diff --git a/src/libcmd/installables.cc b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
index f9d6d8ce8..83908e44c 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installables.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
@@ -803,18 +803,18 @@ StorePath Installable::toStorePath(
     return *paths.begin();
 }
 
-StorePathSet Installable::toDerivations(
+StorePaths Installable::toDerivations(
     ref<Store> store,
     const Installables & installables,
     bool useDeriver)
 {
-    StorePathSet drvPaths;
+    StorePaths drvPaths;
 
     for (const auto & i : installables)
         for (const auto & b : i->toDerivedPaths())
             std::visit(overloaded {
                 [&](const DerivedPath::Opaque & bo) {
-                    drvPaths.insert(
+                    drvPaths.push_back(
                         bo.path.isDerivation()
                             ? bo.path
                         : useDeriver
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ StorePathSet Installable::toDerivations(
                         : throw Error("argument '%s' did not evaluate to a derivation", i->what()));
                 },
                 [&](const DerivedPath::Built & bfd) {
-                    drvPaths.insert(resolveDerivedPath(*store, *bfd.drvPath));
+                    drvPaths.push_back(resolveDerivedPath(*store, *bfd.drvPath));
                 },
             }, b.path.raw());
 
diff --git a/src/libcmd/installables.hh b/src/libcmd/installables.hh
index bf5759230..9fe2702e6 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installables.hh
+++ b/src/libcmd/installables.hh
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ struct Installable
         OperateOn operateOn,
         ref<Installable> installable);
 
-    static std::set<StorePath> toDerivations(
+    static std::vector<StorePath> toDerivations(
         ref<Store> store,
         const Installables & installables,
         bool useDeriver = false);
diff --git a/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.cc b/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..30469d258
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#include "command.hh"
+#include "common-args.hh"
+#include "store-api.hh"
+#include "derivations.hh"
+#include "local-fs-store.hh"
+#include "progress-bar.hh"
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using namespace nix;
+
+static nlohmann::json storePathSetToJSON(const StorePaths & paths, Store & store)
+{
+    nlohmann::json res;
+    for (auto & path : paths) {
+        nlohmann::json entry;
+        entry["drvPath"] = store.printStorePath(path);
+        res.push_back(entry);
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+// TODO deduplicate with other code also setting such out links.
+static void createOutLinks(const std::filesystem::path & outLink, const StorePaths & derivations, LocalFSStore & store)
+{
+    for (const auto & [_i, drv] : enumerate(derivations)) {
+        auto i = _i;
+        auto symlink = outLink;
+
+        if (i)
+            symlink += fmt("-%d", i);
+        store.addPermRoot(drv, absPath(symlink.string()));
+    }
+}
+
+struct CmdDerivationInstantiate : InstallablesCommand, MixJSON
+{
+    Path outLink = "drv";
+    bool printOutputPaths = false;
+
+    CmdDerivationInstantiate()
+    {
+        addFlag(
+            {.longName = "out-link",
+             .shortName = 'o',
+             .description = "Use *path* as prefix for the symlinks to the evaluation results. It defaults to `drv`.",
+             .labels = {"path"},
+             .handler = {&outLink},
+             .completer = completePath});
+
+        addFlag({
+            .longName = "no-link",
+            .description = "Do not create symlinks to the evaluation results.",
+            .handler = {&outLink, Path("")},
+        });
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "Force the evaluation of the expression and return the corresponding .drv";
+    }
+
+    std::string doc() override
+    {
+        return
+#include "derivation-instantiate.md"
+            ;
+    }
+
+    Category category() override
+    {
+        return catSecondary;
+    }
+
+    void run(ref<Store> store, Installables && installables) override
+    {
+        auto drvPaths = Installable::toDerivations(store, installables, false);
+
+        if (outLink != "")
+            if (auto store2 = store.dynamic_pointer_cast<LocalFSStore>())
+                createOutLinks(outLink, drvPaths, *store2);
+
+        if (json) {
+            logger->cout("%s", storePathSetToJSON(drvPaths, *store).dump());
+        } else {
+            stopProgressBar();
+            for (auto & path : drvPaths) {
+                logger->cout(store->printStorePath(path));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+static auto rCmdDerivationInstantiate = registerCommand2<CmdDerivationInstantiate>({"derivation", "instantiate"});
diff --git a/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.md b/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..465f26265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nix/derivation-instantiate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+R""(
+
+# Name
+
+`nix derivation instantiate` - instantiate store derivations
+
+# Synopsis
+
+`nix derivation instantiate`
+  [`--out-link` *link prefix*]
+  [`--json`]
+  [`--no-link`]
+  *installables…*
+
+# Description
+
+The command `nix derivation instantiate` produces [store derivation]s from
+installables. Each top-level expression should evaluate to a derivation, a list
+of derivations, or a set of derivations. The paths of the resulting store
+derivations are printed on standard output.
+
+[store derivation]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
+# Options
+
+- `--out-link` *link prefix*
+
+  The prefix used for gc roots.
+
+- `--no-link`
+
+  Do not create garbage collector roots for the generated store derivations.
+
+- `--json`
+
+  Dump a JSON list of objects containing at least a `drvPath` field with the
+  path to the produced store derivation.
+
+# Examples
+
+* Get the store derivation for a single installable, with a gc root
+
+  ```console
+    $ nix derivation instantiate github:NixOS/nixpkgs#hello
+    /nix/store/af3rc6phyv80h7aq4y3d08awnq2ja8fp-hello-2.12.1.drv
+    $ ls -ld drv
+    lrwxrwxrwx [...] drv -> /nix/store/af3rc6phyv80h7aq4y3d08awnq2ja8fp-hello-2.12.1.drv
+  ```
+
+* Get the store derivations for multiple installables, in the same order as the
+  provided arguments.
+
+  ```console
+    $ nix derivation instantiate github:NixOS/nixpkgs#{hello,xorg.xclock}
+    /nix/store/af3rc6phyv80h7aq4y3d08awnq2ja8fp-hello-2.12.1.drv
+    /nix/store/82w6jak6c7zldgvxyq5nwhclz3yp85zp-xclock-1.1.1.drv
+  ```
+
+* The same, with JSON output. The values also appear in the same order as CLI parameters.
+
+  ```console
+    $ nix derivation instantiate github:NixOS/nixpkgs#{xorg.xclock,hello} --json | jq
+    [
+      {
+        "drvPath": "/nix/store/82w6jak6c7zldgvxyq5nwhclz3yp85zp-xclock-1.1.1.drv"
+      },
+      {
+        "drvPath": "/nix/store/af3rc6phyv80h7aq4y3d08awnq2ja8fp-hello-2.12.1.drv"
+      }
+    ]
+  ```
+
+# Notes
+
+* JSON output format may be extended in the future with other fields.
+
+* Order guarantees will always ensure that the following bash commands output
+  the same text.
+
+  ```console
+    $ nix derivation instantiate [installables]
+    $ nix derivation instantiate [installables] --json | jq ".[] | .drvPath" -r
+  ```
+
+)""
diff --git a/src/nix/derivation-show.cc b/src/nix/derivation-show.cc
index bf637246d..dd5df0f82 100644
--- a/src/nix/derivation-show.cc
+++ b/src/nix/derivation-show.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ struct CmdShowDerivation : InstallablesCommand
 
