diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e39a82d..aab9d3d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ that means you can get started:
 run `nix develop` in the project folder *first*, then `go {run,build,fmt,...}`
 about your day.
 
+### developing using nix (without flakes)
+> for compatibility with non-flake-enabled systems, this project uses
+> [`github:edolstra/flake-compat`](https://github.com/edolstra/flake-compat).
+
+run `nix-shell` in the project folder *first*, then `go {run,build,fmt,...}`
+about your day.
+
 ### developing without nix
 > *note*: you only need to have the Go toolchain and [Fyne
 > dependencies](https://developer.fyne.io/started/#prerequisites) installed for
diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb27f93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+(import
+  (
+    let
+      lock = builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./flake.lock);
+    in
+    fetchTarball {
+      url = "https://github.com/edolstra/flake-compat/archive/${lock.nodes.flake-compat.locked.rev}.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = lock.nodes.flake-compat.locked.narHash;
+    }
+  )
+  {
+    src = ./.;
+  }
+).defaultNix
diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index 2362728..f73ac1a 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 {
   "nodes": {
+    "flake-compat": {
+      "flake": false,
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1650374568,
+        "narHash": "sha256-Z+s0J8/r907g149rllvwhb4pKi8Wam5ij0st8PwAh+E=",
+        "owner": "edolstra",
+        "repo": "flake-compat",
+        "rev": "b4a34015c698c7793d592d66adbab377907a2be8",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "edolstra",
+        "repo": "flake-compat",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "nixpkgs": {
       "locked": {
         "lastModified": 1650161686,
@@ -17,6 +33,7 @@
     },
     "root": {
       "inputs": {
+        "flake-compat": "flake-compat",
         "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs"
       }
     }
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 5f78e7c..dbfbfea 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 {
   description = "an offline-capable xkcd webcomic reader written in Go";
 
+  inputs.flake-compat = {
+    url = "github:edolstra/flake-compat";
+    flake = false;
+    inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
+  };
   # Nixpkgs / NixOS version to use.
   inputs.nixpkgs.url = "nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
 
-  outputs = { self, nixpkgs }:
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, ... }:
     let
 
       # to work with older version of flakes
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed7286c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+(import
+  (
+    let
+      lock = builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./flake.lock);
+    in
+    fetchTarball {
+      url = "https://github.com/edolstra/flake-compat/archive/${lock.nodes.flake-compat.locked.rev}.tar.gz";
+      sha256 = lock.nodes.flake-compat.locked.narHash;
+    }
+  )
+  {
+    src = ./.;
+  }
+).shellNix