diff --git a/nixos/modules/security/audit.nix b/nixos/modules/security/audit.nix
index 16d750c8fbed..4bcc6c62d1cb 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/security/audit.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/security/audit.nix
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 }:
 let
   cfg = config.security.audit;
-  enabled = cfg.enable == "lock" || cfg.enable;
 
   failureModes = {
     silent = 0;
@@ -14,43 +13,14 @@ let
     panic = 2;
   };
 
-  disableScript = pkgs.writeScript "audit-disable" ''
-    #!${pkgs.runtimeShell} -eu
-    # Explicitly disable everything, as otherwise journald might start it.
-    auditctl -D
-    auditctl -e 0 -a task,never
-  '';
-
-  # TODO: it seems like people like their rules to be somewhat secret, yet they will not be if
-  # put in the store like this. At the same time, it doesn't feel like a huge deal and working
-  # around that is a pain so I'm leaving it like this for now.
-  startScript = pkgs.writeScript "audit-start" ''
-    #!${pkgs.runtimeShell} -eu
-    # Clear out any rules we may start with
-    auditctl -D
-
-    # Put the rules in a temporary file owned and only readable by root
-    rulesfile="$(mktemp)"
-    ${lib.concatMapStrings (x: "echo '${x}' >> $rulesfile\n") cfg.rules}
-
-    # Apply the requested rules
-    auditctl -R "$rulesfile"
-
-    # Enable and configure auditing
-    auditctl \
-      -e ${if cfg.enable == "lock" then "2" else "1"} \
-      -b ${toString cfg.backlogLimit} \
-      -f ${toString failureModes.${cfg.failureMode}} \
-      -r ${toString cfg.rateLimit}
-  '';
-
-  stopScript = pkgs.writeScript "audit-stop" ''
-    #!${pkgs.runtimeShell} -eu
-    # Clear the rules
-    auditctl -D
-
-    # Disable auditing
-    auditctl -e 0
+  # The order of the fixed rules is determined by augenrules(8)
+  rules = pkgs.writeTextDir "audit.rules" ''
+    -D
+    -b ${toString cfg.backlogLimit}
+    -f ${toString failureModes.${cfg.failureMode}}
+    -r ${toString cfg.rateLimit}
+    ${lib.concatLines cfg.rules}
+    -e ${if cfg.enable == "lock" then "2" else "1"}
   '';
 in
 {
@@ -110,23 +80,35 @@ in
     };
   };
 
-  config = {
-    systemd.services.audit = {
-      description = "Kernel Auditing";
-      wantedBy = [ "basic.target" ];
+  config = lib.mkIf (cfg.enable == "lock" || cfg.enable) {
+    systemd.services.audit-rules = {
+      description = "Load Audit Rules";
+      wantedBy = [ "sysinit.target" ];
+      before = [
+        "sysinit.target"
+        "shutdown.target"
+      ];
+      conflicts = [ "shutdown.target" ];
 
       unitConfig = {
+        DefaultDependencies = false;
         ConditionVirtualization = "!container";
-        ConditionSecurity = [ "audit" ];
+        ConditionKernelCommandLine = [
+          "!audit=0"
+          "!audit=off"
+        ];
       };
 
-      path = [ pkgs.audit ];
-
       serviceConfig = {
         Type = "oneshot";
         RemainAfterExit = true;
-        ExecStart = "@${if enabled then startScript else disableScript} audit-start";
-        ExecStop = "@${stopScript} audit-stop";
+        ExecStart = "${lib.getExe' pkgs.audit "auditctl"} -R ${rules}/audit.rules";
+        ExecStopPost = [
+          # Disable auditing
+          "${lib.getExe' pkgs.audit "auditctl"} -e 0"
+          # Delete all rules
+          "${lib.getExe' pkgs.audit "auditctl"} -D"
+        ];
       };
     };
   };