diff --git a/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/default.nix
index 91ec15f1557..c032c79b1cc 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/default.nix
@@ -265,6 +265,11 @@ let
 
       # Make sure the notification email setting applies
       ./notification_email.patch
+
+      # Change the path to the public directory reported by Discourse
+      # to its real path instead of the symlink in the store, since
+      # the store path won't be matched by any nginx rules
+      ./public_dir_path.patch
     ];
 
     postPatch = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/public_dir_path.patch b/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/public_dir_path.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0c6579736e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/servers/web-apps/discourse/public_dir_path.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/lib/file_store/local_store.rb b/lib/file_store/local_store.rb
+index 25649532c0..614e062dc1 100644
+--- a/lib/file_store/local_store.rb
++++ b/lib/file_store/local_store.rb
+@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ module FileStore
+     end
+ 
+     def public_dir
+-      File.join(Rails.root, "public")
++      "/run/discourse/public"
+     end
+ 
+     def tombstone_dir