diff --git a/pkgs/pkgs-lib/formats.nix b/pkgs/pkgs-lib/formats.nix
index f83a00b9e610..14fca4c3d395 100644
--- a/pkgs/pkgs-lib/formats.nix
+++ b/pkgs/pkgs-lib/formats.nix
@@ -1125,4 +1125,29 @@ optionalAttrs allowAliases aliases
     else
       throw "pkgs.formats.xml: Unknown format: ${format}";
 
+  plist =
+    {
+      escape ? true,
+    }:
+    {
+      type =
+        let
+          valueType =
+            nullOr (oneOf [
+              bool
+              int
+              float
+              str
+              path
+              (attrsOf valueType)
+              (listOf valueType)
+            ])
+            // {
+              description = "Property list (plist) value";
+            };
+        in
+        valueType;
+
+      generate = name: value: pkgs.writeText name (lib.generators.toPlist { inherit escape; } value);
+    };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/pkgs-lib/tests/formats.nix b/pkgs/pkgs-lib/tests/formats.nix
index 9afd9d783b65..12fbd2ddd4cc 100644
--- a/pkgs/pkgs-lib/tests/formats.nix
+++ b/pkgs/pkgs-lib/tests/formats.nix
@@ -1005,4 +1005,82 @@ runBuildTests {
       </root>
     '';
   };
+
+  PlistGenerate = shouldPass {
+    format = formats.plist { };
+    input = {
+      null = null;
+      false = false;
+      true = true;
+      int = 10;
+      float = 3.141;
+      str = "foo";
+      attrs.foo = 0;
+      list = [
+        1
+        "hello"
+        {
+          attrs = {
+            key = {
+              value = [
+                [
+                  1
+                  2
+                  3
+                ]
+                "test"
+              ];
+            };
+          };
+        }
+      ];
+      path = ./testfile;
+    };
+    expected = ''
+      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+      <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+      <plist version="1.0">
+      <dict>
+      ''\t<key>attrs</key>
+      ''\t<dict>
+      ''\t''\t<key>foo</key>
+      ''\t''\t<integer>0</integer>
+      ''\t</dict>
+      ''\t<key>false</key>
+      ''\t<false/>
+      ''\t<key>float</key>
+      ''\t<real>3.141000</real>
+      ''\t<key>int</key>
+      ''\t<integer>10</integer>
+      ''\t<key>list</key>
+      ''\t<array>
+      ''\t''\t<integer>1</integer>
+      ''\t''\t<string>hello</string>
+      ''\t''\t<dict>
+      ''\t''\t''\t<key>attrs</key>
+      ''\t''\t''\t<dict>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t<key>key</key>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t<dict>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<key>value</key>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<array>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<array>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<integer>1</integer>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<integer>2</integer>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<integer>3</integer>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t</array>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t<string>test</string>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t''\t</array>
+      ''\t''\t''\t''\t</dict>
+      ''\t''\t''\t</dict>
+      ''\t''\t</dict>
+      ''\t</array>
+      ''\t<key>path</key>
+      ''\t<string>${toString ./testfile}</string>
+      ''\t<key>str</key>
+      ''\t<string>foo</string>
+      ''\t<key>true</key>
+      ''\t<true/>
+      </dict>
+      </plist>'';
+  };
 }