins.md and builtin-constants.md.
+subdir('src/language')
+# Generates new-cli pages, experimental-features-shortlist.md, and conf-file.md.
+subdir('src/command-ref')
+# Generates experimental-feature-descriptions.md.
+subdir('src/development')
+# Generates rl-next-generated.md.
+subdir('src/release-notes')
+subdir('src')
+
+# Hacky way to figure out if `nix` is an `ExternalProgram` or
+# `Exectuable`. Only the latter can occur in custom target input lists.
+if nix.full_path().startswith(meson.build_root())
+  nix_input = nix
+else
+  nix_input = []
+endif
+
+manual = custom_target(
+  'manual',
+  command : [
+    bash,
+    '-euo', 'pipefail',
+    '-c',
+    '''
+        @0@ @INPUT0@ @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@ > @DEPFILE@
+        @0@ @INPUT1@ summary @2@ < @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/src/SUMMARY.md.in > @2@/src/SUMMARY.md
+        rsync -r --include='*.md' @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/ @2@/
+        (cd @2@; RUST_LOG=warn @1@ build -d @2@ 3>&2 2>&1 1>&3) | { grep -Fv "because fragment resolution isn't implemented" || :; } 3>&2 2>&1 1>&3
+        rm -rf @2@/manual
+        mv @2@/html @2@/manual
+        find @2@/manual -iname meson.build -delete
+    '''.format(
+      python.full_path(),
+      mdbook.full_path(),
+      meson.current_build_dir(),
+    ),
+  ],
+  input : [
+    generate_manual_deps,
+    'substitute.py',
+    'book.toml',
+    'anchors.jq',
+    'custom.css',
+    nix3_cli_files,
+    experimental_features_shortlist_md,
+    experimental_feature_descriptions_md,
+    types_dir,
+    conf_file_md,
+    builtins_md,
+    rl_next_generated,
+    summary_rl_next,
+    nix_input,
+  ],
+  output : [
+    'manual',
+    'markdown',
+  ],
+  depfile : 'manual.d',
+  env : {
+    'RUST_LOG': 'info',
+    'MDBOOK_SUBSTITUTE_SEARCH': meson.current_build_dir() / 'src',
+  },
+)
+manual_html = manual[0]
+manual_md = manual[1]
+
+install_subdir(
+  manual_html.full_path(),
+  install_dir : get_option('datadir') / 'doc/nix',
+)
+
+nix_nested_manpages = [
+  [ 'nix-env',
+    [
+      'delete-generations',
+      'install',
+      'list-generations',
+      'query',
+      'rollback',
+      'set-flag',
+      'set',
+      'switch-generation',
+      'switch-profile',
+      'uninstall',
+      'upgrade',
+    ],
+  ],
+  [ 'nix-store',
+    [
+      'add-fixed',
+      'add',
+      'delete',
+      'dump-db',
+      'dump',
+      'export',
+      'gc',
+      'generate-binary-cache-key',
+      'import',
+      'load-db',
+      'optimise',
+      'print-env',
+      'query',
+      'read-log',
+      'realise',
+      'repair-path',
+      'restore',
+      'serve',
+      'verify',
+      'verify-path',
+    ],
+  ],
+]
+
+foreach command : nix_nested_manpages
+  foreach page : command[1]
+    title = command[0] + ' --' + page
+    section = '1'
+    custom_target(
+      command : [
+        bash,
+        files('./render-manpage.sh'),
+        '--out-no-smarty',
+        title,
+        section,
+        '@INPUT0@/command-ref' / command[0] / (page + '.md'),
+        '@OUTPUT0@',
+      ],
+      input : [
+        manual_md,
+        nix_input,
+      ],
+      output : command[0] + '-' + page + '.1',
+      install : true,
+      install_dir : get_option('mandir') / 'man1',
+    )
+  endforeach
+endforeach
+
+nix3_manpages = [
+  'nix3-build',
+  'nix3-bundle',
+  'nix3-config',
+  'nix3-config-show',
+  'nix3-copy',
+  'nix3-daemon',
+  'nix3-derivation-add',
+  'nix3-derivation',
+  'nix3-derivation-show',
+  'nix3-develop',
+  #'nix3-doctor',
+  'nix3-edit',
+  'nix3-eval',
+  'nix3-flake-archive',
+  'nix3-flake-check',
+  'nix3-flake-clone',
+  'nix3-flake-info',
+  'nix3-flake-init',
+  'nix3-flake-lock',
+  'nix3-flake',
+  'nix3-flake-metadata',
+  'nix3-flake-new',
+  'nix3-flake-prefetch',
+  'nix3-flake-show',
+  'nix3-flake-update',
+  'nix3-fmt',
+  'nix3-hash-file',
+  'nix3-hash',
+  'nix3-hash-path',
+  'nix3-hash-to-base16',
+  'nix3-hash-to-base32',
+  'nix3-hash-to-base64',
+  'nix3-hash-to-sri',
+  'nix3-help',
+  'nix3-help-stores',
+  'nix3-key-convert-secret-to-public',
+  'nix3-key-generate-secret',
+  'nix3-key',
+  'nix3-log',
+  'nix3-nar-cat',
+  'nix3-nar-dump-path',
+  'nix3-nar-ls',
+  'nix3-nar',
+  'nix3-path-info',
+  'nix3-print-dev-env',
+  'nix3-profile-diff-closures',
+  'nix3-profile-history',
+  'nix3-profile-install',
+  'nix3-profile-list',
+  'nix3-profile',
+  'nix3-profile-remove',
+  'nix3-profile-rollback',
+  'nix3-profile-upgrade',
+  'nix3-profile-wipe-history',
+  'nix3-realisation-info',
+  'nix3-realisation',
