diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgitlab/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgitlab/default.nix
index 822c3991fa29..8a2b0ffa31d6 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgitlab/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgitlab/default.nix
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
     deepClone ? false,
     forceFetchGit ? false,
     sparseCheckout ? [ ],
+    private ? false,
+    varPrefix ? null,
     ... # For hash agility
   }@args:
 
@@ -51,14 +53,57 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
       "tag"
       "fetchSubmodules"
       "forceFetchGit"
+      "private"
+      "varPrefix"
       "leaveDotGit"
       "deepClone"
     ];
 
+    varBase = "NIX${lib.optionalString (varPrefix != null) "_${varPrefix}"}_GITLAB_PRIVATE_";
     useFetchGit =
       fetchSubmodules || leaveDotGit || deepClone || forceFetchGit || (sparseCheckout != [ ]);
     fetcher = if useFetchGit then fetchgit else fetchzip;
 
+    privateAttrs = lib.optionalAttrs private (
+      lib.throwIfNot (protocol == "https") "private token login is only supported for https" {
+        netrcPhase = ''
+          if [ -z "''$${varBase}USERNAME" -o -z "''$${varBase}PASSWORD" ]; then
+            echo "Error: Private fetchFromGitLab requires the nix building process (nix-daemon in multi user mode) to have the ${varBase}USERNAME and ${varBase}PASSWORD env vars set." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        ''
+        + (
+          if useFetchGit then
+            # GitLab supports HTTP Basic Authentication only when Git is used:
+            # https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/settings/project_access_tokens.html#project-access-tokens
+            ''
+              cat > netrc <<EOF
+              machine ${domain}
+                      login ''$${varBase}USERNAME
+                      password ''$${varBase}PASSWORD
+              EOF
+            ''
+          else
+            # Access via the GitLab API requires a custom header and does not work
+            # with HTTP Basic Authentication:
+            # https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/#personalprojectgroup-access-tokens
+            ''
+              # needed because fetchurl always sets --netrc-file if a netrcPhase is present
+              touch netrc
+
+              cat > private-token <<EOF
+              PRIVATE-TOKEN: ''$${varBase}PASSWORD
+              EOF
+              curlOpts="$curlOpts --header @./private-token"
+            ''
+        );
+        netrcImpureEnvVars = [
+          "${varBase}USERNAME"
+          "${varBase}PASSWORD"
+        ];
+      }
+    );
+
     gitRepoUrl = "${protocol}://${domain}/${slug}.git";
 
     fetcherArgs =
@@ -84,6 +129,7 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
             };
           }
       )
+      // privateAttrs
       // passthruAttrs
       // {
         inherit name;