diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/phpfpm/default.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/phpfpm/default.nix
index 4ab7e3f0c0a..095de64dfb1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/phpfpm/default.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/phpfpm/default.nix
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ let
     '';
     passAsFile = [ "nixDefaults" "phpOptions" ];
   } ''
-    cat $phpPackage/etc/php.ini $nixDefaultsPath $phpOptionsPath > $out
+    cat ${poolOpts.phpPackage}/etc/php.ini $nixDefaultsPath $phpOptionsPath > $out
   '';
 
   poolOpts = { name, ... }:
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ let
 
         phpOptions = mkOption {
           type = types.lines;
-          default = cfg.phpOptions;
-          defaultText = "config.services.phpfpm.phpOptions";
           description = ''
             "Options appended to the PHP configuration file <filename>php.ini</filename> used for this PHP-FPM pool."
           '';
@@ -137,6 +135,7 @@ let
       config = {
         socket = if poolOpts.listen == "" then "${runtimeDir}/${name}.sock" else poolOpts.listen;
         group = mkDefault poolOpts.user;
+        phpOptions = mkBefore cfg.phpOptions;
 
         settings = mapAttrs (name: mkDefault){
           listen = poolOpts.socket;