diff --git a/modules/services/databases/mongodb.nix b/modules/services/databases/mongodb.nix
index cf8caabfc8a..1c46424c14b 100644
--- a/modules/services/databases/mongodb.nix
+++ b/modules/services/databases/mongodb.nix
@@ -96,9 +96,10 @@ in
 
     jobs.mongodb =
       { description = "MongoDB server";
+        daemonType = "none";
+        respawn = false; # seems to interfere with normal stopping
 
         startOn = "filesystem";
-        daemonType = "daemon";
 
         preStart =
           ''
@@ -108,8 +109,8 @@ in
             fi
           '';
 
-        exec = "${pkgs.shadow}/bin/su ${cfg.user} -c \"${mongodb}/bin/mongod --config ${mongoCnf} --fork\"";
-        preStop = "${pkgs.shadow}/bin/su ${cfg.user} -c \"${mongodb}/bin/mongod --config ${mongoCnf} --shutdown\" &";
+        exec = "${pkgs.shadow}/bin/su ${cfg.user} -c \"${mongodb}/bin/mongod --config ${mongoCnf}\"";
+        preStop = "${pkgs.shadow}/bin/su ${cfg.user} -c \"${mongodb}/bin/mongod --config ${mongoCnf} --shutdown\"";
 
         extraConfig = "kill timeout 10";
       };