diff --git a/system/options.nix b/system/options.nix
index 622388d3532e..f2718151f043 100644
--- a/system/options.nix
+++ b/system/options.nix
@@ -471,6 +471,16 @@
   }
 
 
+  {
+    name = ["services" "xserver" "driSupport"];
+    default = false;
+    description = "
+      Whether to enable accelerated OpenGL rendering through the
+      Direct Rendering Interface (DRI).
+    ";
+  }
+
+  
   {
     name = ["services" "httpd" "enable"];
     default = false;
diff --git a/system/upstart.nix b/system/upstart.nix
index dac913d4e579..eea9b26b3b9f 100644
--- a/system/upstart.nix
+++ b/system/upstart.nix
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ import ../upstart-jobs/gather.nix {
   ++ optional ["services" "xserver" "enable"]
     (import ../upstart-jobs/xserver.nix {
       inherit config;
-      inherit (pkgs) stdenv writeText lib xterm slim xorg;
+      inherit (pkgs) stdenv writeText lib xterm slim xorg mesa;
       fontDirectories = import ./fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
     })
 
diff --git a/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix b/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
index f5482013714d..6d13dd69debe 100644
--- a/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
+++ b/upstart-jobs/xserver.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, writeText, lib, xorg, xterm, slim
+{ stdenv, writeText, lib, xorg, mesa, xterm, slim
 
 , config
 
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ end script
 env SLIM_CFGFILE=${slimConfig}
 env FONTCONFIG_FILE=/etc/fonts/fonts.conf # !!! cleanup
 
+${if getCfg "driSupport"
+then "env XORG_DRI_DRIVER_PATH=${mesa}/lib/modules/dri"
+else ""}
+
 exec ${slim}/bin/slim
   ";