diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2009.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2009.xml
index c936ae946ad..0a76bffd5c9 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2009.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2009.xml
@@ -777,6 +777,11 @@ CREATE ROLE postgres LOGIN SUPERUSER;
      <link xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/63103">PR #63103</link>.
     </para>
    </listitem>
+   <listitem>
+    <para>
+      <literal>config.systemd.services.${name}.path</literal> now returns a list of paths instead of a colon-separated string.
+    </para>
+   </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
  </section>
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd-unit-options.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd-unit-options.nix
index ac6fed440a2..5addc6f9ca4 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd-unit-options.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd-unit-options.nix
@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ in rec {
     path = mkOption {
       default = [];
       type = with types; listOf (oneOf [ package str ]);
-      apply = ps: "${makeBinPath ps}:${makeSearchPathOutput "bin" "sbin" ps}";
       description = ''
         Packages added to the service's <envar>PATH</envar>
         environment variable.  Both the <filename>bin</filename>
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
index f6c23c9b900..74d6957678f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ let
               pkgs.gnused
               systemd
             ];
-          environment.PATH = config.path;
+          environment.PATH = "${makeBinPath config.path}:${makeSearchPathOutput "bin" "sbin" config.path}";
         }
         (mkIf (config.preStart != "")
           { serviceConfig.ExecStartPre =