diff --git a/lib/tests/modules.sh b/lib/tests/modules.sh
index ac9cc83030d5..c7b661e2e2fe 100755
--- a/lib/tests/modules.sh
+++ b/lib/tests/modules.sh
@@ -906,6 +906,9 @@ checkConfigError 'A definition for option .attrList.badListElem. is not of type
 checkConfigError 'A definition for option .attrList.badString. is not of type .attribute list of string.. TypeError: Definition values:' config.attrListStrict.badString ./declare-attrList.nix
 checkConfigError 'A definition for option .attrList.badListString. is not of type .attribute list of string.. Each list element must be a single-key attribute set.' config.attrListStrict.badListString ./declare-attrList.nix
 
+# attrListWith valueMeta.definitions: file propagation
+checkConfigError 'the-defs-file\.nix' config.argv ./attrList-valueMeta-definitions-file-diagnostic-forwarding.nix
+
 cat <<EOF
 ====== module tests ======
 $pass Pass
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules/attrList-valueMeta-definitions-file-diagnostic-forwarding.nix b/lib/tests/modules/attrList-valueMeta-definitions-file-diagnostic-forwarding.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e64d50cb95fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tests/modules/attrList-valueMeta-definitions-file-diagnostic-forwarding.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{ lib, options, ... }:
+let
+  inherit (lib) mkOption mkMerge types;
+in
+{
+  imports = [
+    {
+      _file = "the-defs-file.nix";
+      config.flags.my-flag = 3.14;
+    }
+  ];
+
+  options.flags = mkOption {
+    type = types.attrListWith {
+      elemType = types.anything;
+      asAttrs = true;
+      mergeAttrValues = _name: vs: lib.head vs;
+    };
+  };
+  options.argv = mkOption { type = types.listOf types.str; };
+
+  # Feed definitions into argv; the float from the-defs-file.nix should cause
+  # a type error mentioning that file
+  config.argv = mkMerge options.flags.valueMeta.definitions;
+}
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules/declare-attrList.nix b/lib/tests/modules/declare-attrList.nix
index b6e664422af1..157996b758cb 100644
--- a/lib/tests/modules/declare-attrList.nix
+++ b/lib/tests/modules/declare-attrList.nix
@@ -864,6 +864,60 @@ in
           { x = 30; }
         ];
 
+      # valueMeta.definitions: mkDefinition records with mkOrder-wrapped single-key attrsets
+      # Use duplicateKeys which has mixed priorities and repeated keys
+      assert
+        let
+          defs = c.options.asAttrs.valueMeta.attrs.duplicateKeys.definitions;
+          extract = d: {
+            prio = d.value.priority;
+            value = d.value.content;
+          };
+        in
+        map extract defs == [
+          {
+            prio = 500;
+            value = {
+              x = "first";
+            };
+          }
+          {
+            prio = 1000;
+            value = {
+              y = "only";
+            };
+          }
+          {
+            prio = 1500;
+            value = {
+              x = "last";
+            };
+          }
+        ];
+
+      # Round-trip: feed definitions through mapDefinitionValue + mkMerge into a listOf option
+      assert
+        let
+          rendered = lib.modules.mapDefinitionValue (attr: lib.cli.toCommandLineGNU { } attr) (
+            mkMerge c.options.asAttrs.valueMeta.attrs.duplicateKeys.definitions
+          );
+          result =
+            (lib.evalModules {
+              modules = [
+                { options.out = mkOption { type = types.listOf types.str; }; }
+                { config.out = rendered; }
+                # Interleave: mkOrder 800 lands between x(500) and y(1000)
+                { config.out = mkOrder 800 [ "--interleaved" ]; }
+              ];
+            }).config.out;
+        in
+        result == [
+          "-xfirst"
+          "--interleaved"
+          "-yonly"
+          "-xlast"
+        ];
+
       # Error cases are tested via checkConfigError in modules.sh
 
       "ok";
diff --git a/lib/types.nix b/lib/types.nix
index 6079ea11b410..f569c3e4f946 100644
--- a/lib/types.nix
+++ b/lib/types.nix
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ let
     mergeOptionDecls
     defaultOrderPriority
     defaultOverridePriority
+    mkDefinition
+    mkOrder
     mkOverride
     ;
   inherit (lib.fileset)
@@ -928,7 +930,7 @@ rec {
 
             evals = filter (e: e.eval.optionalValue ? value) (
               map (item: {
-                inherit (item) key;
+                inherit (item) key file prio;
                 eval = mergeDefinitions (loc ++ [ item.key ]) elemType [
                   {
                     inherit (item) file value;
@@ -947,6 +949,13 @@ rec {
               The ordered list representation, especially useful when asAttrs is set.
             */
             valueMeta.attrListValue = attrListValue;
+            valueMeta.definitions = map (
+              e:
+              mkDefinition {
+                inherit (e) file;
+                value = mkOrder e.prio { ${e.key} = e.eval.optionalValue.value or e.eval.mergedValue; };
+              }
+            ) evals;
           };
       };
       emptyValue = {