diff --git a/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr.cc b/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr.cc
index bfbd0a9c361..28b1c328313 100644
--- a/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr.cc
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ nix_eval_state_builder * nix_eval_state_builder_new(nix_c_context * context, Sto
         return unsafe_new_with_self<nix_eval_state_builder>([&](auto * self) {
             return nix_eval_state_builder{
                 .store = nix::ref<nix::Store>(store->ptr),
+                .asyncPathWriter = nix::ref<nix::AsyncPathWriter>(store->asyncPathWriter),
                 .settings = nix::EvalSettings{/* &bool */ self->readOnlyMode},
                 .fetchSettings = nix::fetchers::Settings{},
                 .readOnlyMode = true,
@@ -190,7 +191,13 @@ EvalState * nix_eval_state_build(nix_c_context * context, nix_eval_state_builder
             return EvalState{
                 .fetchSettings = std::move(builder->fetchSettings),
                 .settings = std::move(builder->settings),
-                .state = nix::EvalState(builder->lookupPath, builder->store, self->fetchSettings, self->settings),
+                .state = nix::EvalState(
+                    builder->lookupPath,
+                    builder->store,
+                    self->fetchSettings,
+                    self->settings,
+                    nullptr,
+                    builder->asyncPathWriter),
             };
         });
     }
diff --git a/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr_internal.h b/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr_internal.h
index 07c7a2194df..c3fd8631209 100644
--- a/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr_internal.h
+++ b/src/libexpr-c/nix_api_expr_internal.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ extern "C" {
 struct nix_eval_state_builder
 {
     nix::ref<nix::Store> store;
+    nix::ref<nix::AsyncPathWriter> asyncPathWriter;
     nix::EvalSettings settings;
     nix::fetchers::Settings fetchSettings;
     nix::LookupPath lookupPath;
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 46393b79c5e..9aff0c1b61f 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ EvalState::EvalState(
     ref<Store> store,
     const fetchers::Settings & fetchSettings,
     const EvalSettings & settings,
-    std::shared_ptr<Store> buildStore)
+    std::shared_ptr<Store> buildStore,
+    std::shared_ptr<AsyncPathWriter> asyncPathWriter)
     : fetchSettings{fetchSettings}
     , settings{settings}
     , symbols(StaticEvalSymbols::staticSymbolTable())
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ EvalState::EvalState(
     , debugRepl(nullptr)
     , debugStop(false)
     , trylevel(0)
-    , asyncPathWriter(AsyncPathWriter::make(store))
+    , asyncPathWriter(asyncPathWriter ? asyncPathWriter : AsyncPathWriter::make(store))
     , srcToStore(make_ref<decltype(srcToStore)::element_type>())
     , importResolutionCache(make_ref<decltype(importResolutionCache)::element_type>())
     , fileEvalCache(make_ref<decltype(fileEvalCache)::element_type>())
diff --git a/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/eval.hh
index 70bc5f6fbff..61837542ac4 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/eval.hh
@@ -516,18 +516,20 @@ private:
 public:
 
     /**
-     * @param lookupPath     Only used during construction.
-     * @param store          The store to use for instantiation
-     * @param fetchSettings  Must outlive the lifetime of this EvalState!
-     * @param settings       Must outlive the lifetime of this EvalState!
-     * @param buildStore     The store to use for builds ("import from derivation", C API `nix_string_realise`)
+     * @param lookupPath      Only used during construction.
+     * @param store           The store to use for instantiation
+     * @param fetchSettings   Must outlive the lifetime of this EvalState!
+     * @param settings        Must outlive the lifetime of this EvalState!
+     * @param buildStore      The store to use for builds ("import from derivation", C API `nix_string_realise`)
+     * @param asyncPathWriter The async path writer to use
      */
     EvalState(
         const LookupPath & lookupPath,
         ref<Store> store,
         const fetchers::Settings & fetchSettings,
         const EvalSettings & settings,
-        std::shared_ptr<Store> buildStore = nullptr);
+        std::shared_ptr<Store> buildStore = nullptr,
+        std::shared_ptr<AsyncPathWriter> asyncPathWriter = nullptr);
     ~EvalState();
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
index 80fcf10cb0d..8c63be0f992 100644
--- a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
@@ -44,17 +44,26 @@ Store * nix_store_open(nix_c_context * context, const char * uri, const char ***
     try {
         std::string uri_str = uri ? uri : "";
 
-        if (uri_str.empty())
-            return new Store{nix::openStore()};
+        if (uri_str.empty()) {
+            auto store = nix::openStore();
+            auto asyncPathWriter = nix::AsyncPathWriter::make(store);
+            return new Store{asyncPathWriter, store};
+        }
 
-        if (!params)
-            return new Store{nix::openStore(uri_str)};
+        if (!params) {
+            auto store = nix::openStore(uri_str);
+            auto asyncPathWriter = nix::AsyncPathWriter::make(store);
+            return new Store{asyncPathWriter, store};
+        }
 
         nix::Store::Config::Params params_map;
         for (size_t i = 0; params[i] != nullptr; i++) {
             params_map[params[i][0]] = params[i][1];
         }
-        return new Store{nix::openStore(uri_str, params_map)};
+
+        auto store = nix::openStore(uri_str, params_map);
+        auto asyncPathWriter = nix::AsyncPathWriter::make(store);
+        return new Store{asyncPathWriter, store};
     }
     NIXC_CATCH_ERRS_NULL
 }
@@ -127,6 +136,7 @@ StorePath * nix_store_parse_path(nix_c_context * context, Store * store, const c
         context->last_err_code = NIX_OK;
     try {
         nix::StorePath s = store->ptr->parseStorePath(path);
+        store->asyncPathWriter->waitForPath(s);
         return new StorePath{std::move(s)};
     }
     NIXC_CATCH_ERRS_NULL
diff --git a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store_internal.h b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store_internal.h
index 0199628da8a..44757c42518 100644
--- a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store_internal.h
+++ b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store_internal.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef NIX_API_STORE_INTERNAL_H
 #define NIX_API_STORE_INTERNAL_H
+#include "nix/store/async-path-writer.hh"
 #include "nix/store/store-api.hh"
 #include "nix/store/derivations.hh"
 
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 struct Store
 {
+    nix::ref<nix::AsyncPathWriter> asyncPathWriter;
     nix::ref<nix::Store> ptr;
 };