diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/redmine.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/redmine.nix
index e853d55840c5..c017dd333e1a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/redmine.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/redmine.nix
@@ -356,16 +356,6 @@ in
       "d '${cfg.stateDir}/public/plugin_assets' 0750 ${cfg.user} ${cfg.group} - -"
       "d '${cfg.stateDir}/themes' 0750 ${cfg.user} ${cfg.group} - -"
       "d '${cfg.stateDir}/tmp' 0750 ${cfg.user} ${cfg.group} - -"
-
-      "d /run/redmine/public - - - - -"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/config - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/config"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/files - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/files"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/log - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/log"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/plugins - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/plugins"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/public/assets - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/public/assets"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/public/plugin_assets - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/public/plugin_assets"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/themes - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/themes"
-      "L+ /run/redmine/tmp - - - - ${cfg.stateDir}/tmp"
     ];
 
     systemd.services.redmine = {
@@ -392,6 +382,19 @@ in
         ++ lib.optional cfg.components.ghostscript ghostscript;
 
       preStart = ''
+        # Create symlinks for the basic directory layout the redmine package
+        # expects. This part must be done in preStart rather than tmpfiles,
+        # because /run/redmine is re-created when the service is restarted
+        mkdir /run/redmine/public
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/config" /run/redmine/config
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/files" /run/redmine/files
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/log" /run/redmine/log
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/plugins" /run/redmine/plugins
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/public/assets" /run/redmine/public/assets
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/public/plugin_assets" /run/redmine/public/plugin_assets
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/themes" /run/redmine/themes
+        ln -s "${cfg.stateDir}/tmp" /run/redmine/tmp
+
         rm -rf "${cfg.stateDir}/plugins/"*
         rm -rf "${cfg.stateDir}/themes/"*
 
diff --git a/nixos/tests/redmine.nix b/nixos/tests/redmine.nix
index dd1af128b386..1d87c18d8cb3 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/redmine.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/redmine.nix
@@ -46,4 +46,30 @@ in
     name = "pgsql";
     type = "postgresql";
   };
+
+  restart = makeTest {
+    name = "redmine-restart";
+    nodes.machine =
+      { config, pkgs, ... }:
+      {
+        services.redmine = {
+          enable = true;
+          package = pkgs.redmine;
+        };
+      };
+
+    testScript = ''
+      start_all()
+      machine.wait_for_unit("redmine.service")
+      machine.wait_for_open_port(3000)
+      machine.succeed("curl --fail http://localhost:3000/")
+
+      machine.systemctl("stop redmine.service")
+      machine.systemctl("start redmine.service")
+
+      machine.wait_for_unit("redmine.service")
+      machine.wait_for_open_port(3000)
+      machine.succeed("curl --fail http://localhost:3000/")
+    '';
+  };
 }