diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/fonts/fontconfig.nix b/nixos/modules/config/fonts/fontconfig.nix
index 9a9ac08eefeb..a44b1fecd29a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/fonts/fontconfig.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/fonts/fontconfig.nix
@@ -180,8 +180,14 @@ let
     mkdir -p $dst
 
     # fonts.conf
-    ln -s ${pkg.out}/etc/fonts/fonts.conf \
+    cp ${pkg.out}/etc/fonts/fonts.conf \
           $dst/../fonts.conf
+
+    # horrible sed hack to add the line that was accidentally removed
+    # from the default config in #324516
+    # FIXME: fix that, revert this
+    sed "5i <include ignore_missing="yes">/etc/fonts/conf.d</include>" -i $dst/../fonts.conf
+
     # TODO: remove this legacy symlink once people stop using packages built before #95358 was merged
     mkdir -p $out/etc/fonts/2.11
     ln -s /etc/fonts/fonts.conf \