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 d3dd29147651..6f46d38286c3 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
@@ -140,23 +140,30 @@ class SystemIdentifier(NamedTuple):
 @dataclass
 class BootFile:
     system_identifier: SystemIdentifier
+    current: bool
     path: Path
     writer: WriteBootFile
 
     @staticmethod
-    def from_source(system_identifier: SystemIdentifier, source: Path) -> "BootFile":
+    def from_source(
+        system_identifier: SystemIdentifier, current: bool, source: Path
+    ) -> "BootFile":
         return BootFile(
             system_identifier=system_identifier,
+            current=current,
             path=boot_path(source),
             writer=CopyWriter(source=source),
         )
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_initrd(
-        system_identifier: SystemIdentifier, source: Path, initrd_secrets: Path | None
+        system_identifier: SystemIdentifier,
+        current: bool,
+        source: Path,
+        initrd_secrets: Path | None,
     ) -> "BootFile":
         if initrd_secrets is None:
-            return BootFile.from_source(system_identifier, source)
+            return BootFile.from_source(system_identifier, current, source)
         else:
             # We're trying to calculate a canonical path unique to
             # this initrd and secret-appender. The boot_path is the
@@ -173,6 +180,7 @@ class BootFile:
             combined_hash = hashlib.sha256(combined.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
             return BootFile(
                 system_identifier=system_identifier,
+                current=current,
                 path=NIXOS_DIR / f"{combined_hash}-initrd.efi",
                 writer=InitrdWithSecretsWriter(
                     source=source, initrd_secrets=initrd_secrets
@@ -181,7 +189,7 @@ class BootFile:
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_entry(
-        system_identifier: SystemIdentifier, contents: bytes
+        system_identifier: SystemIdentifier, current: bool, contents: bytes
     ) -> tuple["BootFile", str]:
         contents_hash = hashlib.sha256(contents).hexdigest()
         path_prefix = f"nixos-{contents_hash}"
@@ -199,6 +207,7 @@ class BootFile:
         return (
             BootFile(
                 system_identifier=system_identifier,
+                current=current,
                 path=path,
                 writer=ContentsWriter(contents=contents),
             ),
@@ -336,19 +345,23 @@ def boot_file(
     specialisation: str | None,
     machine_id: str | None,
     bootspec: BootSpec,
+    current: bool,
 ) -> tuple[BootFileList, str]:
     system_identifier = SystemIdentifier(profile, generation, specialisation)
     if specialisation:
         bootspec = bootspec.specialisations[specialisation]
-    kernel = BootFile.from_source(system_identifier, bootspec.kernel)
+    kernel = BootFile.from_source(system_identifier, current, bootspec.kernel)
     initrd = BootFile.from_initrd(
         system_identifier,
+        current,
         bootspec.initrd,
         Path(bootspec.initrdSecrets) if bootspec.initrdSecrets is not None else None,
     )
     devicetree = None
     if bootspec.devicetree is not None:
-        devicetree = BootFile.from_source(system_identifier, bootspec.devicetree)
+        devicetree = BootFile.from_source(
+            system_identifier, current, bootspec.devicetree
+        )
 
     kernel_params = " ".join([f"init={bootspec.init}"] + bootspec.kernelParams)
     build_time = int(system_dir(profile, generation, specialisation).stat().st_ctime)
@@ -371,7 +384,9 @@ def boot_file(
         f"sort-key {bootspec.sortKey}",
     ]
     contents = "\n".join(filter(None, boot_entry))
-    entry, bootctl_id = BootFile.from_entry(system_identifier, contents.encode("utf-8"))
+    entry, bootctl_id = BootFile.from_entry(
+        system_identifier, current, contents.encode("utf-8")
+    )
     return (list(filter(None, [kernel, initrd, devicetree, entry])), bootctl_id)
 
 
@@ -520,7 +535,9 @@ def install_bootloader(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
     for gen in gens:
         bootspec = get_bootspec(gen.profile, gen.generation)
         is_default = Path(bootspec.init).parent == default_config
-        new_boot_files, new_bootctl_id = boot_file(*gen, machine_id, bootspec)
+        new_boot_files, new_bootctl_id = boot_file(
+            *gen, machine_id, bootspec, current=is_default
+        )
         boot_files.extend(new_boot_files)
         if is_default:
             default_entry_id = new_bootctl_id
@@ -532,6 +549,7 @@ def install_bootloader(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
                 specialisation_name,
                 machine_id,
                 bootspec,
+                current=is_default,
             )
             boot_files.extend(new_boot_files)
             if is_default:
@@ -599,7 +617,22 @@ def garbage_collect(gc_roots: BootFileList) -> None:
 def write_boot_files(boot_files: BootFileList) -> None:
     for boot_file in boot_files:
         boot_path = BOOT_MOUNT_POINT / boot_file.path
-        boot_file.writer.write_boot_file(boot_path)
+        try:
+            boot_file.writer.write_boot_file(boot_path)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            if boot_file.current:
+                print("failed to create initrd secrets!", file=sys.stderr)
+                sys.exit(1)
+            print(
+                "warning: failed to create initrd secrets for generation "
+                f"{boot_file.system_identifier.generation}, an older generation",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
+            print(
+                "note: this is normal after having removed "
+                "or renamed a file in `boot.initrd.secrets`",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
 
 
 def main() -> None: