diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 76b1d60..21a0f40 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -78,6 +78,17 @@ All notable changes to cargoxx will be documented in this file.
   and `[build]` honoring `warnings_as_errors` and `sanitizers`. Source
   paths emitted relative to `build/` (i.e. prefixed with `../`).
   Output is deterministic. `tests/codegen_cmake.cpp` covers 11 cases.
+- `cargoxx.resolver::nixpkgs_probe(attr)` — runs
+  `nix eval nixpkgs#<attr> --json --apply 'p: { version, path }'` via
+  `exec::run` and returns a `NixpkgsInfo { attr, version, out_path }`.
+  Distinguishes missing attributes (`ResolutionUnknownPackage`) from
+  evaluator/network errors (`ResolutionNetworkError`). The `path` field
+  name avoids nix's `outPath`-driven derivation coercion in `--json`
+  mode (which would otherwise serialize the result as a bare path
+  string instead of a JSON object). Pure parser
+  `parse_nix_eval_json(attr, text)` exposed for unit tests; live tests
+  in `tests/nixpkgs_probe_live.cpp` are gated behind
+  `CARGOXX_NETWORK_TESTS=1` (verified locally against `hello`).
 - `cargoxx add <pkg>[@<version>] [--components a,b]` edits `Cargoxx.toml`,
   validates the new dep against the curated linkdb (so unknown packages
   and missing components fail before any disk write), and rejects
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ecd2422..5cac850 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ target_sources(cargoxx
         src/codegen/flake.cpp
         src/codegen/cmake.cpp
         src/exec/subprocess.cpp
+        src/resolver/nixpkgs_probe.cpp
         src/cli/cmd_new.cpp
         src/cli/cmd_build.cpp
         src/cli/cmd_run.cpp
diff --git a/src/resolver/nixpkgs_probe.cpp b/src/resolver/nixpkgs_probe.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6876cc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resolver/nixpkgs_probe.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+module;
+
+#include <json.hpp>
+
+module cargoxx.resolver;
+
+import std;
+import cargoxx.util;
+import cargoxx.exec;
+
+namespace cargoxx::resolver {
+
+namespace {
+
+// `outPath` is a magic attribute name that triggers nix's derivation
+// coercion in --json mode (the attrset gets serialized as a bare path
+// string). Renaming the field to `path` keeps it a proper JSON object.
+constexpr std::string_view APPLY_FN =
+    "p: { version = p.version or \"\"; path = p.outPath; }";
+
+auto make_error(util::ErrorCode code, std::string msg) -> util::Error {
+    return util::Error{code, std::move(msg), "", std::nullopt, std::nullopt};
+}
+
+// nix eval emits these markers when an attribute is missing on the flake.
+auto looks_like_missing_attribute(std::string_view stderr_text) -> bool {
+    return stderr_text.find("does not provide attribute") != std::string_view::npos ||
+           stderr_text.find("attribute '") != std::string_view::npos &&
+               stderr_text.find("missing") != std::string_view::npos;
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+auto parse_nix_eval_json(std::string_view attr, std::string_view json)
+    -> util::Result<NixpkgsInfo> {
+    nlohmann::json j;
+    try {
+        j = nlohmann::json::parse(json);
+    } catch (const nlohmann::json::parse_error& e) {
+        return std::unexpected(make_error(
+            util::ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError,
+            std::format("nix eval emitted unparseable JSON: {}", e.what())));
+    }
+
+    if (!j.is_object()) {
+        return std::unexpected(make_error(
+            util::ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError,
+            "nix eval JSON is not an object"));
+    }
+
+    NixpkgsInfo info{.attr = std::string{attr}, .version = {}, .out_path = {}};
+
+    if (j.contains("path") && j["path"].is_string()) {
+        info.out_path = j["path"].get<std::string>();
+    } else {
+        return std::unexpected(make_error(
+            util::ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError,
+            "nix eval JSON lacks 'path'"));
+    }
+
+    if (j.contains("version") && j["version"].is_string()) {
+        info.version = j["version"].get<std::string>();
+    }
+
+    return info;
+}
+
+auto nixpkgs_probe(const std::string& attr) -> util::Result<NixpkgsInfo> {
+    if (attr.empty()) {
+        return std::unexpected(make_error(util::ErrorCode::ResolutionUnknownPackage,
+                                          "package name is empty"));
+    }
+
+    std::vector<std::string> args{
+        "--extra-experimental-features", "nix-command flakes",
+        "eval", std::format("nixpkgs#{}", attr), "--json", "--apply",
+        std::string{APPLY_FN},
+    };
+
+    auto r = exec::run("nix", args,
+                       exec::ExecOptions{
+                           .cwd = {},
+                           .env_overrides = {},
+                           .timeout = std::chrono::seconds{60},
+                           .inherit_stdio = false,
+                       });
+    if (!r) {
+        return std::unexpected(r.error());
+    }
+
+    if (r->exit_code != 0) {
+        if (looks_like_missing_attribute(r->stderr_text)) {
+            return std::unexpected(make_error(
+                util::ErrorCode::ResolutionUnknownPackage,
+                std::format("nixpkgs has no attribute '{}'", attr)));
+        }
+        return std::unexpected(make_error(
+            util::ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError,
+            std::format("nix eval failed (exit {}): {}", r->exit_code,
+                        r->stderr_text)));
+    }
+
+    return parse_nix_eval_json(attr, r->stdout_text);
+}
+
+} // namespace cargoxx::resolver
diff --git a/src/resolver/resolver.cppm b/src/resolver/resolver.cppm
index fc5f046..bea3886 100644
--- a/src/resolver/resolver.cppm
+++ b/src/resolver/resolver.cppm
@@ -1,5 +1,29 @@
 export module cargoxx.resolver;
 
+import std;
 import cargoxx.util;
 import cargoxx.exec;
 import cargoxx.linkdb;
+
+export namespace cargoxx::resolver {
+
+// What `nix eval nixpkgs#<pkg>` reports for a package: a confirmation that
+// the attribute exists, a best-effort version string, and the realized
+// nix-store path so later probes can scan its installed CMake configs.
