diff --git a/lib/nkxpkgs.nix b/lib/nkxpkgs.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cfb1a6bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/nkxpkgs.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# A nixpkgs instance that is grabbed from the pinned nixpkgs commit in the lock file
+# Useful to avoid using channels when using legacy nix commands
+let lock = (builtins.fromJSON (builtins.readFile ./flake.lock)).nodes.nixpkgs.locked;
+in
+import (fetchTarball {
+  url = "https://github.com/nixos/nixpkgs/archive/${lock.rev}.tar.gz";
+  sha256 = lock.narHash;
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
index bddd07a2..4aef60ac 100644
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # shell.nix
-with import <nixpkgs> {};
 let
   sops-nix = builtins.fetchTarball {
     url = "https://github.com/Mic92/sops-nix/archive/master.tar.gz";
@@ -8,10 +7,7 @@ let
 in
 # A nixpkgs instance that is grabbed from the pinned nixpkgs commit in the lock file
 # Useful to avoid using channels when using legacy nix commands
-{ pkgs ? import ( fetchTarball {
-    url = "https://github.com/nixos/nixpkgs/archive/${lock.rev}.tar.gz"; 
-    sha256 = lock.narHash;
-  } ) { } }: {
+{ pkgs ? (import ./lib/nixpkgs.nix) { } }: {
   default = pkgs.mkShell {
     NIX_CONFIG = "experimental-features = nix-command flakes";
     # imports all files ending in .asc/.gpg