+  'nix3-registry-add',
+  'nix3-registry-list',
+  'nix3-registry',
+  'nix3-registry-pin',
+  'nix3-registry-remove',
+  'nix3-repl',
+  'nix3-run',
+  'nix3-search',
+  #'nix3-shell',
+  'nix3-store-add-file',
+  'nix3-store-add-path',
+  'nix3-store-cat',
+  'nix3-store-copy-log',
+  'nix3-store-copy-sigs',
+  'nix3-store-delete',
+  'nix3-store-diff-closures',
+  'nix3-store-dump-path',
+  'nix3-store-gc',
+  'nix3-store-ls',
+  'nix3-store-make-content-addressed',
+  'nix3-store',
+  'nix3-store-optimise',
+  'nix3-store-path-from-hash-part',
+  'nix3-store-ping',
+  'nix3-store-prefetch-file',
+  'nix3-store-repair',
+  'nix3-store-sign',
+  'nix3-store-verify',
+  'nix3-upgrade-nix',
+  'nix3-why-depends',
+  'nix',
+]
+
+foreach page : nix3_manpages
+  section = '1'
+  custom_target(
+    command : [
+      bash,
+      '@INPUT0@',
+      page,
+      section,
+      '@INPUT1@/command-ref/new-cli/@0@.md'.format(page),
+      '@OUTPUT@',
+    ],
+    input : [
+      files('./render-manpage.sh'),
+      manual_md,
+      nix_input,
+    ],
+    output : page + '.1',
+    install : true,
+    install_dir : get_option('mandir') / 'man1',
+  )
+endforeach
+
+nix_manpages = [
+  [ 'nix-env', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-store', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-build', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-shell', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-instantiate', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-collect-garbage', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-prefetch-url', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-channel', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-hash', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix-copy-closure', 1 ],
+  [ 'nix.conf', 5, conf_file_md.full_path() ],
+  [ 'nix-daemon', 8 ],
+  [ 'nix-profiles', 5, 'files/profiles.md' ],
+]
+
+foreach entry : nix_manpages
+  title = entry[0]
+  # nix.conf.5 and nix-profiles.5 are based off of conf-file.md and files/profiles.md,
+  # rather than a stem identical to its mdbook source.
+  # Therefore we use an optional third element of this array to override the name pattern
+  md_file = entry.get(2, title + '.md')
+  section = entry[1].to_string()
+  md_file_resolved = join_paths('@INPUT1@/command-ref/', md_file)
+  custom_target(
+    command : [
+      bash,
+      '@INPUT0@',
+      title,
+      section,
+      md_file_resolved,
+      '@OUTPUT@',
+    ],
+    input : [
+      files('./render-manpage.sh'),
+      manual_md,
+      entry.get(3, []),
+      nix_input,
+    ],
+    output : '@0@.@1@'.format(entry[0], entry[1]),
+    install : true,
+    install_dir : get_option('mandir') / 'man@0@'.format(entry[1]),
+  )
+endforeach
diff --git a/doc/manual/package.nix b/doc/manual/package.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e6fcede3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/package.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+{ lib
+, mkMesonDerivation
+
+, meson
+, ninja
+, lowdown
+, mdbook
+, mdbook-linkcheck
+, jq
+, python3
+, rsync
+, nix-cli
+
+# Configuration Options
+
+, version
+}:
+
+let
+  inherit (lib) fileset;
+in
+
+mkMesonDerivation (finalAttrs: {
+  pname = "nix-manual";
+  inherit version;
+
+  workDir = ./.;
+  fileset = fileset.difference
+    (fileset.unions [
+      ../../.version
+      # Too many different types of files to filter for now
+      ../../doc/manual
+      ./.
+    ])
+    # Do a blacklist instead
+    ../../doc/manual/package.nix;
+
+  # TODO the man pages should probably be separate
+  outputs = [ "out" "man" ];
+
+  # Hack for sake of the dev shell
+  passthru.externalNativeBuildInputs = [
+    meson
+    ninja
+    (lib.getBin lowdown)
+    mdbook
+    mdbook-linkcheck
+    jq
+    python3
+    rsync
+  ];
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = finalAttrs.passthru.externalNativeBuildInputs ++ [
+    nix-cli
+  ];
+
+  preConfigure =
+    ''
+      chmod u+w ./.version
+      echo ${finalAttrs.version} > ./.version
+    '';
+
+  postInstall = ''
+    mkdir -p ''$out/nix-support
+    echo "doc manual ''$out/share/doc/nix/manual" >> ''$out/nix-support/hydra-build-products
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    platforms = lib.platforms.all;
+  };
+})
diff --git a/doc/manual/remove_before_wrapper.py b/doc/manual/remove_before_wrapper.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6da4c19b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/remove_before_wrapper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import shutil
