diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 1ecdcd2182fac145f44e8ede5684959cd1701a37..58b9675a3f4a46c3ab4aeb8ed2ae9fc419f62490 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -10342,9 +10342,8 @@ with the default settings, for commonly encountered log files.
 
 (operating-system
   ;; @dots{}
-  (services (cons* (service mcron-service-type)
-                   (service rottlog-service-type)
-                   %base-services)))
+  (services (cons (service rottlog-service-type)
+                  %base-services)))
 @end lisp
 
 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rottlog-service-type
@@ -18269,8 +18268,6 @@ The following example will configure the service with default values.
 By default, Cgit can be accessed on port 80 (@code{http://localhost:80}).
 
 @example
-(service nginx-service-type)
-(service fcgiwrap-service-type)
 (service cgit-service-type)
 @end example
 
diff --git a/gnu/services.scm b/gnu/services.scm
index 15fc6dcb4918f36bb8022f604b8a9f1e3a8c3d20..b020d971fd4920f233af5ac6f4f0170d1a2d7bc8 100644
--- a/gnu/services.scm
+++ b/gnu/services.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 Chris Marusich <cmmarusich@gmail.com>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ (define-module (gnu services)
   #:use-module (guix records)
   #:use-module (guix profiles)
   #:use-module (guix discovery)
+  #:use-module (guix combinators)
   #:use-module (guix sets)
   #:use-module (guix ui)
   #:use-module ((guix utils) #:select (source-properties->location))
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ (define-module (gnu services)
             simple-service
             modify-services
             service-back-edges
+            instantiate-missing-services
             fold-services
 
             service-error?
@@ -630,6 +632,18 @@ (define-condition-type &ambiguous-target-service-error &service-error
   (service      ambiguous-target-service-error-service)
   (target-type  ambiguous-target-service-error-target-type))
 
+(define (missing-target-error service target-type)
+  (raise
+   (condition (&missing-target-service-error
+               (service service)
+               (target-type target-type))
+              (&message
+               (message
+                (format #f (G_ "no target of type '~a' for service '~a'")
+                        (service-type-name target-type)
+                        (service-type-name
+                         (service-kind service))))))))
+
 (define (service-back-edges services)
   "Return a procedure that, when passed a <service>, returns the list of
 <service> objects that depend on it."
@@ -642,16 +656,7 @@ (define (add-edge extension edges)
           ((target)
            (vhash-consq target service edges))
           (()
-           (raise
-            (condition (&missing-target-service-error
-                        (service service)
-                        (target-type target-type))
-                       (&message
-                        (message
-                         (format #f (G_ "no target of type '~a' for service '~a'")
-                                 (service-type-name target-type)
-                                 (service-type-name
-                                  (service-kind service))))))))
+           (missing-target-error service target-type))
           (x
            (raise
             (condition (&ambiguous-target-service-error
@@ -669,6 +674,38 @@ (define (add-edge extension edges)
     (lambda (node)
       (reverse (vhash-foldq* cons '() node edges)))))
 
