diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/docling-serve.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/docling-serve.nix
index e717c1fe5e80..b9b7274047e0 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/docling-serve.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/docling-serve.nix
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ in
       enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Docling Serve server";
       package = lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "docling-serve" { };
 
+      stateDir = lib.mkOption {
+        type = types.path;
+        default = "/var/lib/docling-serve";
+        example = "/home/foo";
+        description = "State directory of Docling Serve.";
+      };
+
       host = lib.mkOption {
         type = types.str;
         default = "127.0.0.1";
@@ -36,11 +43,11 @@ in
       environment = lib.mkOption {
         type = types.attrsOf types.str;
         default = {
-          DOCLING_SERVE_ENABLE_UI = "True";
+          DOCLING_SERVE_ENABLE_UI = "False";
         };
         example = ''
           {
-            DOCLING_SERVE_ENABLE_UI = "False";
+            DOCLING_SERVE_ENABLE_UI = "True";
           }
         '';
         description = ''
@@ -77,11 +84,19 @@ in
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       after = [ "network.target" ];
 
-      environment = cfg.environment;
+      environment = {
+        HF_HOME = ".";
+        EASYOCR_MODULE_PATH = ".";
+        MPLCONFIGDIR = ".";
+      } // cfg.environment;
 
       serviceConfig = {
         ExecStart = "${lib.getExe cfg.package} run --host \"${cfg.host}\" --port ${toString cfg.port}";
         EnvironmentFile = lib.optional (cfg.environmentFile != null) cfg.environmentFile;
+        WorkingDirectory = cfg.stateDir;
+        StateDirectory = "docling-serve";
+        RuntimeDirectory = "docling-serve";
+        RuntimeDirectoryMode = "0755";
         PrivateTmp = true;
         DynamicUser = true;
         DevicePolicy = "closed";
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/do/docling-serve/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/do/docling-serve/package.nix
index df0fb39a4724..ff8e4514d60e 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/do/docling-serve/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/do/docling-serve/package.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-{ python3Packages, nixosTests }:
+{
+  python3Packages,
+  nixosTests,
+  withUI ? false,
+}:
 
-(python3Packages.toPythonApplication python3Packages.docling-serve)
+(python3Packages.toPythonApplication (python3Packages.docling-serve.override { inherit withUI; }))
 // {
   passthru.tests = {
     docling-serve = nixosTests.docling-serve;
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/docling-serve/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/docling-serve/default.nix
index 3d8d487cf8ff..4a521fbadbec 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/docling-serve/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/docling-serve/default.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
   python-multipart,
   uvicorn,
   websockets,
+  gradio,
+  nodejs,
+  which,
+  withUI ? false,
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
@@ -43,7 +47,15 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     python-multipart
     uvicorn
     websockets
-  ];
+  ] ++ lib.optionals withUI optional-dependencies.ui;
+
+  optional-dependencies = {
+    ui = [
+      gradio
+      nodejs
+      which
+    ];
+  };
 
   pythonImportsCheck = [
     "docling_serve"