diff --git a/modules/services/x11/display-managers/default.nix b/modules/services/x11/display-managers/default.nix
index 9b9c48c8889..e17cb541af6 100644
--- a/modules/services/x11/display-managers/default.nix
+++ b/modules/services/x11/display-managers/default.nix
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ let
           exec ${pkgs.consolekit}/bin/ck-launch-session "$0" "$sessionType"
       fi
 
+      # Handle being called by kdm.
+      if test "''${1:0:1}" = /; then eval exec "$1"; fi
+
       # Start PulseAudio if enabled.
       ${optionalString config.hardware.pulseaudio.enable ''
         ${pkgs.pulseaudio}/bin/pulseaudio --start
@@ -68,9 +71,6 @@ let
         ${pkgs.pulseaudio}/bin/pactl load-module module-device-manager "do_routing=1"
       ''}
 
-      # Handle being called by kdm.
-      if test "''${1:0:1}" = /; then eval exec "$1"; fi
-
       # Load X defaults.
       if test -e ~/.Xdefaults; then
           ${xorg.xrdb}/bin/xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults