diff --git a/lix/libutil/logging.cc b/lix/libutil/logging.cc
index 3bad9e50a..67237345d 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/logging.cc
+++ b/lix/libutil/logging.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "lix/libutil/config.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/position.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/terminal.hh"
+#include "manually-drop.hh"
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <atomic>
@@ -349,7 +350,18 @@ Activity::~Activity()
 
 void writeLogsToStderr(std::string_view s)
 {
-    static std::mutex lock;
+    // NOTE: If this lock is a regular static item (and not something
+    // indestructible), then it will be destructed when Nix shuts down. When
+    // other threads are running, it becomes possible for a static to be
+    // destructed before Nix ends, leading to errors.
+    //
+    // Therefore, we use a wrapper type to block it ever getting destroyed.
+    //
+    // TODO: Audit other statics for this issue?
+    //
+    // See: https://git.lix.systems/lix-project/lix/issues/702
+    // See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/27671727/5719760
+    static ManuallyDrop<std::mutex> lock {std::in_place_t{}};
 
     // make sure only one thread uses this function at any given time.
     // multiple concurrent threads can have deleterious effects on log
@@ -357,7 +369,7 @@ void writeLogsToStderr(std::string_view s)
     // on top of a SimpleLogger which is itself not thread-safe. every
     // Logger instance should be thread-safe in an ideal world, but we
     // cannot really enforce that on a per-logger level at this point.
-    std::unique_lock _lock(lock);
+    std::unique_lock _lock(*lock);
     try {
         writeFull(STDERR_FILENO, s, false);
     } catch (SysError & e) {
diff --git a/lix/libutil/manually-drop.hh b/lix/libutil/manually-drop.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae414acf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lix/libutil/manually-drop.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#pragma once
+/// @file Manually destroy a value; suppresses automatic destruction
+#include <atomic>
+#include <cassert>
+#include <utility>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+/** Analogous to Rust's ManuallyDrop structure. Only is destroyed when you call destroy(). */
+template<typename T>
+class ManuallyDrop
+{
+    alignas(alignof(T)) char data[sizeof(T)];
+    // We have to use atomic<bool> here since once_flag reattempts if the
+    // callee throws (double destruction? yikes)
+    std::atomic<bool> destroyed = false;
+
+public:
+    explicit ManuallyDrop(T && t)
+    {
+        ::new (data) T(std::move(t));
+    }
+
+    /** Construct a ManuallyDrop in-place */
+    template<typename... Arg>
+    ManuallyDrop(std::in_place_t, Arg &&... args)
+    {
+        ::new (data) T(std::forward<Arg>(args)...);
+    }
+
+    ManuallyDrop(ManuallyDrop<T> && other)
+    {
+        ::new (data) ManuallyDrop<T>(other.take());
+    }
+
+    ~ManuallyDrop() {}
+
+    // FIXME(jade): do some "deducing this" nonsense to implement all the const
+    // whatevers for this class. my clangd didn't like it when i tried, so that
+    // is Later Work. this language is horrific.
+
+    /** Gets a reference to the inner T */
+    T & get()
+    {
+        // SAFETY: this should genuinely never happen and it doesn't matter the
+        // ordering of other stuff relative to it.
+        assert(!destroyed.load(std::memory_order_relaxed));
+        return reinterpret_cast<T &>(data);
+    }
+
+    T & operator*()
+    {
+        return get();
+    }
+
+    T * operator->()
+    {
+        return &get();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Takes the value out of this object and gives it to you.
+     * Must not already be destroyed.
+     *
+     * Example:
+     ```c++
+     ManuallyDrop<std::unique_ptr<int>> md{std::in_place_t{}, new int()};
+     ManuallyDrop<std::unique_ptr<int>> md2{std::move(md).take()};
+     ```
+     */
+    T && take() &&
+    {
+        // SAFETY: this is relatively lock-like in structure, reordering-wise
+        bool wasDestroyed = destroyed.exchange(true, std::memory_order_acq_rel);
+        assert(!wasDestroyed);
+        return std::move(reinterpret_cast<T &>(data));
+    }
+
+    /** Destroy the value. Safe to call multiple times. */
+    void destroy()
+    {
+        // SAFETY: this is relatively lock-like in structure, reordering-wise
+        bool wasDestroyed = destroyed.exchange(true, std::memory_order_acq_rel);
+        if (!wasDestroyed) {
+            get().~T();
+        }
+    }
+};
+}
diff --git a/lix/libutil/meson.build b/lix/libutil/meson.build
index 6fcd8cb76..1e0e31d35 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/meson.build
+++ b/lix/libutil/meson.build
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ libutil_headers = files(
   'logging.hh',
   'logging-json.hh',
   'lru-cache.hh',
+  'manually-drop.hh',
   'monitor-fd.hh',
   'mount.hh',
   'namespaces.hh',