diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/gitlab.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/gitlab.nix
index 1ada131bd7b..567e224d8d9 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/gitlab.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/gitlab.nix
@@ -678,7 +678,6 @@ in {
       "L+ /run/gitlab/shell-config.yml - - - - ${pkgs.writeText "config.yml" (builtins.toJSON gitlabShellConfig)}"
 
       "L+ ${cfg.statePath}/config/unicorn.rb - - - - ${./defaultUnicornConfig.rb}"
-      "L+ ${cfg.statePath}/config/initializers/extra-gitlab.rb - - - - ${extraGitlabRb}"
     ];
 
     systemd.services.gitlab-sidekiq = {
@@ -798,6 +797,7 @@ in {
             rm -f ${cfg.statePath}/lib
             cp -rf --no-preserve=mode ${cfg.packages.gitlab}/share/gitlab/config.dist/* ${cfg.statePath}/config
             cp -rf --no-preserve=mode ${cfg.packages.gitlab}/share/gitlab/db/* ${cfg.statePath}/db
+            ln -sf ${extraGitlabRb} ${cfg.statePath}/config/initializers/extra-gitlab.rb
 
             ${cfg.packages.gitlab-shell}/bin/install