diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
index b73aa325bbf7..27c09f6629e7 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
@@ -144,6 +144,17 @@
           updated manually.
         </para>
       </listitem>
+      <listitem>
+        <para>
+          In <literal>mastodon</literal> it is now necessary to specify
+          location of file with <literal>PostgreSQL</literal> database
+          password. In
+          <literal>services.mastodon.database.passwordFile</literal>
+          parameter default value
+          <literal>/var/lib/mastodon/secrets/db-password</literal> has
+          been changed to <literal>null</literal>.
+        </para>
+      </listitem>
       <listitem>
         <para>
           The <literal>nix.readOnlyStore</literal> option has been
@@ -208,6 +219,12 @@
           <literal>nixos/modules/profiles/minimal.nix</literal> profile.
         </para>
       </listitem>
+      <listitem>
+        <para>
+          <literal>mastodon</literal> now supports connection to a
+          remote <literal>PostgreSQL</literal> database.
+        </para>
+      </listitem>
       <listitem>
         <para>
           A new <literal>virtualisation.rosetta</literal> module was
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
index 84216758bad5..c9dfd0582c28 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ In addition to numerous new and upgraded packages, this release has the followin
 
 - Qt 5.12 and 5.14 have been removed, as the corresponding branches have been EOL upstream for a long time. This affected under 10 packages in nixpkgs, largely unmaintained upstream as well, however, out-of-tree package expressions may need to be updated manually.
 
+- In `mastodon` it is now necessary to specify location of file with `PostgreSQL` database password. In `services.mastodon.database.passwordFile` parameter default value `/var/lib/mastodon/secrets/db-password` has been changed to `null`.
+
 - The `nix.readOnlyStore` option has been renamed to `boot.readOnlyNixStore` to clarify that it configures the NixOS boot process, not the Nix daemon.
 
 ## Other Notable Changes {#sec-release-23.05-notable-changes}
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ In addition to numerous new and upgraded packages, this release has the followin
 
 - The minimal ISO image now uses the `nixos/modules/profiles/minimal.nix` profile.
 
+- `mastodon` now supports connection to a remote `PostgreSQL` database.
+
 - A new `virtualisation.rosetta` module was added to allow running `x86_64` binaries through [Rosetta](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple-silicon/about-the-rosetta-translation-environment) inside virtualised NixOS guests on Apple silicon. This feature works by default with the [UTM](https://docs.getutm.app/) virtualisation [package](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=utm&from=0&size=1&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=utm).
 
 - Resilio sync secret keys can now be provided using a secrets file at runtime, preventing these secrets from ending up in the Nix store.
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mastodon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mastodon.nix
index fcfaf3bb57c1..b6e2309555f2 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mastodon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-apps/mastodon.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+{ lib, pkgs, config, options, ... }:
 
 let
   cfg = config.services.mastodon;
+  opt = options.services.mastodon;
+
   # We only want to create a database if we're actually going to connect to it.
   databaseActuallyCreateLocally = cfg.database.createLocally && cfg.database.host == "/run/postgresql";
 
@@ -23,7 +25,6 @@ let
     REDIS_HOST = cfg.redis.host;
     REDIS_PORT = toString(cfg.redis.port);
     DB_HOST = cfg.database.host;
-    DB_PORT = toString(cfg.database.port);
     DB_NAME = cfg.database.name;
     LOCAL_DOMAIN = cfg.localDomain;
     SMTP_SERVER = cfg.smtp.host;
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ let
 
     TRUSTED_PROXY_IP = cfg.trustedProxy;
   }
-  // (if cfg.smtp.authenticate then { SMTP_LOGIN  = cfg.smtp.user; } else {})
+  // lib.optionalAttrs (cfg.database.host != "/run/postgresql" && cfg.database.port != null) { DB_PORT = toString cfg.database.port; }
+  // lib.optionalAttrs cfg.smtp.authenticate { SMTP_LOGIN  = cfg.smtp.user; }
   // cfg.extraConfig;
 
   systemCallsList = [ "@cpu-emulation" "@debug" "@keyring" "@ipc" "@mount" "@obsolete" "@privileged" "@setuid" ];
@@ -314,8 +316,13 @@ in {
         };
 
         port = lib.mkOption {
-          type = lib.types.port;
-          default = 5432;
+          type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.port;
+          default = if cfg.database.createLocally then null else 5432;
+          defaultText = lib.literalExpression ''
+            if config.${opt.database.createLocally}
+            then null
+            else 5432
+          '';
           description = lib.mdDoc "Database host port.";
         };
 
@@ -333,8 +340,8 @@ in {
 
         passwordFile = lib.mkOption {
           type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.path;
-          default = "/var/lib/mastodon/secrets/db-password";
-          example = "/run/keys/mastodon-db-password";
+          default = null;
+          example = "/var/lib/mastodon/secrets/db-password";
           description = lib.mdDoc ''
             A file containing the password corresponding to
             {option}`database.user`.
@@ -468,7 +475,18 @@ in {
     assertions = [
       {
         assertion = databaseActuallyCreateLocally -> (cfg.user == cfg.database.user);
-        message = ''For local automatic database provisioning (services.mastodon.database.createLocally == true) with peer authentication (services.mastodon.database.host == "/run/postgresql") to work services.mastodon.user and services.mastodon.database.user must be identical.'';
+        message = ''
+          For local automatic database provisioning (services.mastodon.database.createLocally == true) with peer
+            authentication (services.mastodon.database.host == "/run/postgresql") to work services.mastodon.user
+            and services.mastodon.database.user must be identical.
+        '';
+      }
+      {
+        assertion = !databaseActuallyCreateLocally -> (cfg.database.host != "/run/postgresql");
+        message = ''
+          <option>services.mastodon.database.host</option> needs to be set if
+            <option>services.mastodon.database.createLocally</option> is not enabled.
+        '';
       }
       {
         assertion = cfg.smtp.authenticate -> (cfg.smtp.user != null);
@@ -512,10 +530,11 @@ in {
         OTP_SECRET="$(cat ${cfg.otpSecretFile})"
         VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY="$(cat ${cfg.vapidPrivateKeyFile})"
         VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY="$(cat ${cfg.vapidPublicKeyFile})"
+      '' + lib.optionalString (cfg.database.passwordFile != null) ''
         DB_PASS="$(cat ${cfg.database.passwordFile})"
-      '' + (if cfg.smtp.authenticate then ''
+      '' + lib.optionalString cfg.smtp.authenticate ''
         SMTP_PASSWORD="$(cat ${cfg.smtp.passwordFile})"
-      '' else "") + ''
+      '' + ''
         EOF
       '';
       environment = env;
@@ -555,13 +574,10 @@ in {
         unset PGPASSFILE
       '';
       path = [ cfg.package pkgs.postgresql ];
-      environment = env // (if (!databaseActuallyCreateLocally)
-        then {
-          PGHOST = cfg.database.host;
-          PGUSER = cfg.database.user;
-        }
-        else {}
-      );
+      environment = env // lib.optionalAttrs (!databaseActuallyCreateLocally) {
+        PGHOST = cfg.database.host;
+        PGUSER = cfg.database.user;
+      };
       serviceConfig = {
         Type = "oneshot";
         EnvironmentFile = [ "/var/lib/mastodon/.secrets_env" ];