diff --git a/lib/maintainers.nix b/lib/maintainers.nix
index 3c367b7d30d..4fc3dbf06e9 100644
--- a/lib/maintainers.nix
+++ b/lib/maintainers.nix
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@
   robberer = "Longrin Wischnewski <robberer@freakmail.de>";
   robbinch = "Robbin C. <robbinch33@gmail.com>";
   robgssp = "Rob Glossop <robgssp@gmail.com>";
+  roblabla = "Robin Lambertz <robinlambertz+dev@gmail.com>";
   roconnor = "Russell O'Connor <roconnor@theorem.ca>";
   romildo = "José Romildo Malaquias <malaquias@gmail.com>";
   rszibele = "Richard Szibele <richard_szibele@hotmail.com>";
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/matrix-synapse.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/matrix-synapse.nix
index 1a95e2d9367..bb8dc640f98 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/matrix-synapse.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/matrix-synapse.nix
@@ -522,10 +522,12 @@ in {
       after = [ "network.target" ];
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       preStart = ''
-        mkdir -p /var/lib/matrix-synapse
-        chmod 700 /var/lib/matrix-synapse
-        chown -R matrix-synapse:matrix-synapse /var/lib/matrix-synapse
-        ${cfg.package}/bin/homeserver --config-path ${configFile} --keys-directory /var/lib/matrix-synapse/ --generate-keys
+        if ! test -e /var/lib/matrix-synapse; then
+          mkdir -p /var/lib/matrix-synapse
+          chmod 700 /var/lib/matrix-synapse
+          chown -R matrix-synapse:matrix-synapse /var/lib/matrix-synapse
+          ${cfg.package}/bin/homeserver --config-path ${configFile} --keys-directory /var/lib/matrix-synapse/ --generate-keys
+        fi
       '';
       serviceConfig = {
         Type = "simple";
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/matrix-synapse/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/matrix-synapse/default.nix
index 95d32aa1bdd..26cdb3d78ef 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/matrix-synapse/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/matrix-synapse/default.nix
@@ -41,6 +41,6 @@ buildPythonApplication rec {
     homepage = https://matrix.org;
     description = "Matrix reference homeserver";
     license = licenses.asl20;
-    maintainers = [ maintainers.ralith ];
+    maintainers = [ maintainers.ralith maintainers.roblabla ];
   };
 }