diff --git a/doc/coding-conventions.xml b/doc/coding-conventions.xml
index 68b075959c9c..b041a73d8182 100644
--- a/doc/coding-conventions.xml
+++ b/doc/coding-conventions.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <title>Coding conventions</title>
 
 
-<section><title>Syntax</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-syntax"><title>Syntax</title>
 
 <itemizedlist>
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ args.stdenv.mkDerivation (args // {
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>Package naming</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-package-naming"><title>Package naming</title>
 
 <para>In Nixpkgs, there are generally three different names associated with a package:
 
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ dashes between words — not in camel case.  For instance, it should be
 <filename>allPackages.nix</filename> or
 <filename>AllPackages.nix</filename>.</para>
 
-<section><title>Hierarchy</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-hierarchy"><title>Hierarchy</title>
 
 <para>Each package should be stored in its own directory somewhere in
 the <filename>pkgs/</filename> tree, i.e. in
diff --git a/doc/language-support.xml b/doc/language-support.xml
index 1e1bdf75eda5..14e8aa7a7ba4 100644
--- a/doc/language-support.xml
+++ b/doc/language-support.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ in Nixpkgs to easily build packages for other programming languages,
 such as Perl or Haskell.  These are described in this chapter.</para>
 
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-perl"><title>Perl</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-perl"><title>Perl</title>
 
 <para>Nixpkgs provides a function <varname>buildPerlPackage</varname>,
 a generic package builder function for any Perl package that has a
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ ClassC3Componentised = buildPerlPackage rec {
 
 </para>
 
-<section><title>Generation from CPAN</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-generation-from-CPAN"><title>Generation from CPAN</title>
 
 <para>Nix expressions for Perl packages can be generated (almost)
 automatically from CPAN.  This is done by the program
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ you need it.</para>
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="python"><title>Python</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-python"><title>Python</title>
 
 <para>
   Currently supported interpreters are <varname>python26</varname>, <varname>python27</varname>,
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ are provided with all modules included.</para>
   </varlistentry>
 
 </variablelist>
-<section xml:id="build-python-package"><title><varname>buildPythonPackage</varname> function</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-build-python-package"><title><varname>buildPythonPackage</varname> function</title>
 
   <para>
   The function is implemented in <link xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/development/python-modules/generic/default.nix">
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ twisted = buildPythonPackage {
 
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="python-build-env"><title><function>python.buildEnv</function> function</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-python-build-env"><title><function>python.buildEnv</function> function</title>
   <para>
     Create Python environments using low-level <function>pkgs.buildEnv</function> function. Example <filename>default.nix</filename>:
 
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ python.buildEnv.override {
   </variablelist>
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="python-tools"><title>Tools</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-python-tools"><title>Tools</title>
 
 <para>Packages inside nixpkgs are written by hand. However many tools
 exist in community to help save time. No tool is preferred at the moment.
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ exist in community to help save time. No tool is preferred at the moment.
 
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="python-development"><title>Development</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-python-development"><title>Development</title>
 
   <para>
     To develop Python packages <function>buildPythonPackage</function> has
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ buildPythonPackage {
 
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="python-faq"><title>FAQ</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-python-faq"><title>FAQ</title>
 
 <variablelist>
 
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ sed -i '/ = data_files/d' setup.py</programlisting>
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="python-contrib"><title>Contributing guidelines</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-python-contrib"><title>Contributing guidelines</title>
 <para>
   Following rules are desired to be respected:
 </para>
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ sed -i '/ = data_files/d' setup.py</programlisting>
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-ruby"><title>Ruby</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-ruby"><title>Ruby</title>
   <para>There currently is support to bundle applications that are packaged as Ruby gems. The utility "bundix" allows you to write a <filename>Gemfile</filename>, let bundler create a <filename>Gemfile.lock</filename>, and then convert
   this into a nix expression that contains all Gem dependencies automatically.</para>
 
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ and scalable.";
 
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-go"><title>Go</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-go"><title>Go</title>
 
 <para>The function <varname>buildGoPackage</varname> builds
 standard Go packages.
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ done
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-java"><title>Java</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-java"><title>Java</title>
 
 <para>Ant-based Java packages are typically built from source as follows:
 
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ Runtime) instead of the OpenJRE.</para>
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-lua"><title>Lua</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-lua"><title>Lua</title>
 
 <para>
   Lua packages are built by the <varname>buildLuaPackage</varname> function.  This function is
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ fileSystem = buildLuaPackage {
 
 </section>
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-language-coq"><title>Coq</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-language-coq"><title>Coq</title>
   <para>
     Coq libraries should be installed in
     <literal>$(out)/lib/coq/${coq.coq-version}/user-contrib/</literal>.
diff --git a/doc/meta.xml b/doc/meta.xml
index a0ed3069b680..14a01ccb3c07 100644
--- a/doc/meta.xml
+++ b/doc/meta.xml
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ hello-2.3  A program that produces a familiar, friendly greeting
 </para>
 