+import typing as t
+
+def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) < 4 or '--' not in sys.argv:
+        print("Usage: remove-before-wrapper <output> -- <nix command...>")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    # Extract the parts
+    output: str = sys.argv[1]
+    nix_command_idx: int = sys.argv.index('--') + 1
+    nix_command: t.List[str] = sys.argv[nix_command_idx:]
+
+    output_temp: str = output + '.tmp'
+
+    # Remove the output and temp output in case they exist
+    shutil.rmtree(output, ignore_errors=True)
+    shutil.rmtree(output_temp, ignore_errors=True)
+
+    # Execute nix command with `--write-to` tempary output
+    nix_command_write_to = nix_command + ['--write-to', output_temp]
+    subprocess.run(nix_command_write_to, check=True)
+
+    # Move the temporary output to the intended location
+    os.rename(output_temp, output)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/doc/manual/render-manpage.sh b/doc/manual/render-manpage.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..65a9c124e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/render-manpage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+lowdown_args=
+
+if [ "$1" = --out-no-smarty ]; then
+    lowdown_args=--out-no-smarty
+    shift
+fi
+
+[ "$#" = 4 ] || {
+    echo "wrong number of args passed" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+title="$1"
+section="$2"
+infile="$3"
+outfile="$4"
+
+(
+    printf "Title: %s\n\n" "$title"
+    cat "$infile"
+) | lowdown -sT man --nroff-nolinks $lowdown_args -M section="$section" -o "$outfile"
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/command-ref/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2976f69ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+xp_features_json = custom_target(
+  command : [nix, '__dump-xp-features'],
+  capture : true,
+  output : 'xp-features.json',
+)
+
+experimental_features_shortlist_md = custom_target(
+  command : nix_eval_for_docs + [
+    '--expr',
+    'import @INPUT0@ (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./@INPUT1@))',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    '../../generate-xp-features-shortlist.nix',
+    xp_features_json,
+  ],
+  output : 'experimental-features-shortlist.md',
+  capture : true,
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+nix3_cli_files = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    python.full_path(),
+    '@INPUT0@',
+    '@OUTPUT@',
+    '--'
+  ] + nix_eval_for_docs + [
+    '--expr',
+    'import @INPUT1@ true (builtins.readFile ./@INPUT2@)',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    '../../remove_before_wrapper.py',
+    '../../generate-manpage.nix',
+    nix3_cli_json,
+  ],
+  output : 'new-cli',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+conf_file_md_body = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    nix_eval_for_docs,
+    '--expr',
+    'import @INPUT0@ { prefix = "conf"; } (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./@INPUT1@))',
+  ],
+  capture : true,
+  input : [
+    '../../generate-settings.nix',
+    conf_file_json,
+  ],
+  output : 'conf-file.body.md',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
+
+conf_file_md = custom_target(
+  command : [ 'cat', '@INPUT0@', '@INPUT1@' ],
+  capture : true,
+  input : [
+    'conf-file-prefix.md',
+    conf_file_md_body,
+  ],
+  output : 'conf-file.md',
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/development/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/development/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ffbfe394
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/development/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+experimental_feature_descriptions_md = custom_target(
+  command : nix_eval_for_docs + [
+    '--expr',
+    'import @INPUT0@ (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile @INPUT1@))',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    '../../generate-xp-features.nix',
+    xp_features_json,
+  ],
+  capture : true,
+  output : 'experimental-feature-descriptions.md',
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/constructs.md b/doc/manual/src/language/constructs.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41a180246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/language/constructs.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Language Constructs
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/language/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97469e2f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/language/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+builtins_md = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    python.full_path(),
