diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/thelounge.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/thelounge.nix
index a8104c2e1b88..4a3ef4d1c426 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/thelounge.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/thelounge.nix
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ in
     systemd.services.thelounge = {
       description = "The Lounge web IRC client";
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
-      preStart = "ln -sf ${pkgs.writeText "config.js" configJsData} ${dataDir}/config.js";
       environment.THELOUNGE_PACKAGES = mkIf (cfg.plugins != [ ]) "${plugins}";
       serviceConfig = {
         User = "thelounge";
         StateDirectory = baseNameOf dataDir;
+        ExecStartPre = "${lib.getExe' pkgs.coreutils "ln"} -sf ${pkgs.writeText "config.js" configJsData} ${dataDir}/config.js";
         ExecStart = "${getExe cfg.package} start";
       };
     };