diff --git a/lix/libutil/types-rpc.hh b/lix/libutil/types-rpc.hh
index f04ff487b..283ab52c4 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/types-rpc.hh
+++ b/lix/libutil/types-rpc.hh
@@ -8,12 +8,15 @@
 #include "rpc.hh"
 #include <capnp/any.h>
 #include <capnp/common.h>
+#include <concepts>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <exception>
+#include <optional>
 #include <ranges>
 #include <string>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <type_traits>
+#include <utility>
 
 namespace nix::rpc {
 
@@ -93,6 +96,62 @@ struct Convert<Settings, std::map<std::string, std::string>>
     }
 };
 
+namespace detail {
+template<typename>
+struct OptionArgT;
+template<typename T>
+struct OptionArgT<Option<T>>
+{
+    using type = T;
+};
+template<>
+struct OptionArgT<OptionInt64>
+{
+    using type = int64_t;
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+using OptionArg = typename OptionArgT<T>::type;
+
+template<typename T>
+concept OptionT = requires { OptionArgT<T>{}; };
+template<typename T>
+concept OptionReaderT = OptionT<typename T::Reads>;
+}
+
+template<detail::OptionT From, typename To>
+struct Convert<From, std::optional<To>>
+{
+    template<typename... Args>
+        requires requires(From::Reader r, Args... args) { to<To>(r.getSome(), args...); }
+    static std::optional<To> convert(const typename From::Reader & r, Args &&... args)
+    {
+        return r.isSome() ? std::optional<To>{std::in_place, to<To>(r.getSome(), args...)} : std::nullopt;
+    }
+};
+
+template<detail::OptionT O, typename T>
+struct Fill<O, std::optional<T>>
+{
+    template<typename... Args>
+    static void fill(O::Builder builder, const std::optional<T> & from, Args &&... args)
+    {
+        if (from.has_value()) {
+            LIX_RPC_FILL_GENERIC_DEPENDENT(builder, Some, from.value(), args...);
+        } else {
+            builder.setNone();
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+template<detail::OptionReaderT O, typename... Args>
+    requires requires(O o, Args... args) { from(o.getSome(), args...); }
+inline auto from(const O & r, Args &&... args)
+{
+    using To = decltype(from(r.getSome(), args...));
+    return r.isSome() ? std::optional<To>{std::in_place, from(r.getSome(), args...)} : std::nullopt;
+}
+
 namespace error::v1 {
 std::string encodeLossy(const ::nix::ErrorInfo & e);
 std::optional<::nix::ErrorInfo> tryDecode(std::string_view source);
diff --git a/lix/libutil/types.capnp b/lix/libutil/types.capnp
index ecf1771da..c192869d6 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/types.capnp
+++ b/lix/libutil/types.capnp
@@ -46,6 +46,21 @@ struct Error {
   traces @2 :List(Data);
 }
 
+struct Option(T) {
+  union {
+    # make sure uninitialized options deserialize to none for some added safety
+    none @0 :Void;
+    some @1 :T;
+  }
+}
+
+struct OptionInt64 {
+  union {
+    none @0 :Void;
+    some @1 :Int64;
+  }
+}
+
 struct Settings {
   struct Setting {
     name @0 :Data;
diff --git a/tests/unit/libutil/rpc.cc b/tests/unit/libutil/rpc.cc
index 178c112a0..ca69f8e70 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libutil/rpc.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libutil/rpc.cc
@@ -1,9 +1,58 @@
+#include "lix/libutil/rpc.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/error.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/fmt.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/types-rpc.hh"
+#include "types.capnp.h"
+#include <capnp/blob.h>
+#include <capnp/list.h>
+#include <concepts>
+#include <cstdint>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <optional>
 
 namespace nix {
+TEST(RpcConverters, DISABLED_optionConvertersCompile)
+{
+    using namespace rpc;
+
+    // primitive inner
+    RPC_FILL_STRUCT(Option<OptionInt64>::Builder{nullptr}, initSome, std::optional<int64_t>{});
+    static_assert(std::same_as<decltype(from(OptionInt64::Reader{})), std::optional<int64_t>>);
+
+    // string inner, which is special (of course)
+    RPC_FILL_STRUCT(Option<Option<capnp::Text>>::Builder{nullptr}, initSome, std::optional<std::string>{});
+    static_assert(std::same_as<
+                  decltype(to<std::optional<std::string>>(Option<capnp::Text>::Reader{})),
+                  std::optional<std::string>>);
+    static_assert(std::same_as<
+                  decltype(to<std::optional<std::string_view>>(Option<capnp::Text>::Reader{})),
+                  std::optional<std::string_view>>);
+
+    // struct inner
+    RPC_FILL_STRUCT(Option<Option<rpc::Error>>::Builder{nullptr}, initSome, std::optional<ErrorInfo>{});
+    static_assert(std::same_as<decltype(from(Option<rpc::Error>::Reader{})), std::optional<ErrorInfo>>);
+
+    // list inner
+    RPC_FILL_STRUCT(
+        Option<Option<capnp::List<capnp::Text>>>::Builder{nullptr},
+        initSome,
+        std::optional<std::list<std::string>>{}
+    );
+    static_assert(
+        std::same_as<
+            decltype(to<std::optional<std::list<std::string>>>(Option<capnp::List<capnp::Text>>::Reader{})),
+            std::optional<std::list<std::string>>>
+    );
+
+    // nested inner
+    RPC_FILL_STRUCT(
+        Option<Option<OptionInt64>>::Builder{nullptr}, initSome, std::optional<std::optional<int64_t>>{}
+    );
+    static_assert(
+        std::same_as<decltype(from(Option<OptionInt64>::Reader{})), std::optional<std::optional<int64_t>>>
+    );
+}
+
 TEST(RpcErrorV1, shortMessage)
 {
     Error e{ErrorInfo{lvlWarn, HintFmt("test message %s", "data")}};