+    '@INPUT0@',
+    '@OUTPUT@',
+    '--'
+  ] + nix_eval_for_docs + [
+    '--expr',
+    '(builtins.readFile @INPUT3@) + import @INPUT1@ (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./@INPUT2@)) + (builtins.readFile @INPUT4@)',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    '../../remove_before_wrapper.py',
+    '../../generate-builtins.nix',
+    language_json,
+    'builtins-prefix.md',
+    'builtins-suffix.md'
+  ],
+  output : 'builtins.md',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/values.md b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e05f56025
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Data Types
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..098a29897
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+summary_rl_next = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    bash,
+    '-euo', 'pipefail',
+    '-c',
+    '''
+      if [ -e "@INPUT@" ]; then
+        echo '  - [Upcoming release](release-notes/rl-next.md)'
+      fi
+    ''',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    rl_next_generated,
+  ],
+  capture: true,
+  output : 'SUMMARY-rl-next.md',
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/protocols/json/index.md b/doc/manual/src/protocols/json/index.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1fcd1e62d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/protocols/json/index.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# JSON Formats
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8bf154e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+rl_next_generated = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    'bash',
+    '-euo',
+    'pipefail',
+    '-c',
+    '''
+      if type -p build-release-notes > /dev/null; then
+        build-release-notes --change-authors @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../change-authors.yml @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next
+      elif type -p changelog-d > /dev/null; then
+        changelog-d @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next
+      fi
+      @0@ @INPUT0@ @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next > @DEPFILE@
+    '''.format(
+      python.full_path(),
+    ),
+  ],
+  input : [
+    generate_manual_deps,
+  ],
+  output : 'rl-next.md',
+  capture : true,
+  depfile : 'rl-next.d',
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/store/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/store/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e3006020d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/src/store/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+types_dir = custom_target(
+  command : [
+    python.full_path(),
+    '@INPUT0@',
+    '@OUTPUT@',
+    '--'
+  ] + nix_eval_for_docs + [
+    '--expr',
+    'import @INPUT1@ (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./@INPUT2@)).stores',
+  ],
+  input : [
+    '../../remove_before_wrapper.py',
+    '../../generate-store-types.nix',
+    nix3_cli_json,
+  ],
+  output : 'types',
+  env : nix_env_for_docs,
+)
diff --git a/doc/manual/substitute.py b/doc/manual/substitute.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..52cef4fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/substitute.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+from pathlib import Path
+import json
+import os, os.path
+import sys
+import typing as t
+
+name = 'substitute.py'
+
+def log(*args: t.Any, **kwargs: t.Any) -> None:
+    kwargs['file'] = sys.stderr
+    print(f'{name}:', *args, **kwargs)
+
+def do_include(content: str, relative_md_path: Path, source_root: Path, search_path: Path) -> str:
+    assert not relative_md_path.is_absolute(), f'{relative_md_path=} from mdbook should be relative'
+
+    md_path_abs = source_root / relative_md_path
+    var_abs = md_path_abs.parent
+    assert var_abs.is_dir(), f'supposed directory {var_abs} is not a directory (cwd={os.getcwd()})'
+
+    lines = []
+    for l in content.splitlines(keepends=True):
+        if l.strip().startswith("{{#include "):
+            requested = l.strip()[11:][:-2]
+            if requested.startswith("@generated@/"):
+                included = search_path / Path(requested[12:])
+                requested = included.relative_to(search_path)
+            else:
+                included = source_root / relative_md_path.parent / requested
+                requested = included.resolve().relative_to(source_root)
