diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/wpa_supplicant.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/wpa_supplicant.nix
index 0e092de5e609..2c3c0a62b18d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/wpa_supplicant.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/wpa_supplicant.nix
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ let
             # set up imperative config file
             "+${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/touch /etc/wpa_supplicant/imperative.conf"
             "+${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod 664 /etc/wpa_supplicant/imperative.conf"
-            "+${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chown -R wpa_supplicant:wpa_supplicant /etc/wpa_supplicant"
+            "+${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chown wpa_supplicant:wpa_supplicant /etc/wpa_supplicant"
+            "+${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chown wpa_supplicant:wpa_supplicant /etc/wpa_supplicant/imperative.conf"
           ]
           ++ lib.optionals cfg.userControlled [
             # set up client sockets directory