 
-<section><title>Standard meta-attributes</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-standard-meta-attributes"><title>Standard
+meta-attributes</title>
 
 <para>It is expected that each meta-attribute is one of the following:</para>
 
diff --git a/doc/package-notes.xml b/doc/package-notes.xml
index 8a35e640324d..ecaf619472de 100644
--- a/doc/package-notes.xml
+++ b/doc/package-notes.xml
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ $ make menuconfig ARCH=<replaceable>arch</replaceable></screen>
 
 <!--============================================================-->
 
-<section>
+<section xml:id="sec-xorg">
 
 <title>X.org</title>
 
diff --git a/doc/packageconfig.xml b/doc/packageconfig.xml
index 44ce1974c6cf..4e0fcc3b6a49 100644
--- a/doc/packageconfig.xml
+++ b/doc/packageconfig.xml
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@
 	<filename>lib/licenses.nix</filename> of the nix package tree.
     </para>
 
-<section><title>Modify packages via <literal>packageOverrides</literal></title>
+<section xml:id="sec-modify-via-packageOverrides"><title>Modify
+packages via <literal>packageOverrides</literal></title>
 
 <para>
 
diff --git a/doc/stdenv.xml b/doc/stdenv.xml
index 6fdebda09f98..58310834fd2f 100644
--- a/doc/stdenv.xml
+++ b/doc/stdenv.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ environment does everything automatically.  If
 can easily customise or override the various build phases.</para>
 
 
-<section><title>Using <literal>stdenv</literal></title>
+<section xml:id="sec-using-stdenv"><title>Using
+<literal>stdenv</literal></title>
 
 <para>To build a package with the standard environment, you use the
 function <varname>stdenv.mkDerivation</varname>, instead of the
@@ -124,7 +125,8 @@ genericBuild
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>Tools provided by <literal>stdenv</literal></title>
+<section xml:id="sec-tools-of-stdenv"><title>Tools provided by
+<literal>stdenv</literal></title>
 
 <para>The standard environment provides the following packages:
 
@@ -225,7 +227,7 @@ genericBuild
 </section>
 
 
-<section xml:id="ssec-stdenv-phases"><title>Phases</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-stdenv-phases"><title>Phases</title>
 
 <para>The generic builder has a number of <emphasis>phases</emphasis>.
 Package builds are split into phases to make it easier to override
@@ -243,7 +245,8 @@ is convenient to override a phase from the derivation, while the
 latter is convenient from a build script.</para>
 
 
-<section><title>Controlling phases</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-controlling-phases"><title>Controlling
+phases</title>
 
 <para>There are a number of variables that control what phases are
 executed and in what order:
@@ -327,7 +330,7 @@ executed and in what order:
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The unpack phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-unpack-phase"><title>The unpack phase</title>
 
 <para>The unpack phase is responsible for unpacking the source code of
 the package.  The default implementation of
@@ -434,7 +437,7 @@ Additional file types can be supported by setting the
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The patch phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-patch-phase"><title>The patch phase</title>
 
 <para>The patch phase applies the list of patches defined in the
 <varname>patches</varname> variable.</para>
@@ -477,7 +480,7 @@ Additional file types can be supported by setting the
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The configure phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-configure-phase"><title>The configure phase</title>
 
 <para>The configure phase prepares the source tree for building.  The
 default <function>configurePhase</function> runs
@@ -573,7 +576,7 @@ script) if it exists.</para>
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The build phase</title>
+<section xml:id="build-phase"><title>The build phase</title>
 
 <para>The build phase is responsible for actually building the package
 (e.g. compiling it).  The default <function>buildPhase</function>
@@ -657,7 +660,7 @@ called, respectively.</para>
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The check phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-check-phase"><title>The check phase</title>
 
 <para>The check phase checks whether the package was built correctly
 by running its test suite.  The default
@@ -717,7 +720,7 @@ doCheck = true;</programlisting>
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The install phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-install-phase"><title>The install phase</title>
 
 <para>The install phase is responsible for installing the package in
 the Nix store under <envar>out</envar>.  The default
@@ -772,7 +775,7 @@ installTargets = "install-bin install-doc";</programlisting>
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The fixup phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-fixup-phase"><title>The fixup phase</title>
 
 <para>The fixup phase performs some (Nix-specific) post-processing
 actions on the files installed under <filename>$out</filename> by the
@@ -895,7 +898,8 @@ following:
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>The distribution phase</title>
+<section xml:id="ssec-distribution-phase"><title>The distribution
+phase</title>
 
 <para>The distribution phase is intended to produce a source
 distribution of the package.  The default
@@ -1199,7 +1203,7 @@ echo @foo@
 </section>
 
 
-<section><title>Purity in Nixpkgs</title>
+<section xml:id="sec-purity-in-nixpkgs"><title>Purity in Nixpkgs</title>
 
 <para>[measures taken to prevent dependencies on packages outside the
 store, and what you can do to prevent them]</para>