+            assert included.exists(), f"{requested} not found at {included}"
+            lines.append(do_include(included.read_text(), requested, source_root, search_path) + "\n")
+        else:
+            lines.append(l)
+    return "".join(lines)
+
+def recursive_replace(data: dict[str, t.Any], book_root: Path, search_path: Path) -> dict[str, t.Any]:
+    match data:
+        case {'sections': sections}:
+            return data | dict(
+                sections = [recursive_replace(section, book_root, search_path) for section in sections],
+            )
+        case {'Chapter': chapter}:
+            path_to_chapter = Path(chapter['path'])
+            chapter_content = chapter['content']
+
+            return data | dict(
+                Chapter = chapter | dict(
+                    # first process includes. this must happen before docroot processing since
+                    # mdbook does not see these included files, only the final agglomeration.
+                    content = do_include(
+                        chapter_content,
+                        path_to_chapter,
+                        book_root,
+                        search_path
+                    ).replace(
+                        '@docroot@',
+                        ("../" * len(path_to_chapter.parent.parts) or "./")[:-1]
+                    ),
+                    sub_items = [
+                        recursive_replace(sub_item, book_root, search_path)
+                        for sub_item in chapter['sub_items']
+                    ],
+                ),
+            )
+
+        case rest:
+            assert False, f'should have been called on a dict, not {type(rest)=}\n\t{rest=}'
+
+def main() -> None:
+
+
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'supports':
+        return 0
+
+    # includes pointing into @generated@ will look here
+    search_path = Path(os.environ['MDBOOK_SUBSTITUTE_SEARCH'])
+
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'summary':
+        print(do_include(
+                        sys.stdin.read(),
+                        Path('src/SUMMARY.md'),
+                        Path(sys.argv[2]).resolve(),
+                        search_path))
+        return
+
+    # mdbook communicates with us over stdin and stdout.
+    # It splorks us a JSON array, the first element describing the context,
+    # the second element describing the book itself,
+    # and then expects us to send it the modified book JSON over stdout.
+
+    context, book = json.load(sys.stdin)
+
+    # book_root is the directory where book contents leave (ie, src/)
+    book_root = Path(context['root']) / context['config']['book']['src']
+
+    # Find @var@ in all parts of our recursive book structure.
+    replaced_content = recursive_replace(book, book_root, search_path)
+
+    replaced_content_str = json.dumps(replaced_content)
+
+    # Give mdbook our changes.
+    print(replaced_content_str)
+
+try:
+    sys.exit(main())
+except AssertionError as e:
+    print(f'{name}: INTERNAL ERROR in mdbook preprocessor: {e}', file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f'this is a bug in {name}', file=sys.stderr)
+    raise
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 64b587760..303779c2b 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@
           inherit (nixpkgsFor.${system}.native)
             changelog-d;
           default = self.packages.${system}.nix-ng;
+          nix-manual = nixpkgsFor.${system}.native.nixComponents.nix-manual;
           nix-internal-api-docs = nixpkgsFor.${system}.native.nixComponents.nix-internal-api-docs;
           nix-external-api-docs = nixpkgsFor.${system}.native.nixComponents.nix-external-api-docs;
         }
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@
             ++ pkgs.nixComponents.nix-store.nativeBuildInputs
             ++ pkgs.nixComponents.nix-fetchers.nativeBuildInputs
             ++ lib.optionals havePerl pkgs.nixComponents.nix-perl-bindings.nativeBuildInputs
+            ++ lib.optionals buildCanExecuteHost pkgs.nixComponents.nix-manual.externalNativeBuildInputs
             ++ pkgs.nixComponents.nix-internal-api-docs.nativeBuildInputs
             ++ pkgs.nixComponents.nix-external-api-docs.nativeBuildInputs
             ++ pkgs.nixComponents.nix-functional-tests.externalNativeBuildInputs
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8dd44cc10..636d38b08 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ subproject('nix')
 # Docs
 subproject('internal-api-docs')
 subproject('external-api-docs')
+if not meson.is_cross_build()
+  subproject('nix-manual')
+endif
 
