diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index dfae6ce2d..30a8e4354 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -172,93 +172,16 @@
             };
           });
 
-          # TODO: define everything here instead of top level?
-          nix-components = {
-            inherit (final)
-              nix-util
-              nix-util-test-support
-              nix-util-test
-              nix-util-c
-              nix-store
-              nix-fetchers
-              nix-perl-bindings
-              ;
-          };
+          # A new scope, so that we can use `callPackage` to inject our own interdependencies
+          # without "polluting" the top level "`pkgs`" attrset.
+          # This also has the benefit of providing us with a distinct set of packages
+          # we can iterate over.
+          nixComponents = lib.makeScope final.newScope (import ./packaging/components.nix {
+            pkgs = final;
+            inherit stdenv versionSuffix officialRelease;
+          });
 
-          nix-util = final.callPackage ./src/libutil/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              officialRelease
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
-
-          nix-util-test-support = final.callPackage ./tests/unit/libutil-support/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
-
-          nix-util-test = final.callPackage ./tests/unit/libutil/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
-
-          nix-util-c = final.callPackage ./src/libutil-c/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
-
-          nix-store = final.callPackage ./src/libstore/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              officialRelease
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-            libseccomp = final.libseccomp-nix;
-            busybox-sandbox-shell = final.busybox-sandbox-shell or final.default-busybox-sandbox-shell;
-          };
-
-          nix-fetchers = final.callPackage ./src/libfetchers/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              officialRelease
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
-
-          nix =
-            final.callPackage ./package.nix {
-              inherit
-                fileset
-                stdenv
-                officialRelease
-                versionSuffix
-                ;
-              boehmgc = final.boehmgc-nix;
-              libgit2 = final.libgit2-nix;
-              libseccomp = final.libseccomp-nix;
-              busybox-sandbox-shell = final.busybox-sandbox-shell or final.default-busybox-sandbox-shell;
-            };
-
-          nix-perl-bindings = final.callPackage ./src/perl/package.nix {
-            inherit
-              fileset
-              stdenv
-              versionSuffix
-              ;
-          };
+          nix = final.nixComponents.nix;
 
           nix-internal-api-docs = final.callPackage ./src/internal-api-docs/package.nix {
             inherit
@@ -340,7 +263,7 @@
           "static-" = nixpkgsFor.${system}.static;
         })
         (nixpkgsPrefix: nixpkgs: 
-          flatMapAttrs nixpkgs.nix-components
+          flatMapAttrs nixpkgs.nixComponents
             (pkgName: pkg:
               flatMapAttrs pkg.tests or {}
               (testName: test: {
diff --git a/packaging/components.nix b/packaging/components.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af26e05ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/components.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+{pkgs, stdenv, officialRelease, versionSuffix}: scope:
+let
+  inherit (scope) callPackage;
+
+  # TODO: push fileset parameter into package.nix files as `lib` parameter
+  inherit (callPackage (args@{ lib }: args) {}) lib;
+  inherit (lib) fileset;
+in
+
+# This becomes the pkgs.nixComponents attribute set
+{
+  # TODO: build the nix CLI with meson
+  nix = pkgs.callPackage ../package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      officialRelease
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+    boehmgc = pkgs.boehmgc-nix;
+    libgit2 = pkgs.libgit2-nix;
+    libseccomp = pkgs.libseccomp-nix;
+    busybox-sandbox-shell = pkgs.busybox-sandbox-shell or pkgs.default-busybox-sandbox-shell;
+  };
+
+  nix-util = callPackage ../src/libutil/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      officialRelease
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+
+  nix-util-test-support = callPackage ../tests/unit/libutil-support/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+
+  nix-util-test = callPackage ../tests/unit/libutil/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+
+  nix-util-c = callPackage ../src/libutil-c/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+
+  nix-store = callPackage ../src/libstore/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      officialRelease
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+    libseccomp = pkgs.libseccomp-nix;
+    busybox-sandbox-shell = pkgs.busybox-sandbox-shell or pkgs.default-busybox-sandbox-shell;
+  };
+
+  nix-fetchers = callPackage ../src/libfetchers/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      officialRelease
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+
+  nix-perl-bindings = callPackage ../src/perl/package.nix {
+    inherit
+      fileset
+      stdenv
+      versionSuffix
+      ;
+  };
+}