diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/configuration.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/configuration.xml
index 448e2a932e91..8677c13db40f 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/configuration.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/configuration.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ effect after you run <command>nixos-rebuild</command>.</para>
 <xi:include href="user-mgmt.xml" />
 <xi:include href="file-systems.xml" />
 <xi:include href="x-windows.xml" />
+<xi:include href="xfce.xml" />
 <xi:include href="networking.xml" />
 <xi:include href="linux-kernel.xml" />
 
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/xfce.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/xfce.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7b60493e9df5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/xfce.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
+         xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+         xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
+         version="5.0"
+         xml:id="sec-xfce">
+
+    <title>Xfce Desktop Environment</title>
+
+    <para>
+        To enable the Xfce Desktop Environment, set
+        <programlisting>
+            services.xserver.desktopManager = {
+                xfce.enable = true;
+                default = "xfce";
+            };
+        </programlisting>
+    </para>
+
+    <para>
+        Optionally, <emphasis>compton</emphasis>
+        can be enabled for nice graphical effects, some example settings:
+        <programlisting>
+            services.compton = {
+              enable          = true;
+              fade            = true;
+              inactiveOpacity = "0.9";
+              shadow          = true;
+              fadeDelta       = 4;
+            };
+        </programlisting>
+    </para>
+
+    <para>
+        Some Xfce programs are not installed automatically.
+        To install them manually (system wide), put them into your
+        <literal>environment.systemPackages</literal>.
+	</para>
+
+    <para>
+		NixOS’s default <emphasis>display manager</emphasis>is SLiM.
+		(DM is the program that provides a graphical login prompt
+		 and manages the X server.)
+	   	You can, for example, select KDE’s
+        <command>kdm</command> instead:
+        <programlisting>
+            services.xserver.displayManager.kdm.enable = true;
+        </programlisting>
+    </para>
+
+    <simplesect>
+        <title>Thunar Volume Support</title>
+
+        <para>
+            To enable
+            <emphasis>Thunar</emphasis>
+            volume support, put
+            <programlisting>
+                services.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable = true;
+            </programlisting>
+            into your <emphasis>configuration.nix</emphasis>.
+        </para>
+
+    </simplesect>
+
+    <simplesect>
+        <title>Polkit Authentication Agent</title>
+
+        <para>
+            There is no authentication agent automatically installed alongside
+            Xfce. To allow mounting of local (non-removable) filesystems, you
+            will need to install one.
+
+            Installing <emphasis>polkit_gnome</emphasis>, a rebuild, logout and
+            login did the trick.
+        </para>
+
+    </simplesect>
+
+    <simplesect>
+        <title>Troubleshooting</title>
+
+        <para>
+            Even after enabling udisks2, volume management might not work.
+            Thunar and/or the desktop takes time to show up.
+
+            Thunar will spit out this kind of message on start
+            (look at journalctl --user -b).
+
+            <programlisting>
+                Thunar:2410): GVFS-RemoteVolumeMonitor-WARNING **: remote volume monitor with dbus name org.gtk.Private.UDisks2VolumeMonitor is not supported
+            </programlisting>
+
+            This is caused by some needed GNOME services not running.
+            This is all fixed by enabling "Launch GNOME services on startup" in
+            the Advanced tab of the Session and Startup settings panel.
+            Alternatively, you can run this command to do the same thing.
+            <programlisting>
+                $ xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -p /compat/LaunchGNOME -s true
+            </programlisting>
+            A log-out and re-log will be needed for this to take effect.
+        </para>
+
+    </simplesect>
+
+</chapter>