diff --git a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
index 63dc78e2e6dc..b81d84086f2e 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
@@ -541,6 +541,12 @@ in
             systemd.services."accept-socket@".serviceConfig.X-Test = "test";
           };
 
+          socket-activated-without-socket.configuration = {
+            imports = [ simple-socket.configuration ];
+            systemd.sockets.socket-activated.enable = false;
+            systemd.services.socket-activated.wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+          };
+
           mount.configuration = {
             systemd.mounts = [
               {
@@ -1620,6 +1626,18 @@ in
           if machine.succeed("socat - UNIX-CONNECT:/run/test.sock") != "hello":
               raise Exception("Socket was not properly activated after the service was restarted")
 
+          # A service transitioning to socket activation is not started directly,
+          # it's left for the newly started socket to activate on demand
+          switch_to_specialisation("${machine}", "socket-activated-without-socket")
+          machine.succeed("systemctl is-active socket-activated.service")
+          out = switch_to_specialisation("${machine}", "simple-socket-stop-if-changed")
+          assert_contains(out, "stopping the following units: socket-activated.service\n")
+          assert_lacks(out, "\nstarting the following units:")
+          assert_contains(out, "the following new units were started: socket-activated.socket\n")
+          machine.succeed("[ -S /run/test.sock ]")
+          if machine.succeed("socat - UNIX-CONNECT:/run/test.sock") != "hello":
+              raise Exception("Socket was not properly activated after the transition")
+
       with subtest("socket-activated services with Accept=yes"):
           # Socket-activated services don't get started, just the socket
           machine.fail("[ -S /run/accept-test.sock ]")
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/sw/switch-to-configuration-ng/src/main.rs b/pkgs/by-name/sw/switch-to-configuration-ng/src/main.rs
index 6dd05161628f..db6009945e9c 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/sw/switch-to-configuration-ng/src/main.rs
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/sw/switch-to-configuration-ng/src/main.rs
@@ -743,11 +743,6 @@ fn handle_modified_unit(
                 // This unit should be restarted instead of stopped and started.
                 units_to_restart.insert(unit.to_string(), ());
                 record_unit(&restart_list, unit);
-                // Remove from units to reload so we don't restart and reload
-                if units_to_reload.contains_key(unit) {
-                    units_to_reload.remove(unit);
-                    unrecord_unit(&reload_list, unit);
-                }
             } else {
                 // If this unit is socket-activated, then stop the socket unit(s) as well, and
                 // restart the socket(s) instead of the service.
@@ -777,6 +772,9 @@ fn handle_modified_unit(
                     }
 
                     for socket in &sockets {
+                        let socket_in_new_config =
+                            toplevel.join(scope.etc_dir()).join(socket).exists();
+
                         if active_cur.contains_key(socket) {
                             // We can now be sure this is a socket-activated unit
 
@@ -787,7 +785,7 @@ fn handle_modified_unit(
                             }
 
                             // Only restart sockets that actually exist in new configuration:
-                            if toplevel.join(scope.etc_dir()).join(socket).exists() {
+                            if socket_in_new_config {
                                 if use_restart_as_stop_and_start {
                                     units_to_restart.insert(socket.to_string(), ());
                                     record_unit(&restart_list, socket);
@@ -798,12 +796,9 @@ fn handle_modified_unit(
 
                                 socket_activated = true;
                             }
-
-                            // Remove from units to reload so we don't restart and reload
-                            if units_to_reload.contains_key(unit) {
-                                units_to_reload.remove(unit);
-                                unrecord_unit(&reload_list, unit);
-                            }
+                        } else if socket_in_new_config {
+                            // Transitioning to socket activation; let the socket start it.
+                            socket_activated = true;
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -832,11 +827,11 @@ fn handle_modified_unit(
                 } else {
                     units_to_stop.insert(unit.to_string(), ());
                 }
-                // Remove from units to reload so we don't restart and reload
-                if units_to_reload.contains_key(unit) {
-                    units_to_reload.remove(unit);
-                    unrecord_unit(&reload_list, unit);
-                }
+            }
+
+            // Remove from units to reload so we don't restart and reload
+            if units_to_reload.remove(unit).is_some() {
+                unrecord_unit(&reload_list, unit);
             }
         }
     }