diff --git a/doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md b/doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
index 02d0a8682bf7..0880fccadc1e 100644
--- a/doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
+++ b/doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
@@ -557,14 +557,18 @@ This creates a derivation with a directory structure like the following:
 
 ## `writeReferencesToFile` {#trivial-builder-writeReferencesToFile}
 
-Writes the closure of transitive dependencies to a file.
+Deprecated. Use [`writeClosure`](#trivial-builder-writeClosure) instead.
 
-This produces the equivalent of `nix-store -q --requisites`.
+## `writeClosure` {#trivial-builder-writeClosure}
+
+Given a list of [store paths](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/glossary#gloss-store-path) (or string-like expressions coercible to store paths), write their collective [closure](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/glossary#gloss-closure) to a text file.
+
+The result is equivalent to the output of `nix-store -q --requisites`.
 
 For example,
 
 ```nix
-writeReferencesToFile (writeScriptBin "hi" ''${hello}/bin/hello'')
+writeClosure [ (writeScriptBin "hi" ''${hello}/bin/hello'') ]
 ```
 
 produces an output path `/nix/store/<hash>-runtime-deps` containing
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2405.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2405.section.md
index 22689868cf02..8bce8dcda737 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2405.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2405.section.md
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ The pre-existing [services.ankisyncd](#opt-services.ankisyncd.enable) has been m
 
 - Invidious has changed its default database username from `kemal` to `invidious`. Setups involving an externally provisioned database (i.e. `services.invidious.database.createLocally == false`) should adjust their configuration accordingly. The old `kemal` user will not be removed automatically even when the database is provisioned automatically.(https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/265857)
 
+- `writeReferencesToFile` is deprecated in favour of the new trivial build helper `writeClosure`. The latter accepts a list of paths and has an unambiguous name and cleaner implementation.
+
 - `inetutils` now has a lower priority to avoid shadowing the commonly used `util-linux`. If one wishes to restore the default priority, simply use `lib.setPrio 5 inetutils` or override with `meta.priority = 5`.
 
 - `paperless`' `services.paperless.extraConfig` setting has been removed and converted to the freeform type and option named `services.paperless.settings`.
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
index df81d67d868d..d7438923a54b 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, stdenvNoCC, lndir, runtimeShell, shellcheck-minimal }:
+{ lib, config, stdenv, stdenvNoCC, jq, lndir, runtimeShell, shellcheck-minimal }:
 
 let
   inherit (lib)
@@ -625,18 +625,22 @@ rec {
 
   # Docs in doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
   # See https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#trivial-builder-writeReferencesToFile
-  writeReferencesToFile = path: runCommand "runtime-deps"
+  # TODO: Convert to throw after Nixpkgs 24.05 branch-off.
+  writeReferencesToFile = (if config.allowAliases then lib.warn else throw)
+    "writeReferencesToFile is deprecated in favour of writeClosure"
+    (path: writeClosure [ path ]);
+
+  # Docs in doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
+  # See https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#trivial-builder-writeClosure
+  writeClosure = paths: runCommand "runtime-deps"
     {
-      exportReferencesGraph = [ "graph" path ];
+      # Get the cleaner exportReferencesGraph interface
+      __structuredAttrs = true;
+      exportReferencesGraph.graph = paths;
+      nativeBuildInputs = [ jq ];
     }
     ''
-      touch $out
-      while read path; do
-        echo $path >> $out
-        read dummy
-        read nrRefs
-        for ((i = 0; i < nrRefs; i++)); do read ref; done
-      done < graph
+      jq -r ".graph | map(.path) | sort | .[]" "$NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE" > "$out"
     '';
 
   # Docs in doc/build-helpers/trivial-build-helpers.chapter.md
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/test/writeReferenceClosureToFile-mixed.nix b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/test/writeReferenceClosureToFile-mixed.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fed3a4f2adbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/test/writeReferenceClosureToFile-mixed.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{ lib
+, runCommandLocal
+  # Test targets
+, writeClosure
+, samples
+}:
+runCommandLocal "test-trivial-builders-writeClosure-mixed" {
+  __structuredAttrs = true;
+  references = lib.mapAttrs (n: v: writeClosure [ v ]) samples;
+  allRefs = writeClosure (lib.attrValues samples);
+  inherit samples;
+  meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [
+    ShamrockLee
+  ];
+} ''
+  set -eu -o pipefail
+  echo >&2 Testing mixed closures...
+  echo >&2 Checking all samples "(''${samples[*]})" "$allRefs"
+  diff -U3 \
+    <(sort <"$allRefs") \
+    <(cat "''${references[@]}" | sort | uniq)
+  touch "$out"
+''
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/stage.nix b/pkgs/top-level/stage.nix
index d8bf53af86aa..3b84026b4696 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/stage.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/stage.nix
@@ -110,8 +110,9 @@ let
   trivialBuilders = self: super:
     import ../build-support/trivial-builders {
       inherit lib;
+      inherit (self) config;
       inherit (self) runtimeShell stdenv stdenvNoCC;
-      inherit (self.pkgsBuildHost) shellcheck-minimal;
+      inherit (self.pkgsBuildHost) jq shellcheck-minimal;
       inherit (self.pkgsBuildHost.xorg) lndir;
     };