diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/admin/salt/minion.nix b/nixos/modules/services/admin/salt/minion.nix
index be2c5e2f83d..254ff7bb899 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/admin/salt/minion.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/admin/salt/minion.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ let
     # Default is in /etc/salt/pki/minion
     pki_dir = "/var/lib/salt/pki/minion";
   } cfg.configuration;
-  configDir = pkgs.writeTextDir "minion" (builtins.toJSON fullConfig);
 
 in
 
@@ -36,7 +35,16 @@ in
   };
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
-    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ salt ];
+    environment = {
+      # Set this up in /etc/salt/minion so `salt-call`, etc. work.
+      # The alternatives are
+      # - passing --config-dir to all salt commands, not just the minion unit,
+      # - setting aglobal environment variable.
+      etc."salt/minion".source = pkgs.writeText "minion" (
+        builtins.toJSON fullConfig
+      );
+      systemPackages = with pkgs; [ salt ];
+    };
     systemd.services.salt-minion = {
       description = "Salt Minion";
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
@@ -45,7 +53,7 @@ in
         utillinux
       ];
       serviceConfig = {
-        ExecStart = "${pkgs.salt}/bin/salt-minion --config-dir=${configDir}";
+        ExecStart = "${pkgs.salt}/bin/salt-minion";
         LimitNOFILE = 8192;
         Type = "notify";
         NotifyAccess = "all";