diff --git a/lib/types.nix b/lib/types.nix
index d27d5750dfab..ddd37f260c9a 100644
--- a/lib/types.nix
+++ b/lib/types.nix
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ rec {
     # - strings with context, e.g. "${pkgs.foo}" or (toString pkgs.foo)
     # - hardcoded store path literals (/nix/store/hash-foo) or strings without context
     #   ("/nix/store/hash-foo"). These get a context added to them using builtins.storePath.
+    # If you don't need a *top-level* store path, consider using pathInStore instead.
     package = mkOptionType {
       name = "package";
       descriptionClass = "noun";
@@ -491,6 +492,14 @@ rec {
       merge = mergeEqualOption;
     };
 
+    pathInStore = mkOptionType {
+      name = "pathInStore";
+      description = "path in the Nix store";
+      descriptionClass = "noun";
+      check = x: isStringLike x && builtins.match "${builtins.storeDir}/[^.].*" (toString x) != null;
+      merge = mergeEqualOption;
+    };
+
     listOf = elemType: mkOptionType rec {
       name = "listOf";
       description = "list of ${optionDescriptionPhrase (class: class == "noun" || class == "composite") elemType}";
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/development/option-types.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/development/option-types.section.md
index 9e156ebff9d3..44bb3b4782e1 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/development/option-types.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/development/option-types.section.md
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ merging is handled.
     coerced to a string. Even if derivations can be considered as
     paths, the more specific `types.package` should be preferred.
 
+`types.pathInStore`
+
+:   A path that is contained in the Nix store. This can be a top-level store
+    path like `pkgs.hello` or a descendant like `"${pkgs.hello}/bin/hello"`.
+
 `types.package`
 
 :   A top-level store path. This can be an attribute set pointing