diff --git a/modules/services/network-filesystems/nfs-kernel.nix b/modules/services/network-filesystems/nfs-kernel.nix
index 1baa0305183..2a9f78e7d2f 100644
--- a/modules/services/network-filesystems/nfs-kernel.nix
+++ b/modules/services/network-filesystems/nfs-kernel.nix
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ in
     services.nfsKernel = {
 
       client.enable = mkOption {
-        default = false;
+        default = any (fs: fs.fsType == "nfs" || fs.fsType == "nfs4") config.fileSystems;
         description = ''
           Whether to enable the kernel's NFS client daemons.
         '';
diff --git a/tests/nfs.nix b/tests/nfs.nix
index b0739ab92ab..91a1005da94 100644
--- a/tests/nfs.nix
+++ b/tests/nfs.nix
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
   nodes =
     { client = 
         { config, pkgs, ... }:
-        { services.nfsKernel.client.enable = true;
-          fileSystems = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} 
+        { fileSystems = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} 
             [ { mountPoint = "/data";
                 device = "server:/data";
                 fsType = "nfs";