diff --git a/guix/profiles.scm b/guix/profiles.scm
index 88606fa4ce..ab265cce62 100644
--- a/guix/profiles.scm
+++ b/guix/profiles.scm
@@ -125,6 +125,15 @@
             profile-derivation
             profile-search-paths
 
+            profile
+            profile?
+            profile-name
+            profile-content
+            profile-hooks
+            profile-locales?
+            profile-allow-collisions?
+            profile-relative-symlinks?
+
             generation-number
             generation-profile
             generation-numbers
@@ -1656,6 +1665,33 @@ are cross-built for TARGET."
                                        . ,(length
                                            (manifest-entries manifest))))))))
 
+;; Declarative profile.
+(define-record-type* <profile> profile make-profile
+  profile?
+  (name               profile-name (default "profile")) ;string
+  (content            profile-content)                  ;<manifest>
+  (hooks              profile-hooks                     ;list of procedures
+                      (default %default-profile-hooks))
+  (locales?           profile-locales?            ;Boolean
+                      (default #t))
+  (allow-collisions?  profile-allow-collisions?   ;Boolean
+                      (default #f))
+  (relative-symlinks? profile-relative-symlinks?  ;Boolean
+                      (default #f)))
+
+(define-gexp-compiler (profile-compiler (profile <profile>) system target)
+  "Compile PROFILE to a derivation."
+  (match profile
+    (($ <profile> name manifest hooks
+                  locales? allow-collisions? relative-symlinks?)
+     (profile-derivation manifest
+                         #:name name
+                         #:hooks hooks
+                         #:locales? locales?
+                         #:allow-collisions? allow-collisions?
+                         #:relative-symlinks? relative-symlinks?
+                         #:system system #:target target))))
+
 (define* (profile-search-paths profile
                                #:optional (manifest (profile-manifest profile))
                                #:key (getenv (const #f)))
diff --git a/tests/profiles.scm b/tests/profiles.scm
index 21c912a532..055924ba3e 100644
--- a/tests/profiles.scm
+++ b/tests/profiles.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2014 Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -223,6 +223,17 @@
                  (string=? (dirname (readlink bindir))
                            (derivation->output-path guile))))))
 
+(test-assertm "<profile>"
+  (mlet* %store-monad
+      ((entry ->   (package->manifest-entry %bootstrap-guile))
+       (profile -> (profile (hooks '()) (locales? #f)
+                            (content (manifest (list entry)))))
+       (drv        (lower-object profile))
+       (profile -> (derivation->output-path drv))
+       (bindir ->  (string-append profile "/bin"))
+       (_          (built-derivations (list drv))))
+    (return (file-exists? (string-append bindir "/guile")))))
+
 (test-assertm "profile-derivation relative symlinks, one entry"
   (mlet* %store-monad
       ((entry ->   (package->manifest-entry %bootstrap-guile))