diff --git a/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-prefetch-url.md b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-prefetch-url.md
index 1cd1063cd..1307c7c37 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-prefetch-url.md
+++ b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-prefetch-url.md
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ Nix store is also printed.
     result to the Nix store. The resulting hash can be used with
     functions such as Nixpkgs’s `fetchzip` or `fetchFromGitHub`.
 
+  - `--executable`  
+    Set the executable bit on the downloaded file.
+
   - `--name` *name*  
     Override the name of the file in the Nix store. By default, this is
     `hash-basename`, where *basename* is the last component of *url*.
diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index f4368b170..822a73332 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -3,16 +3,15 @@
     "lowdown-src": {
       "flake": false,
       "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1598296217,
-        "narHash": "sha256-ha7lyNY1d8m+osmDpPc9f/bfZ3ZC1IVIXwfyklSWg8I=",
-        "owner": "edolstra",
+        "lastModified": 1598695561,
+        "narHash": "sha256-gyH/5j+h/nWw0W8AcR2WKvNBUsiQ7QuxqSJNXAwV+8E=",
+        "owner": "kristapsdz",
         "repo": "lowdown",
-        "rev": "c7a4e715af1e233080842db82d15b261cb74cb28",
+        "rev": "1705b4a26fbf065d9574dce47a94e8c7c79e052f",
         "type": "github"
       },
       "original": {
-        "owner": "edolstra",
-        "ref": "no-structs-in-anonymous-unions",
+        "owner": "kristapsdz",
         "repo": "lowdown",
         "type": "github"
       }
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index a50533a29..0304557e8 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   description = "The purely functional package manager";
 
   inputs.nixpkgs.url = "nixpkgs/nixos-20.03-small";
-  inputs.lowdown-src = { url = "github:edolstra/lowdown/no-structs-in-anonymous-unions"; flake = false; };
+  inputs.lowdown-src = { url = "github:kristapsdz/lowdown"; flake = false; };
 
   outputs = { self, nixpkgs, lowdown-src }:
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
 
           enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
-          makeFlags = "profiledir=$(out)/etc/profile.d";
+          makeFlags = "profiledir=$(out)/etc/profile.d PRECOMPILE_HEADERS=1";
 
           doCheck = true;
 
@@ -334,9 +334,6 @@
             # syntax-check generated dot files, it still requires some
             # fonts.  So provide those.
             FONTCONFIG_FILE = texFunctions.fontsConf;
-
-            # To test building without precompiled headers.
-            makeFlagsArray = [ "PRECOMPILE_HEADERS=0" ];
           };
 
         # System tests.
diff --git a/misc/launchd/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist.in b/misc/launchd/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist.in
index 9f26296a9..c334639e2 100644
--- a/misc/launchd/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist.in
+++ b/misc/launchd/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist.in
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
   <dict>
     <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
     <dict>
+      <key>NIX_SSL_CERT_FILE</key>
+      <string>/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt</string>
       <key>OBJC_DISABLE_INITIALIZE_FORK_SAFETY</key>
       <string>YES</string>
     </dict>
diff --git a/mk/precompiled-headers.mk b/mk/precompiled-headers.mk
index 500c99e4a..1fdb4b3a4 100644
--- a/mk/precompiled-headers.mk
+++ b/mk/precompiled-headers.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-PRECOMPILE_HEADERS ?= 1
+PRECOMPILE_HEADERS ?= 0
 
 print-var-help += \
   echo "  PRECOMPILE_HEADERS ($(PRECOMPILE_HEADERS)): Whether to use precompiled headers to speed up the build";
diff --git a/src/nix-prefetch-url/nix-prefetch-url.cc b/src/nix-prefetch-url/nix-prefetch-url.cc
index 1001f27af..377ae03a8 100644
--- a/src/nix-prefetch-url/nix-prefetch-url.cc
+++ b/src/nix-prefetch-url/nix-prefetch-url.cc
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static int _main(int argc, char * * argv)
         bool fromExpr = false;
         string attrPath;
         bool unpack = false;
+        bool executable = false;
         string name;
 
         struct MyArgs : LegacyArgs, MixEvalArgs
@@ -81,6 +82,8 @@ static int _main(int argc, char * * argv)
             }
             else if (*arg == "--unpack")
                 unpack = true;
+            else if (*arg == "--executable")
+                executable = true;
             else if (*arg == "--name")
                 name = getArg(*arg, arg, end);
             else if (*arg != "" && arg->at(0) == '-')
@@ -175,7 +178,11 @@ static int _main(int argc, char * * argv)
 
             /* Download the file. */
             {
-                AutoCloseFD fd = open(tmpFile.c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0600);
+                auto mode = 0600;
+                if (executable)
+                    mode = 0700;
+
+                AutoCloseFD fd = open(tmpFile.c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, mode);
                 if (!fd) throw SysError("creating temporary file '%s'", tmpFile);
 
                 FdSink sink(fd.get());
@@ -201,7 +208,7 @@ static int _main(int argc, char * * argv)
                     tmpFile = unpacked;
             }
 
-            const auto method = unpack ? FileIngestionMethod::Recursive : FileIngestionMethod::Flat;
+            const auto method = unpack || executable ? FileIngestionMethod::Recursive : FileIngestionMethod::Flat;
 
             auto info = store->addToStoreSlow(name, tmpFile, method, ht, expectedHash);
             storePath = info.path;