+(define (instantiate-missing-services services)
+  "Return SERVICES, a list, augmented with any services targeted by extensions
+and missing from SERVICES.  Only service types with a default value can be
+instantiated; other missing services lead to a
+'&missing-target-service-error'."
+  (define (adjust-service-list svc result instances)
+    (fold2 (lambda (extension result instances)
+             (define target-type
+               (service-extension-target extension))
+
+             (match (vhash-assq target-type instances)
+               (#f
+                (let ((default (service-type-default-value target-type)))
+                  (if (eq? &no-default-value default)
+                      (missing-target-error svc target-type)
+                      (let ((new (service target-type)))
+                        (values (cons new result)
+                                (vhash-consq target-type new instances))))))
+               (_
+                (values result instances))))
+           result
+           instances
+           (service-type-extensions (service-kind svc))))
+
+  (let ((instances (fold (lambda (service result)
+                           (vhash-consq (service-kind service) service
+                                        result))
+                         vlist-null services)))
+    (fold2 adjust-service-list
+           services instances
+           services)))
+
 (define* (fold-services services
                         #:key (target-type system-service-type))
   "Fold SERVICES by propagating their extensions down to the root of type
diff --git a/gnu/services/version-control.scm b/gnu/services/version-control.scm
index 6bf656949af46fef2e2e5ab422904d4b5cf0c582..7166ed3d4fff56dea928ca94ce403d9e4662d6ba 100644
--- a/gnu/services/version-control.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/version-control.scm
@@ -263,7 +263,11 @@ (define cgit-service-type
     (list (service-extension activation-service-type
                              cgit-activation)
           (service-extension nginx-service-type
-                             cgit-configuration-nginx-config)))
+                             cgit-configuration-nginx-config)
+
+          ;; Make sure fcgiwrap is instantiated.
+          (service-extension fcgiwrap-service-type
+                             (const #t))))
    (default-value (cgit-configuration))
    (description
     "Run the Cgit web interface, which allows users to browse Git
diff --git a/gnu/system.scm b/gnu/system.scm
index 40e259f4301f533b7998b115331cf7a22766a411..39452304ba88e1eff90b6540826da57c8ab03f6f 100644
--- a/gnu/system.scm
+++ b/gnu/system.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015 Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016 Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 Chris Marusich <cmmarusich@gmail.com>
@@ -492,8 +492,9 @@ (define known-fs
 (define* (operating-system-services os #:key container?)
   "Return all the services of OS, including \"internal\" services that do not
 explicitly appear in OS."
-  (append (operating-system-user-services os)
-          (essential-services os #:container? container?)))
+  (instantiate-missing-services
+   (append (operating-system-user-services os)
+           (essential-services os #:container? container?))))
 
 
 ;;;
diff --git a/gnu/tests/version-control.scm b/gnu/tests/version-control.scm
index c20e59985eaf5299b4402bddc7ed7e1d8ba8bd98..9882cdbe28027b4d5988eaab70dc2b38a8ef68cb 100644
--- a/gnu/tests/version-control.scm
+++ b/gnu/tests/version-control.scm
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ (define %cgit-os
   (let ((base-os
          (simple-operating-system
           (dhcp-client-service)
-          (service nginx-service-type)
-          (service fcgiwrap-service-type)
           (service cgit-service-type
                    (cgit-configuration
                     (nginx %cgit-configuration-nginx)))
diff --git a/tests/services.scm b/tests/services.scm
index ca32b565c49ad57c56baad3e0c3682ea75e58fb9..b146a0dec2a33139582d00368c44e5a2a70f0dfd 100644
--- a/tests/services.scm
+++ b/tests/services.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -122,6 +122,36 @@ (define live-service
       (fold-services (list s) #:target-type t1)
       #f)))
 
+(test-assert "instantiate-missing-services"
+  (let* ((t1 (service-type (name 't1) (extensions '())
+                           (default-value 'dflt)
+                           (compose concatenate)
+                           (extend cons)))
+         (t2 (service-type (name 't2)
+                           (extensions
+                            (list (service-extension t1 list)))))
+         (s1 (service t1 'hey!))
+         (s2 (service t2 42)))
+    (and (lset= equal?
+                (list (service t1) s2)
+                (instantiate-missing-services (list s2)))
+         (equal? (list s1 s2)
+                 (instantiate-missing-services (list s1 s2))))))
+
+(test-assert "instantiate-missing-services, no default value"
+  (let* ((t1 (service-type (name 't1) (extensions '())))
+         (t2 (service-type (name 't2)
+                           (extensions
+                            (list (service-extension t1 list)))))
+         (s  (service t2 42)))
+    (guard (c ((missing-target-service-error? c)
+               (and (eq? (missing-target-service-error-target-type c)
+                         t1)
+                    (eq? (missing-target-service-error-service c)
+                         s))))
+      (instantiate-missing-services (list s))
+      #f)))
+
 (test-assert "shepherd-service-lookup-procedure"
   (let* ((s1 (shepherd-service (provision '(s1 s1b)) (start #f)))
          (s2 (shepherd-service (provision '(s2 s2b)) (start #f)))