diff --git a/doc/release-notes/rl-2511.section.md b/doc/release-notes/rl-2511.section.md
index c1907d6f1342..71c015c737d5 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes/rl-2511.section.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes/rl-2511.section.md
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
 
 - The systemd initrd will now respect `x-systemd.wants` and `x-systemd.requires` for reliably unlocking multi-disk bcachefs volumes.
 
-- [`homebox` 0.20.0](https://github.com/sysadminsmedia/homebox/releases/tag/v0.20.0) changed how assets are stored and hashed. It is recommended to back up your database before this update.
+- [`homebox` 0.20.0](https://github.com/sysadminsmedia/homebox/releases/tag/v0.20.0) changed how assets are stored and hashed. It is recommended to back up your database before this update. In particular, `--storage-data` was replaced with `--storage-conn-string` and `--storage-prefix-path`. If your configuration set `HBOX_STORAGE_DATA` manually, you must migrate it to `HBOX_STORAGE_CONN_STRING` and `HBOX_STORAGE_PREFIX_PATH`.
 
 - GIMP now defaults to version 3. Use `gimp2` for the old version.
 
diff --git a/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix b/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
index f55f28805d45..500b13917dc6 100644
--- a/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
+++ b/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
@@ -24981,6 +24981,17 @@
     githubId = 4572854;
     name = "Shawn Warren";
   };
+  swarsel = {
+    name = "Leon Schwarzäugl";
+    email = "leon@swarsel.win";
+    github = "Swarsel";
+    githubId = 32304731;
+    keys = [
+      {
+        fingerprint = "4BE7 9252 6228 9B47 6DBB  C17B 76FD 3810 215A E097";
+      }
+    ];
+  };
   swdunlop = {
     email = "swdunlop@gmail.com";
     github = "swdunlop";
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/homebox.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/homebox.nix
index 7c683763ee00..2fdb1df7cfd1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/homebox.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/homebox.nix
@@ -10,19 +10,34 @@ let
     mkEnableOption
     mkPackageOption
     mkDefault
+    mkOption
     types
     mkIf
     ;
+
+  defaultUser = "homebox";
+  defaultGroup = "homebox";
 in
 {
   options.services.homebox = {
     enable = mkEnableOption "homebox";
     package = mkPackageOption pkgs "homebox" { };
-    settings = lib.mkOption {
-      type = types.attrsOf types.str;
+    user = mkOption {
+      type = types.str;
+      default = defaultUser;
+      description = "User account under which Homebox runs.";
+    };
+    group = mkOption {
+      type = types.str;
+      default = defaultGroup;
+      description = "Group under which Homebox runs.";
+    };
+    settings = mkOption {
+      type = types.submodule { freeformType = types.attrsOf (types.nullOr types.str); };
       defaultText = lib.literalExpression ''
         {
-          HBOX_STORAGE_DATA = "/var/lib/homebox/data";
+          HBOX_STORAGE_CONN_STRING = "file:///var/lib/homebox";
+          HBOX_STORAGE_PREFIX_PATH = "data";
           HBOX_DATABASE_DRIVER = "sqlite3";
           HBOX_DATABASE_SQLITE_PATH = "/var/lib/homebox/data/homebox.db?_pragma=busy_timeout=999&_pragma=journal_mode=WAL&_fk=1";
           HBOX_OPTIONS_ALLOW_REGISTRATION = "false";
@@ -31,12 +46,12 @@ in
         }
       '';
       description = ''
-        The homebox configuration as Environment variables. For definitions and available options see the upstream
+        The homebox configuration as environment variables. For definitions and available options see the upstream
         [documentation](https://homebox.software/en/configure/#configure-homebox).
       '';
     };
     database = {
-      createLocally = lib.mkOption {
+      createLocally = mkOption {
         type = lib.types.bool;
         default = false;
         description = ''
@@ -47,14 +62,31 @@ in
   };
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
-    users.users.homebox = {
-      isSystemUser = true;
-      group = "homebox";
+    assertions = [
+      {
+        assertion = !(cfg.settings ? HBOX_STORAGE_DATA);
+        message = ''
+          `services.homebox.settings.HBOX_STORAGE_DATA` has been deprecated.
+          Please use `services.homebox.settings.HBOX_STORAGE_CONN_STRING` and `services.homebox.settings.HBOX_STORAGE_PREFIX_PATH` instead.
+        '';
+      }
+    ];
+
+    users = {
+      users = mkIf (cfg.user == defaultUser) {
+        ${defaultUser} = {
+          description = "homebox service user";
+          inherit (cfg) group;
+          isSystemUser = true;
+        };
+      };
+      groups = mkIf (cfg.group == defaultGroup) { ${defaultGroup} = { }; };
     };
-    users.groups.homebox = { };
+
     services.homebox.settings = lib.mkMerge [
       (lib.mapAttrs (_: mkDefault) {
-        HBOX_STORAGE_DATA = "/var/lib/homebox/data";
+        HBOX_STORAGE_CONN_STRING = "file:///var/lib/homebox";
+        HBOX_STORAGE_PREFIX_PATH = "data";
         HBOX_DATABASE_DRIVER = "sqlite3";
         HBOX_DATABASE_SQLITE_PATH = "/var/lib/homebox/data/homebox.db?_pragma=busy_timeout=999&_pragma=journal_mode=WAL&_fk=1";
         HBOX_OPTIONS_ALLOW_REGISTRATION = "false";
@@ -62,7 +94,7 @@ in
         HBOX_MODE = "production";
       })
 
-      (lib.mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
+      (mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
         HBOX_DATABASE_DRIVER = "postgres";
         HBOX_DATABASE_HOST = "/run/postgresql";
         HBOX_DATABASE_USERNAME = "homebox";
@@ -70,7 +102,8 @@ in
         HBOX_DATABASE_PORT = toString config.services.postgresql.settings.port;
       })
     ];
-    services.postgresql = lib.mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
+
+    services.postgresql = mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
       enable = true;
       ensureDatabases = [ "homebox" ];
       ensureUsers = [
@@ -83,18 +116,16 @@ in
     systemd.services.homebox = {
       requires = lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
       after = lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-      environment = cfg.settings;
+      environment = lib.filterAttrs (_: v: v != null) cfg.settings;
       serviceConfig = {
-        User = "homebox";
-        Group = "homebox";
+        User = cfg.user;
+        Group = cfg.group;
         ExecStart = lib.getExe cfg.package;
-        StateDirectory = "homebox";
-        WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/homebox";
         LimitNOFILE = "1048576";
         PrivateTmp = true;
         PrivateDevices = true;
-        StateDirectoryMode = "0700";
         Restart = "always";
+        StateDirectory = "homebox";
 
         # Hardening
         CapabilityBoundingSet = "";
@@ -131,5 +162,8 @@ in
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
     };
   };
-  meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ patrickdag ];
+  meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [
+    patrickdag
+    swarsel
+  ];
 }