diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mediagoblin.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mediagoblin.nix
index 081bfa763f9b..934afe082dae 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mediagoblin.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mediagoblin.nix
@@ -310,19 +310,6 @@ in
       in
       {
         mediagoblin-celeryd = lib.recursiveUpdate serviceDefaults {
-          # we cannot change DEFAULT.data_dir inside mediagoblin.ini because of an annoying bug
-          # https://todo.sr.ht/~mediagoblin/mediagoblin/57
-          preStart = ''
-            cp --remove-destination ${
-              pkgs.writeText "mediagoblin.ini" (
-                lib.generators.toINI { } (lib.filterAttrsRecursive (n: v: n != "plugins") cfg.settings)
-                + "\n"
-                + lib.generators.toINI { mkKeyValue = mkSubSectionKeyValue 2; } {
-                  inherit (cfg.settings.mediagoblin) plugins;
-                }
-              )
-            } /var/lib/mediagoblin/mediagoblin.ini
-          '';
           serviceConfig = {
             Environment = [
               "CELERY_CONFIG_MODULE=mediagoblin.init.celery.from_celery"
@@ -331,6 +318,19 @@ in
               "MEDIAGOBLIN_CONFIG=/var/lib/mediagoblin/mediagoblin.ini"
               "PASTE_CONFIG=${pasteConfig}"
             ];
+            # we cannot change DEFAULT.data_dir inside mediagoblin.ini because of an annoying bug
+            # https://todo.sr.ht/~mediagoblin/mediagoblin/57
+            ExecStartPre = ''
+              ${lib.getExe' pkgs.coreutils "cp"} --remove-destination ${
+                pkgs.writeText "mediagoblin.ini" (
+                  lib.generators.toINI { } (lib.filterAttrsRecursive (n: v: n != "plugins") cfg.settings)
+                  + "\n"
+                  + lib.generators.toINI { mkKeyValue = mkSubSectionKeyValue 2; } {
+                    inherit (cfg.settings.mediagoblin) plugins;
+                  }
+                )
+              } /var/lib/mediagoblin/mediagoblin.ini
+            '';
             ExecStart = "${lib.getExe' finalPackage "celery"} worker --loglevel=INFO";
           };
           unitConfig.Description = "MediaGoblin Celery";
@@ -345,16 +345,16 @@ in
             "mediagoblin-celeryd.service"
             "postgresql.target"
           ];
-          preStart = ''
-            cp --remove-destination ${pasteConfig} /var/lib/mediagoblin/paste.ini
-            ${lib.getExe' finalPackage "gmg"} dbupdate
-          '';
           serviceConfig = {
             Environment = [
               "CELERY_ALWAYS_EAGER=false"
               "GI_TYPELIB_PATH=${GI_TYPELIB_PATH}"
               "GST_PLUGIN_PATH=${GST_PLUGIN_PATH}"
             ];
+            ExecStartPre = [
+              "${lib.getExe' pkgs.coreutils "cp"} --remove-destination ${pasteConfig} /var/lib/mediagoblin/paste.ini"
+              "${lib.getExe' finalPackage "gmg"} dbupdate"
+            ];
             ExecStart = "${lib.getExe' finalPackage "paster"} serve /var/lib/mediagoblin/paste.ini";
           };
           unitConfig.Description = "Mediagoblin";