diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot-builder.py b/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot-builder.py
index be5151a4ae52..846787985cea 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot-builder.py
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot-builder.py
@@ -187,8 +187,7 @@ def system_dir(profile: str | None, generation: int, specialisation: str | None)
 
 def write_loader_conf(profile: str | None) -> None:
     with open(f"{EFI_SYS_MOUNT_POINT}/loader/loader.conf.tmp", 'w') as f:
-        if TIMEOUT != "":
-            f.write(f"timeout {TIMEOUT}\n")
+        f.write(f"timeout {TIMEOUT}\n")
         if profile:
             f.write("default nixos-%s-generation-*\n" % profile)
         else:
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot.nix
index ca6f2315353a..bd4dbe96ff3a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/systemd-boot/systemd-boot.nix
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ let
 
     nix = config.nix.package.out;
 
-    timeout = optionalString (config.boot.loader.timeout != null) config.boot.loader.timeout;
+    timeout = if config.boot.loader.timeout == null then "menu-force" else config.boot.loader.timeout;
 
     configurationLimit = if cfg.configurationLimit == null then 0 else cfg.configurationLimit;