diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/network-filesystems/samba.nix b/nixos/modules/services/network-filesystems/samba.nix
index 2b46a14b672a..f236d44d5d0e 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/network-filesystems/samba.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/network-filesystems/samba.nix
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ let
   cfg = config.services.samba;
 
   settingsFormat = pkgs.formats.ini { };
-  configFile = settingsFormat.generate "smb.conf" cfg.settings;
+  # Ensure the global section is always first
+  globalConfigFile = settingsFormat.generate "smb-global.conf" { global = cfg.settings.global; };
+  sharesConfigFile = settingsFormat.generate "smb-shares.conf" (lib.removeAttrs cfg.settings [ "global" ]);
+
+  configFile = pkgs.concatText "smb.conf" [ globalConfigFile sharesConfigFile ];
 
 in