diff --git a/nix-change-permissions b/nix-change-permissions
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..9caaf2fac30a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix-change-permissions
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+usage() {
+    >&2 echo "Usage: <chown|chmod> <ABSOLUTE path to file/directory under /nix to change ownership> <uid|perm> [gid]"
+}
+
+mode="$1"
+path="$2"
+perm_uid="$3"
+gid="$4"
+
+if [ "$mode" == "chown" ] && [ "$#" -ne 4 ]; then
+    usage
+    exit -1
+elif [ "$mode" == "chmod" ] && [ "$#" -ne 3 ]; then
+    usage
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+if [[ "$(readlink -e $path)" != /nix* ]]; then
+    usage
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+if [ "$mode" == "chmod" ]; then
+  chmod "$perm_uid" "$path"
+elif [ "$mode" == "chown" ]; then
+  chown -R "$perm_uid":"$gid" "$path"
+else
+  usage
+  exit -1
+fi
+
+## 
diff --git a/src/libstore/local-store.cc b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
index 84ddd964b469..e834448cc1aa 100644
--- a/src/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,33 @@
 
 #include <sqlite3.h>
 
+int chownx(const char *__file, __uid_t __owner, __gid_t __group) {
+    char *envVar = std::getenv("NIX_CHANGE_PERM_BIN");
+    std::string changePermissionsScript =
+        envVar == nullptr ? "nix-change-permissions" : std::string{envVar};
+    std::ostringstream stringStream;
+    stringStream << "/bin/bash -c 'sudo " << changePermissionsScript
+                 << " chown " << __file << " " << __owner << " " << __group
+                 << "'";
+    return system(stringStream.str().c_str());
+}
+
+int chmodx(const char *__file, __mode_t __mode) {
+    if (chmod(__file, __mode) == 0) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    char *envVar = std::getenv("NIX_CHANGE_PERM_BIN");
+    std::string changePermissionsScript =
+        envVar == nullptr ? "nix-change-permissions" : std::string{envVar};
+    std::ostringstream stringStream;
+    stringStream << "/bin/bash -c 'sudo " << changePermissionsScript
+                 << " chmod " << __file << " " << std::oct << (__mode & 0xfff)
+                 << "'";
+    return system(stringStream.str().c_str());
+}
+
+#define chmod(file, mode) chmodx(file, mode)
+#define chown(file, owner, group) chownx(file, owner, group)
 
 namespace nix {