diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ae9ea07..357490c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ trusted-public-keys = cache.nixos.org-1:6NCHdD59X431o0gWypbMrAURkbJ16ZPMQFGspcDS
 substituters = https://cache.nixos.org https://cache.dhall-lang.org
 ```
 
-If you use an older version of Nix (i.e. Nix 1.*) then use these options
+If you use an older version of Nix (i.e. Nix `1.*`) then use these options
 instead:
 
 ```
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ $ nix-env --install --file default.nix
 ... or you can run the same command within each package's respective directory
 to install just that one package.
 
+If you prefer installing the binaries locally in a nix shell environment instead, just run `nix-shell` in the top-level directory.
+This option provides additional flexibility with respect to overriding some of the default parameters e.g. the compiler version, which makes it particularly useful for developers.
+
 You can develop any package by navigating to that package's directory and
 running:
 
diff --git a/nix/shared.nix b/nix/shared.nix
index 921c6d8..9f2978f 100644
--- a/nix/shared.nix
+++ b/nix/shared.nix
@@ -563,6 +563,8 @@ in
   rec {
     inherit trivial;
 
+    inherit pkgs;
+
     possibly-static = {
       dhall            = makeStaticIfPossible "dhall"           ;
       dhall-bash       = makeStaticIfPossible "dhall-bash"      ;
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac8040b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{ args ? {} , shell ? "bash" }:
+let
+  shared = import ./nix/shared.nix args;
+  static = shared.possibly-static;
+in
+shared.pkgs.runCommand "dhall-shell-${shell}" {
+  buildInputs = [
+    static.dhall
+    static.dhall-json
+    static.dhall-text
+    static.dhall-bash
+    static.dhall-nix
+  ];
+  shellHook = ''
+    echo "Dhall core tools shell"
+    echo "USAGE EXAMPLES"
+    echo "    Default (GHC version ${(import ./nix/shared.nix {}).pkgs.haskellPackages.ghc.version}, option completions shell - bash):"
+    echo "        $ nix-shell"
+    echo "    Overriding default GHC compiler (see ./nix/shared.nix for available options):"
+    echo "        $ nix-shell --arg args '{ compiler = "ghc7103"; }'"
+    echo "    Overriding option completion shell flavor:"
+    echo "        $ nix-shell --argstr shell zsh"
+
+    source <(dhall         --${shell}-completion-script dhall)
+    source <(dhall-to-text --${shell}-completion-script dhall-to-text)
+    source <(dhall-to-bash --${shell}-completion-script dhall-to-bash)
+    source <(dhall-to-nix  --${shell}-completion-script dhall-to-nix)
+    source <(dhall-to-json --${shell}-completion-script dhall-to-json)
+    source <(dhall-to-yaml --${shell}-completion-script dhall-to-yaml)
+    source <(json-to-dhall --${shell}-completion-script json-to-dhall)
+  '';
+} ""