diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 91fa07f1a8..28b1cb8bd7 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -1590,23 +1590,22 @@ in a monad---values that carry this additional context---are called
 Consider this ``normal'' procedure:
 
 @example
-(define (profile.sh store)
-  ;; Return the name of a shell script in the store that
-  ;; initializes the 'PATH' environment variable.
-  (let* ((drv (package-derivation store coreutils))
-         (out (derivation->output-path drv)))
-    (add-text-to-store store "profile.sh"
-                       (format #f "export PATH=~a/bin" out))))
+(define (sh-symlink store)
+  ;; Return a derivation that symlinks the 'bash' executable.
+  (let* ((drv (package-derivation store bash))
+         (out (derivation->output-path drv))
+         (sh  (string-append out "/bin/bash")))
+    (build-expression->derivation store "sh"
+                                  `(symlink ,sh %output))))
 @end example
 
 Using @code{(guix monads)}, it may be rewritten as a monadic function:
 
 @example
-(define (profile.sh)
+(define (sh-symlink)
   ;; Same, but return a monadic value.
-  (mlet %store-monad ((bin (package-file coreutils "bin")))
-    (text-file "profile.sh"
-               (string-append "export PATH=" bin))))
+  (mlet %store-monad ((sh (package-file bash "bin")))
+    (derivation-expression "sh" `(symlink ,sh %output))))
 @end example
 
 There are two things to note in the second version: the @code{store}
@@ -1672,7 +1671,32 @@ open store connection.
 
 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file @var{name} @var{text}
 Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
-containing @var{text}.
+containing @var{text}, a string.
+@end deffn
+
+@deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file* @var{name} @var{text} @dots{}
+Return as a monadic value a derivation that builds a text file
+containing all of @var{text}.  @var{text} may list, in addition to
+strings, packages, derivations, and store file names; the resulting
+store file holds references to all these.
+
+This variant should be preferred over @code{text-file} anytime the file
+to create will reference items from the store.  This is typically the
+case when building a configuration file that embeds store file names,
+like this:
+
+@example
+(define (profile.sh)
+  ;; Return the name of a shell script in the store that
+  ;; initializes the 'PATH' environment variable.
+  (text-file* "profile.sh"
+              "export PATH=" coreutils "/bin:"
+              grep "/bin:" sed "/bin\n"))
+@end example
+
+In this example, the resulting @file{/nix/store/@dots{}-profile.sh} file
+will references @var{coreutils}, @var{grep}, and @var{sed}, thereby
+preventing them from being garbage-collected during its lifetime.
 @end deffn
 
 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} package-file @var{package} [@var{file}] @
diff --git a/guix/monads.scm b/guix/monads.scm
index ad80a0698d..db8b645402 100644
--- a/guix/monads.scm
+++ b/guix/monads.scm
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   #:use-module ((system syntax)
                 #:select (syntax-local-binding))
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-9)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
   #:export (;; Monads.
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@
             store-lift
             run-with-store
             text-file
+            text-file*
             package-file
             package->derivation
             built-derivations
@@ -305,10 +307,59 @@ in the store monad."
 
 (define* (text-file name text)
   "Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
-containing TEXT."
+containing TEXT, a string."
   (lambda (store)
     (add-text-to-store store name text '())))
 
+(define* (text-file* name #:rest text)
+  "Return as a monadic value a derivation that builds a text file containing
+all of TEXT.  TEXT may list, in addition to strings, packages, derivations,
+and store file names; the resulting store file holds references to all these."
+  (define inputs
+    ;; Transform packages and derivations from TEXT into a valid input list.
+    (filter-map (match-lambda
+                 ((? package? p) `("x" ,p))
+                 ((? derivation? d) `("x" ,d))
+                 ((x ...) `("x" ,@x))
+                 ((? string? s)
+                  (and (direct-store-path? s) `("x" ,s)))
+                 (x x))
+                text))
+
+  (define (computed-text text inputs)
+    ;; Using the lowered INPUTS, return TEXT with derivations replaced with
+    ;; their output file name.
+    (define (real-string? s)
+      (and (string? s) (not (direct-store-path? s))))
+
+    (let loop ((inputs inputs)
+               (text   text)
+               (result '()))
+      (match text
+        (()
+         (string-concatenate-reverse result))
+        (((? real-string? head) rest ...)
+         (loop inputs rest (cons head result)))
+        ((_ rest ...)
+         (match inputs
+           (((_ (? derivation? drv) sub-drv ...) inputs ...)
+            (loop inputs rest
+                  (cons (apply derivation->output-path drv
+                               sub-drv)
+                        result)))
+           (((_ file) inputs ...)
+            ;; FILE is the result of 'add-text-to-store' or so.
+            (loop inputs rest (cons file result))))))))
+
+  (define (builder inputs)
+    `(call-with-output-file (assoc-ref %outputs "out")
+       (lambda (port)
+         (display ,(computed-text text inputs) port))))
+
+  (mlet %store-monad ((inputs (lower-inputs inputs)))
+    (derivation-expression name (builder inputs)
+                           #:inputs inputs)))
+
 (define* (package-file package
                        #:optional file
                        #:key (system (%current-system)) (output "out"))
diff --git a/tests/monads.scm b/tests/monads.scm
index d3f78e1568..b51e705f01 100644
--- a/tests/monads.scm
+++ b/tests/monads.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -126,6 +126,30 @@
                            (readlink (string-append out "/guile-rocks"))))))
     #:guile-for-build (package-derivation %store %bootstrap-guile)))
 
+(test-assert "text-file*"
+  (let ((references (store-lift references)))
+    (run-with-store %store
+      (mlet* %store-monad
+          ((drv  (package->derivation %bootstrap-guile))
+           (guile -> (derivation->output-path drv))
+           (file (text-file "bar" "This is bar."))
+           (text (text-file* "foo"
+                             %bootstrap-guile "/bin/guile "
+                             `(,%bootstrap-guile "out") "/bin/guile "
+                             drv "/bin/guile "
+                             file))
+           (done (built-derivations (list text)))
+           (out -> (derivation->output-path text))
+           (refs (references out)))
+        ;; Make sure we get the right references and the right content.
+        (return (and (lset= string=? refs (list guile file))
+                     (equal? (call-with-input-file out get-string-all)
+                             (string-append guile "/bin/guile "
+                                            guile "/bin/guile "
+                                            guile "/bin/guile "
+                                            file)))))
+      #:guile-for-build (package-derivation %store %bootstrap-guile))))
+
 (test-assert "mapm"
   (every (lambda (monad run)
            (with-monad monad