diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
index 10343df70aa..f6c23c9b900 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ in
       "sysctl.d/50-coredump.conf".source = "${systemd}/example/sysctl.d/50-coredump.conf";
       "sysctl.d/50-default.conf".source = "${systemd}/example/sysctl.d/50-default.conf";
 
-      "tmpfiles.d".source = pkgs.symlinkJoin {
+      "tmpfiles.d".source = (pkgs.symlinkJoin {
         name = "tmpfiles.d";
         paths = map (p: p + "/lib/tmpfiles.d") cfg.tmpfiles.packages;
         postBuild = ''
@@ -1016,8 +1016,10 @@ in
               exit 1
             )
           done
-        '';
-      };
+        '' + concatMapStrings (name: optionalString (hasPrefix "tmpfiles.d/" name) ''
+          rm -f $out/${removePrefix "tmpfiles.d/" name}
+        '') config.system.build.etc.targets;
+      }) + "/*";
 
       "systemd/system-generators" = { source = hooks "generators" cfg.generators; };
       "systemd/system-shutdown" = { source = hooks "shutdown" cfg.shutdown; };