diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/pdns-recursor.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/pdns-recursor.nix
index 2f07cefc736e..f929532ba09f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/pdns-recursor.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/pdns-recursor.nix
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ in {
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
 
+    environment.etc."pdns-recursor".source = configDir;
+
     services.pdns-recursor.settings = mkDefaultAttrs {
       local-address = cfg.dns.address;
       local-port    = cfg.dns.port;
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/powerdns.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/powerdns.nix
index 850a128cf1a4..03bf93301d85 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/powerdns.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/powerdns.nix
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ in {
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
 
+    environment.etc.pdns.source = finalConfigDir;
+
     systemd.packages = [ pkgs.pdns ];
 
     systemd.services.pdns = {
diff --git a/nixos/tests/powerdns.nix b/nixos/tests/powerdns.nix
index d3708d25f0fb..599d5ea67efe 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/powerdns.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/powerdns.nix
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ... }: {
   };
 
   testScript = ''
-    import re
-
     with subtest("PowerDNS database exists"):
         server.wait_for_unit("mysql")
         server.succeed("echo 'SHOW DATABASES;' | sudo -u pdns mysql -u pdns >&2")
@@ -46,11 +44,7 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ... }: {
 
     with subtest("Adding an example zone works"):
         # Extract configuration file needed by pdnsutil
-        unit = server.succeed("systemctl cat pdns")
-        match = re.search("(--config-dir=[^ ]+)", unit)
-        assert(match is not None)
-        conf = match.group(1)
-        pdnsutil = "sudo -u pdns pdnsutil " + conf
+        pdnsutil = "sudo -u pdns pdnsutil "
         server.succeed(f"{pdnsutil} create-zone example.com ns1.example.com")
         server.succeed(f"{pdnsutil} add-record  example.com ns1 A 192.168.1.2")
 
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns-recursor/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns-recursor/default.nix
index aec253d26ed1..da0890e8e4d0 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns-recursor/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns-recursor/default.nix
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureFlags = [
     "--enable-reproducible"
     "--enable-systemd"
+    "sysconfdir=/etc/pdns-recursor"
   ];
 
+  installFlags = [ "sysconfdir=$(out)/etc/pdns-recursor" ];
+
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
   passthru.tests = {
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns/default.nix
index b41e4df5242a..fcd218a1f3cc 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/dns/pdns/default.nix
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     "--with-libsodium"
     "--with-sqlite3"
     "--with-libcrypto=${openssl.dev}"
+    "sysconfdir=/etc/pdns"
   ];
 
   # nix destroy with-modules arguments, when using configureFlags
@@ -79,6 +80,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     )
   '';
 
+  # We want the various utilities to look for the powerdns config in
+  # /etc/pdns, but to actually install the sample config file in
+  # $out
+  installFlags = [ "sysconfdir=$(out)/etc/pdns" ];
+
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
   doCheck = true;