diff --git a/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix b/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
index c8063092a95..e4b3432abd9 100644
--- a/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
+++ b/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
@@ -1,42 +1,10 @@
 {pkgs, config, ...}:
 
-###### interface
-let
-  inherit (pkgs.lib) mkOption mkIf;
-
-  options = {
-    services = {
-      ntp = {
-
-        enable = mkOption {
-          default = true;
-          description = "
-            Whether to synchronise your machine's time using the NTP
-            protocol.
-          ";
-        };
-
-        servers = mkOption {
-          default = [
-            "0.pool.ntp.org"
-            "1.pool.ntp.org"
-            "2.pool.ntp.org"
-          ];
-          description = "
-            The set of NTP servers from which to synchronise.
-          ";
-        };
-
-      };
-    };
-  };
-in
-
-###### implementation
-
 let
 
-  inherit (pkgs) writeText ntp;
+  inherit (pkgs.lib) mkOption mkIf singleton;
+
+  inherit (pkgs) ntp;
 
   stateDir = "/var/lib/ntp";
 
@@ -46,7 +14,7 @@ let
 
   modprobe = config.system.sbin.modprobe;
 
-  configFile = writeText "ntp.conf" ''
+  configFile = pkgs.writeText "ntp.conf" ''
     driftfile ${stateDir}/ntp.drift
     # Keep the drift file in ${stateDir}/ntp.drift.  However, since we
     # chroot to ${stateDir}, we have to specify it as /ntp.drift.
@@ -59,25 +27,53 @@ let
 
 in
 
+{
 
-mkIf config.services.ntp.enable {
-  require = [
-    options
-  ];
+  ###### interface
+  
+  options = {
+  
+    services.ntp = {
 
-  services = {
-    extraJobs = [{
+      enable = mkOption {
+        default = true;
+        description = ''
+          Whether to synchronise your machine's time using the NTP
+          protocol.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      servers = mkOption {
+        default = [
+          "0.pool.ntp.org"
+          "1.pool.ntp.org"
+          "2.pool.ntp.org"
+        ];
+        description = ''
+          The set of NTP servers from which to synchronise.
+        '';
+      };
+
+    };
+
+  };
+
+
+  ###### implementation
+
+  config = mkIf config.services.ntp.enable {
+  
+    users.extraUsers = singleton
+      { name = ntpUser;
+        uid = config.ids.uids.ntp;
+        description = "NTP daemon user";
+        home = stateDir;
+      };
+
+    jobs = singleton {
 
       name = "ntpd";
       
-      users = [
-        { name = ntpUser;
-          uid = config.ids.uids.ntp;
-          description = "NTP daemon user";
-          home = stateDir;
-        }
-      ];
-      
       job = ''
         description "NTP daemon"
 
@@ -104,6 +100,9 @@ mkIf config.services.ntp.enable {
 
         respawn ${ntp}/bin/ntpd -g -n ${ntpFlags}
       '';
-    }];
+
+    };
+    
   };
+  
 }
diff --git a/modules/services/system/nscd.nix b/modules/services/system/nscd.nix
index da1e5bec2bc..63fa36b9422 100644
--- a/modules/services/system/nscd.nix
+++ b/modules/services/system/nscd.nix
@@ -1,44 +1,47 @@
 {pkgs, config, ...}:
 
-###### implementation
-
 let
+
   nssModulesPath = config.system.nssModules.path;
+
+  inherit (pkgs.lib) singleton;
+  
 in
 
 {
-  services = {
-    extraJobs = [{
-        name = "nscd";
+  config = {
+  
+    users.extraUsers = singleton
+      { name = "nscd";
+        uid = config.ids.uids.nscd;
+        description = "Name service cache daemon user";
+      };
+
+    jobs = singleton {
+      name = "nscd";
         
-        users = [
-          { name = "nscd";
-            uid = config.ids.uids.nscd;
-            description = "Name service cache daemon user";
-          }
-        ];
-        
-        job = ''
-      description \"Name Service Cache Daemon\"
-      
-      start on startup
-      stop on shutdown
-      
-      env LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${nssModulesPath}
-      
-      start script
-      
-          mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/run/nscd
-          mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/db/nscd
-      
-          rm -f /var/db/nscd/* # for testing
-          
-      end script
-      
-      # !!! -d turns on debug info which probably makes nscd slower
-      # 2>/dev/null is to make it shut up
-      respawn ${pkgs.glibc}/sbin/nscd -f ${./nscd.conf} -d 2> /dev/null
+      job = ''
+        description \"Name Service Cache Daemon\"
+
+        start on startup
+        stop on shutdown
+
+        env LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${nssModulesPath}
+
+        start script
+
+            mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/run/nscd
+            mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/db/nscd
+
+            rm -f /var/db/nscd/* # for testing
+
+        end script
+
+        # !!! -d turns on debug info which probably makes nscd slower
+        # 2>/dev/null is to make it shut up
+        respawn ${pkgs.glibc}/sbin/nscd -f ${./nscd.conf} -d 2> /dev/null
       '';
-    }];
+    };
+
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/system/upstart/make-job.nix b/modules/system/upstart/make-job.nix
index aabc3ad2f5d..b7ec71e999b 100644
--- a/modules/system/upstart/make-job.nix
+++ b/modules/system/upstart/make-job.nix
@@ -13,15 +13,3 @@
         "eval \"$buildHook\"; ensureDir $out/etc/event.d; echo \"$job\" > $out/etc/event.d/$jobName"
     )
 )
-
-//
-
-{
-  # Allow jobs to declare user accounts that should be created.
-  users = if job ? users then job.users else [];
-  
-  # Allow jobs to declare groups that should be created.
-  groups = if job ? groups then job.groups else [];
-
-  passthru = if job ? passthru then job.passthru else {};
-}
diff --git a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
index 7ae1f4e206d..ea45bb498fb 100644
--- a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
+++ b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
@@ -87,12 +87,6 @@ in
         }
       ];
 
-    users.extraUsers =
-      pkgs.lib.concatLists (map (job: job.users) jobs);
-
-    users.extraGroups =
-      pkgs.lib.concatLists (map (job: job.groups) jobs);
-
     services.extraJobs =
       [ # For the built-in logd job.
         { jobDrv = pkgs.upstart; }