 # External C wrapper libraries
 subproject('libutil-c')
diff --git a/packaging/components.nix b/packaging/components.nix
index 5fc3236cf..4c18dc6a3 100644
--- a/packaging/components.nix
+++ b/packaging/components.nix
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ in
 
   nix-functional-tests = callPackage ../src/nix-functional-tests/package.nix { version = fineVersion; };
 
+  nix-manual = callPackage ../doc/manual/package.nix { version = fineVersion; };
   nix-internal-api-docs = callPackage ../src/internal-api-docs/package.nix { version = fineVersion; };
   nix-external-api-docs = callPackage ../src/external-api-docs/package.nix { version = fineVersion; };
 
diff --git a/packaging/everything.nix b/packaging/everything.nix
index d26c81572..ae2f93da0 100644
--- a/packaging/everything.nix
+++ b/packaging/everything.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
   nix-functional-tests,
 
+  nix-manual,
   nix-internal-api-docs,
   nix-external-api-docs,
 
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@
 
     nix-cli
 
+    nix-manual
     nix-internal-api-docs
     nix-external-api-docs
 
diff --git a/packaging/hydra.nix b/packaging/hydra.nix
index 65978835c..cba1b2583 100644
--- a/packaging/hydra.nix
+++ b/packaging/hydra.nix
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ in
     withCoverageChecks = true;
   };
 
+  # Nix's manual
+  manual = nixpkgsFor.x86_64-linux.native.nixComponents.nix-manual;
+
   # API docs for Nix's unstable internal C++ interfaces.
   internal-api-docs = nixpkgsFor.x86_64-linux.native.nixComponents.nix-internal-api-docs;
 
diff --git a/src/nix-manual b/src/nix-manual
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..492c97408
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix-manual
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../doc/manual/
\ No newline at end of file