diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/default.nix
index 0fb708b1892d..f02cd3790c6e 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/default.nix
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ lib.makeScope
       tinycc = tinycc-mes;
     };
 
+    gnutar = callPackage ./gnutar {
+      bash = bash_2_05;
+      tinycc = tinycc-mes;
+    };
+
     ln-boot = callPackage ./ln-boot { };
 
     mes = callPackage ./mes { };
@@ -53,6 +58,7 @@ lib.makeScope
       echo ${gawk.tests.get-version}
       echo ${gnugrep.tests.get-version}
       echo ${gnused.tests.get-version}
+      echo ${gnutar.tests.get-version}
       echo ${mes.compiler.tests.get-version}
       echo ${tinycc-mes.compiler.tests.chain}
       mkdir ''${out}
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/gnutar/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/gnutar/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..446f7109eda3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/minimal-bootstrap/gnutar/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPlatform
+, hostPlatform
+, fetchurl
+, bash
+, tinycc
+, gnumake
+, gnused
+, gnugrep
+}:
+let
+  pname = "gnutar";
+  # >= 1.13 is incompatible with mes-libc
+  version = "1.12";
+
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = "mirror://gnu/tar/tar-${version}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "02m6gajm647n8l9a5bnld6fnbgdpyi4i3i83p7xcwv0kif47xhy6";
+  };
+in
+bash.runCommand "${pname}-${version}" {
+  inherit pname version;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    tinycc.compiler
+    gnumake
+    gnused
+    gnugrep
+  ];
+
+  passthru.tests.get-version = result:
+    bash.runCommand "${pname}-get-version-${version}" {} ''
+      ${result}/bin/tar --version
+      mkdir $out
+    '';
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "GNU implementation of the `tar' archiver";
+    homepage = "https://www.gnu.org/software/tar";
+    license = licenses.gpl3Plus;
+    maintainers = teams.minimal-bootstrap.members;
+    mainProgram = "tar";
+    platforms = platforms.unix;
+  };
+} ''
+  # Unpack
+  ungz --file ${src} --output tar.tar
+  untar --file tar.tar
+  rm tar.tar
+  cd tar-${version}
+
+  # Configure
+  export CC="tcc -static -B ${tinycc.libs}/lib"
+  bash ./configure \
+    --build=${buildPlatform.config} \
+    --host=${hostPlatform.config} \
+    --disable-nls \
+    --prefix=$out
+
+  # Build
+  make AR="tcc -ar"
+
+  # Install
+  make install
+''