+struct NixpkgsInfo {
+    std::string attr;       // the queried name, e.g. "simdjson"
+    std::string version;    // empty when the derivation has no version
+    std::string out_path;   // absolute /nix/store/... path
+};
+
+// Pure parser exposed for unit testing. Accepts the raw JSON returned by
+// `nix eval --json --apply 'p: { ... }'` and extracts NixpkgsInfo.
+auto parse_nix_eval_json(std::string_view attr, std::string_view json)
+    -> util::Result<NixpkgsInfo>;
+
+// Runs `nix eval nixpkgs#<attr> --json --apply ...` via exec::run. Returns
+// `ResolutionUnknownPackage` when the attribute is missing,
+// `ResolutionNetworkError` on timeout or evaluator errors.
+auto nixpkgs_probe(const std::string& attr) -> util::Result<NixpkgsInfo>;
+
+} // namespace cargoxx::resolver
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 27be4ff..fd37f7f 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,3 +24,5 @@ cargoxx_add_test(cmd_run)
 cargoxx_add_test(cmd_clean)
 cargoxx_add_test(cmd_add)
 cargoxx_add_test(cmd_remove)
+cargoxx_add_test(nixpkgs_probe_parse)
+cargoxx_add_test(nixpkgs_probe_live)
diff --git a/tests/nixpkgs_probe_live.cpp b/tests/nixpkgs_probe_live.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ea1bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/nixpkgs_probe_live.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Network/nix-eval-gated integration test for resolver::nixpkgs_probe.
+// Skipped unless CARGOXX_NETWORK_TESTS=1 is set in the environment.
+
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+
+import cargoxx.resolver;
+import cargoxx.util;
+import std;
+
+namespace {
+
+auto network_tests_enabled() -> bool {
+    auto* env = std::getenv("CARGOXX_NETWORK_TESTS");
+    return env != nullptr && std::string_view{env} == "1";
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+TEST_CASE("nixpkgs_probe finds 'hello'", "[resolver][network]") {
+    if (!network_tests_enabled()) {
+        SKIP("CARGOXX_NETWORK_TESTS != 1");
+    }
+    auto r = cargoxx::resolver::nixpkgs_probe("hello");
+    REQUIRE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r->attr == "hello");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r->out_path.empty());
+    REQUIRE(r->out_path.starts_with("/nix/store/"));
+    // GNU hello has a stable, conventional version field.
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r->version.empty());
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("nixpkgs_probe rejects an unknown attribute", "[resolver][network]") {
+    if (!network_tests_enabled()) {
+        SKIP("CARGOXX_NETWORK_TESTS != 1");
+    }
+    auto r = cargoxx::resolver::nixpkgs_probe(
+        "definitely_not_a_real_pkg_cargoxx_xyzzy");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r.error().code == cargoxx::util::ErrorCode::ResolutionUnknownPackage);
+}
diff --git a/tests/nixpkgs_probe_parse.cpp b/tests/nixpkgs_probe_parse.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b98fbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/nixpkgs_probe_parse.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+
+import cargoxx.resolver;
+import cargoxx.util;
+import std;
+
+using cargoxx::resolver::parse_nix_eval_json;
+using cargoxx::util::ErrorCode;
+
+TEST_CASE("parse_nix_eval_json extracts version and outPath", "[resolver][nixpkgs]") {
+    constexpr std::string_view input = R"({
+        "version": "3.7.0",
+        "path": "/nix/store/abc-simdjson-3.7.0"
+    })";
+
+    auto r = parse_nix_eval_json("simdjson", input);
+    REQUIRE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r->attr == "simdjson");
+    REQUIRE(r->version == "3.7.0");
+    REQUIRE(r->out_path == "/nix/store/abc-simdjson-3.7.0");
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("parse_nix_eval_json accepts an empty version field",
+          "[resolver][nixpkgs]") {
+    constexpr std::string_view input = R"({
+        "version": "",
+        "path": "/nix/store/xyz-foo"
+    })";
+
+    auto r = parse_nix_eval_json("foo", input);
+    REQUIRE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r->version.empty());
+    REQUIRE(r->out_path == "/nix/store/xyz-foo");
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("parse_nix_eval_json fails when outPath is missing",
+          "[resolver][nixpkgs]") {
+    constexpr std::string_view input = R"({"version": "1.0"})";
+    auto r = parse_nix_eval_json("foo", input);
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r.error().code == ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("parse_nix_eval_json fails on garbage input", "[resolver][nixpkgs]") {
+    auto r = parse_nix_eval_json("foo", "not-json-at-all");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r.error().code == ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("parse_nix_eval_json fails on a non-object root",
+          "[resolver][nixpkgs]") {
+    auto r = parse_nix_eval_json("foo", "[]");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(r.has_value());
+    REQUIRE(r.error().code == ErrorCode::ResolutionNetworkError);
+}