diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d4c24c209e..0298a697f4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@ config.cache
 /doc/stamp-vti
 /doc/version.texi
 /distro/packages/bootstrap/x86_64-linux/guile-bootstrap-2.0.6.tar.xz
+/guix-download
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 277ac4277e..e2c1cfd218 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with Guix.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-bin_SCRIPTS = guix-build
+bin_SCRIPTS =					\
+  guix-build					\
+  guix-download
 
 MODULES =					\
   guix/utils.scm				\
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b718330178..a95d2b80be 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -81,8 +81,10 @@ AC_SUBST([LIBGCRYPT])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
                  po/Makefile.in
 		 guix-build
+		 guix-download
 		 pre-inst-env])
 
-AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([commands-exec], [chmod +x guix-build pre-inst-env])
+AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([commands-exec],
+  [chmod +x guix-build guix-download pre-inst-env])
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/guix-download.in b/guix-download.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ebb5148f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guix-download.in
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# aside from this initial boilerplate, this is actually -*- scheme -*- code
+
+GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH="@guilemoduledir@:$GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH"
+export GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH
+
+main='(module-ref (resolve-interface '\''(guix-download)) '\'guix-download')'
+exec ${GUILE-@GUILE@} -L "@guilemoduledir@" -l "$0"    \
+         -c "(apply $main (cdr (command-line)))" "$@"
+!#
+;;; Guix --- Nix package management from Guile.
+;;; Copyright (C) 2012 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;;
+;;; This file is part of Guix.
+;;;
+;;; Guix is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+;;; under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+;;; the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+;;; your option) any later version.
+;;;
+;;; Guix is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+;;; WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+;;; GNU General Public License for more details.
+;;;
+;;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+;;; along with Guix.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+(define-module (guix-download)
+  #:use-module (web uri)
+  #:use-module (web client)
+  #:use-module (guix store)
+  #:use-module (guix utils)
+  #:use-module (guix ftp-client)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 match)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-11)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-37)
+  #:use-module (rnrs bytevectors)
+  #:use-module (rnrs io ports)
+  #:export (guix-download))
+
+(define _ (cut gettext <> "guix"))
+(define N_ (cut ngettext <> <> <> "guix"))
+
+(define (call-with-temporary-output-file proc)
+  (let* ((template (string-copy "guix-download.XXXXXX"))
+         (out      (mkstemp! template)))
+    (dynamic-wind
+      (lambda ()
+        #t)
+      (lambda ()
+        (proc template out))
+      (lambda ()
+        (false-if-exception (delete-file template))))))
+
+(define (http-fetch url port)
+  "Fetch from URL over HTTP and write the result to PORT."
+  (let-values (((response data) (http-get url #:decode-body? #f)))
+    (put-bytevector port data)))
+
+(define (ftp-fetch url port)
+  "Fetch from URL over FTP and write the result to PORT."
+  (let* ((conn (ftp-open (uri-host url)
+                         (or (uri-port url) 21)))
+         (dir  (dirname (uri-path url)))
+         (file (basename (uri-path url)))
+         (in   (ftp-retr conn file dir)))
+    (define len 65536)
+    (define buffer
+      (make-bytevector len))
+
+    (let loop ((count (get-bytevector-n! in buffer 0 len)))
+      (if (eof-object? count)
+          (ftp-close conn)
+          (begin
+            (put-bytevector port buffer 0 count)
+            (loop (get-bytevector-n! in buffer 0 len)))))))
+
+
+;;;
+;;; Command-line options.
+;;;
+
+(define %default-options
+  ;; Alist of default option values.
+  `((format . ,bytevector->nix-base32-string)))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (leave fmt args ...)
+  "Format FMT and ARGS to the error port and exit."
+  (begin
+    (format (current-error-port) fmt args ...)
+    (exit 1)))
+
+(define (show-version)
+  (display "guix-download (@PACKAGE_NAME@) @PACKAGE_VERSION@\n"))
+
+(define (show-help)
+  (display (_ "Usage: guix-download [OPTION]... URL
+Download the file at URL, add it to the store, and print its store path
+and the hash of its contents.\n"))
+  (format #t (_ "
+  -f, --format=FMT       write the hash in the given format (default: `nix-base32')"))
+  (newline)
+  (display (_ "
+  -h, --help             display this help and exit"))
+  (display (_ "
+  -V, --version          display version information and exit"))
+  (newline)
+  (format #t (_ "
+Report bugs to: ~a.~%") "@PACKAGE_BUGREPORT@"))
+
+(define %options
+  ;; Specifications of the command-line options.
+  (list (option '(#\f "format") #t #f
+                (lambda (opt name arg result)
+                  (define fmt-proc
+                    (match arg
+                      ("nix-base32"
+                       bytevector->nix-base32-string)
+                      ("base32"
+                       bytevector->base32-string)
+                      ((or "base16" "hex" "hexadecimal")
+                       bytevector->base16-string)
+                      (x
+                       (format (current-error-port)
+                               "unsupported hash format: ~a~%" arg))))
+
+                  (alist-cons 'format fmt-proc
+                              (alist-delete 'format result))))
+
+        (option '(#\h "help") #f #f
+                (lambda args
+                  (show-help)
+                  (exit 0)))
+        (option '(#\V "version") #f #f
+                (lambda args
+                  (show-version)
+                  (exit 0)))))
+
+
+;;;
+;;; Entry point.
+;;;
+
+(define (guix-download . args)
+  (define (parse-options)
+    ;; Return the alist of option values.
+    (args-fold args %options
+               (lambda (opt name arg result)
+                 (leave (_ "~A: unrecognized option~%") name))
+               (lambda (arg result)
+                 (alist-cons 'argument arg result))
+               %default-options))
+
+  (setlocale LC_ALL "")
+  (textdomain "guix")
+  (setvbuf (current-output-port) _IOLBF)
+  (setvbuf (current-error-port) _IOLBF)
+
+  (let* ((opts  (parse-options))
+         (store (open-connection))
+         (uri   (string->uri (assq-ref opts 'argument)))
+         (fetch (case (uri-scheme uri)
+                  ((http) http-fetch)
+                  ((ftp)  ftp-fetch)
+                  (else
+                   (begin
+                     (format (current-error-port)
+                             (_ "guix-download: ~a: unsupported URI scheme~%")
+                             (uri-scheme uri))
+                     (exit 1)))))
+         (path  (call-with-temporary-output-file
+                 (lambda (name port)
+                   (fetch uri port)
+                   (close port)
+                   (add-to-store store (basename (uri-path uri))
+                                 #f #f "sha256" name))))
+         (fmt  (assq-ref opts 'format)))
+    (format #t "~a~%~a~%"
+            path
+            (fmt (query-path-hash store path)))
+    #t))
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 605711e2da..b0dc7ac4c4 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ distro/packages/databases.scm
 distro/packages/guile.scm
 distro/packages/typesetting.scm
 guix-build.in
+guix-download.in