diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-generate-config.pl b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-generate-config.pl
index 6e3ddb875e1..7bc55e67134 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-generate-config.pl
+++ b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-generate-config.pl
@@ -585,6 +585,22 @@ EOF
     return $config;
 }
 
+sub generateXserverConfig {
+    my $xserverEnabled = "@xserverEnabled@";
+
+    my $config = "";
+    if ($xserverEnabled eq "1") {
+        $config = <<EOF;
+  # Enable the X11 windowing system.
+  services.xserver.enable = true;
+EOF
+    } else {
+        $config = <<EOF;
+  # Enable the X11 windowing system.
+  # services.xserver.enable = true;
+EOF
+    }
+}
 
 if ($showHardwareConfig) {
     print STDOUT $hwConfig;
@@ -630,6 +646,8 @@ EOF
 
         my $networkingDhcpConfig = generateNetworkingDhcpConfig();
 
+        my $xserverConfig = generateXserverConfig();
+
         (my $desktopConfiguration = <<EOF)=~s/^/  /gm;
 @desktopConfiguration@
 EOF
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
index ada5f574856..a9e5641b05a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ let
     path = lib.optionals (lib.elem "btrfs" config.boot.supportedFilesystems) [ pkgs.btrfs-progs ];
     perl = "${pkgs.perl}/bin/perl -I${pkgs.perlPackages.FileSlurp}/${pkgs.perl.libPrefix}";
     inherit (config.system.nixos-generate-config) configuration desktopConfiguration;
+    xserverEnabled = config.services.xserver.enable;
   };
 
   nixos-option =
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ in
 
     desktopConfiguration = mkOption {
       internal = true;
-      type = types.str;
-      default = "";
+      type = types.listOf types.lines;
+      default = [];
       description = ''
         Text to preseed the desktop configuration that <literal>nixos-generate-config</literal>
         saves to <literal>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</literal>.
@@ -136,6 +137,8 @@ in
         #   keyMap = "us";
         # };
 
+      $xserverConfig
+
       $desktopConfiguration
         # Configure keymap in X11
         # services.xserver.layout = "us";
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
index 671301246a8..99e6edfba26 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/gnome3.nix
@@ -197,12 +197,11 @@ in
   config = mkMerge [
     (mkIf (cfg.enable || flashbackEnabled) {
       # Seed our configuration into nixos-generate-config
-      system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = ''
+      system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = [''
         # Enable the GNOME 3 Desktop Environment.
-        services.xserver.enable = true;
         services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
         services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome3.enable = true;
-      '';
+      ''];
 
       services.gnome3.core-os-services.enable = true;
       services.gnome3.core-shell.enable = true;
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/plasma5.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/plasma5.nix
index d6cf86d3a2e..44ee079b817 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/plasma5.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/desktop-managers/plasma5.nix
@@ -184,12 +184,11 @@ in
   config = mkMerge [
     (mkIf cfg.enable {
       # Seed our configuration into nixos-generate-config
-      system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = ''
+      system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = [''
         # Enable the Plasma 5 Desktop Environment.
-        services.xserver.enable = true;
         services.xserver.displayManager.sddm.enable = true;
         services.xserver.desktopManager.plasma5.enable = true;
-      '';
+      ''];
 
       services.xserver.desktopManager.session = singleton {
         name = "plasma5";
diff --git a/nixos/tests/nixos-generate-config.nix b/nixos/tests/nixos-generate-config.nix
index 5daa55a8abb..7bf8d4da7b6 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/nixos-generate-config.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/nixos-generate-config.nix
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ lib, ... } : {
       }
     '';
 
-    system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = ''
+    system.nixos-generate-config.desktopConfiguration = [''
       # DESKTOP
-      # services.xserver.enable = true;
-      # services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
-      # services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome3.enable = true;
-    '';
+      services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
+      services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome3.enable = true;
+    ''];
   };
   testScript = ''
     start_all()