     void run(ref<Store> store, Installables && installables) override
     {
-        auto drvPaths = Installable::toDerivations(store, installables, true);
+        auto drvPathsList = Installable::toDerivations(store, installables, true);
+        StorePathSet drvPaths(drvPathsList.begin(), drvPathsList.end());
 
         if (recursive) {
             StorePathSet closure;
diff --git a/src/nix/meson.build b/src/nix/meson.build
index 55089d821..b7a005f1b 100644
--- a/src/nix/meson.build
+++ b/src/nix/meson.build
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ nix_sources = [config_h] + files(
   'config.cc',
   'copy.cc',
   'derivation-add.cc',
+  'derivation-instantiate.cc',
   'derivation-show.cc',
   'derivation.cc',
   'develop.cc',
diff --git a/tests/functional/derivation-instantiate.sh b/tests/functional/derivation-instantiate.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..20489e927
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/derivation-instantiate.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+source common.sh
+
+TODO_NixOS
+
+clearStore
+
+drvPath=$(nix derivation instantiate --no-link --file simple.nix)
+test -f "$drvPath"
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+if test -f "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+
+rm -f drv
+drvPath=$(nix derivation instantiate --file simple.nix)
+test -f "$drvPath"
+test -e drv
+nix-store --gc --print-roots | grep "$drvPath"
+nix-store --gc --print-live | grep "$drvPath"
+if nix-store --delete "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+test -f "$drvPath"
+[ "$(nix-store -q --roots "$drvPath")" = "$(realpath --no-symlinks drv) -> $drvPath" ]
+rm drv
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+if test -f "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+
+rm -f foobar
+drvPath=$(nix derivation instantiate --out-link foobar --file simple.nix)
+test -e foobar
+[ "$(nix-store -q --roots "$drvPath")" = "$(realpath --no-symlinks foobar) -> $drvPath" ]
+rm foobar
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+
+drvPathJson=$(nix derivation instantiate --json --no-link --file simple.nix)
+[ "$drvPathJson" = "[{\"drvPath\":\"$drvPath\"}]" ]
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+
+rm -f multidrv*
+mapfile -t drvPaths < <(nix derivation instantiate --json --out-link multidrv --file check.nix | jq '.[]|.drvPath' -r)
+roots=(./multidrv*)
+[ "${#roots[@]}" -gt 1 ]
+[ "${#roots[@]}" -eq "${#drvPaths[@]}" ]
+mapfile -t rootedPaths < <(readlink "${roots[@]}")
+[ "${rootedPaths[*]}" = "${drvPaths[*]}" ]
+rm -f multidrv*
+
+# The order should always be the same in text and json outputs
+jsonOutput=$(nix derivation instantiate --no-link --file check.nix --json | jq '.[]|.drvPath' -r)
+textOutput=$(nix derivation instantiate --no-link --file check.nix)
+[ "$jsonOutput" = "$textOutput" ]
+
+# Test that the order is the same as on the command line, and that repeated
+# inputs are present several times in the output, in the correct order
+nix derivation instantiate --no-link --file multiple-outputs.nix a b a --json | jq --exit-status '
+      (.[0].drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-a.drv"))
+  and (.[1].drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-b.drv"))
+  and (.[2].drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-a.drv"))
+'
+
+nix-collect-garbage
diff --git a/tests/functional/local.mk b/tests/functional/local.mk
index 3f796291a..3f472ce21 100644
--- a/tests/functional/local.mk
+++ b/tests/functional/local.mk
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ nix_tests = \
   why-depends.sh \
   derivation-json.sh \
   derivation-advanced-attributes.sh \
+  derivation-instantiate.sh \
   import-from-derivation.sh \
   nix_path.sh \
   nars.sh \
diff --git a/tests/functional/meson.build b/tests/functional/meson.build
index 54f3e7a01..b81d3a380 100644
--- a/tests/functional/meson.build
+++ b/tests/functional/meson.build
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ suites = [
       'why-depends.sh',
       'derivation-json.sh',
       'derivation-advanced-attributes.sh',
+      'derivation-instantiate.sh',
       'import-from-derivation.sh',
       'nix_path.sh',
       'nars.sh',