diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/databases/mysql.nix b/nixos/modules/services/databases/mysql.nix
index 4f5d442db8bf..c1a6b895bdd1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/databases/mysql.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/databases/mysql.nix
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ in
         binlog-ignore-db = [ "information_schema" "performance_schema" "mysql" ];
       })
       (mkIf (!isMariaDB) {
-        plugin-load-add = optional (cfg.ensureUsers != []) "auth_socket.so";
+        plugin-load-add = "auth_socket.so";
       })
     ];
 
@@ -383,6 +383,8 @@ in
           ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/mysqld --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf ${mysqldOptions} $_WSREP_NEW_CLUSTER $_WSREP_START_POSITION";
           ExecStartPost =
             let
+              # The super user account to use on *first* run of MySQL server
+              superUser = if isMariaDB then cfg.user else "root";
               setupScript = pkgs.writeScript "mysql-setup" ''
                 #!${pkgs.runtimeShell} -e
 
@@ -405,6 +407,12 @@ in
 
                 if [ -f ${cfg.dataDir}/mysql_init ]
                 then
+                    # While MariaDB comes with a 'mysql' super user account since 10.4.x MySQL does not
+                    # Since we don't want to run this service as 'root' we need to ensure the account exists on first run
+                    ( echo "CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS '${cfg.user}'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH ${if isMariaDB then "unix_socket" else "auth_socket"};"
+                      echo "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO '${cfg.user}'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;"
+                    ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u ${superUser} -N
+
                     ${concatMapStrings (database: ''
                       # Create initial databases
                       if ! test -e "${cfg.dataDir}/${database.name}"; then
@@ -424,7 +432,7 @@ in
                                 cat ${database.schema}/mysql-databases/*.sql
                             fi
                             ''}
-                          ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                          ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u ${superUser} -N
                       fi
                     '') cfg.initialDatabases}
 
@@ -436,7 +444,7 @@ in
                           echo "CREATE USER '${cfg.replication.masterUser}'@'${cfg.replication.slaveHost}' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password;"
                           echo "SET PASSWORD FOR '${cfg.replication.masterUser}'@'${cfg.replication.slaveHost}' = PASSWORD('${cfg.replication.masterPassword}');"
                           echo "GRANT REPLICATION SLAVE ON *.* TO '${cfg.replication.masterUser}'@'${cfg.replication.slaveHost}';"
-                        ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                        ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u ${superUser} -N
                       ''}
 
                     ${optionalString (cfg.replication.role == "slave")
@@ -446,7 +454,7 @@ in
                         ( echo "stop slave;"
                           echo "change master to master_host='${cfg.replication.masterHost}', master_user='${cfg.replication.masterUser}', master_password='${cfg.replication.masterPassword}';"
                           echo "start slave;"
-                        ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                        ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u ${superUser} -N
                       ''}
 
                     ${optionalString (cfg.initialScript != null)
@@ -454,7 +462,7 @@ in
                         # Execute initial script
                         # using toString to avoid copying the file to nix store if given as path instead of string,
                         # as it might contain credentials
-                        cat ${toString cfg.initialScript} | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                        cat ${toString cfg.initialScript} | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u ${superUser} -N
                       ''}
 
                     rm ${cfg.dataDir}/mysql_init
@@ -465,7 +473,7 @@ in
                   ${concatMapStrings (database: ''
                     echo "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS \`${database}\`;"
                   '') cfg.ensureDatabases}
-                  ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                  ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -N
                 ''}
 
                 ${concatMapStrings (user:
@@ -474,13 +482,11 @@ in
                       ${concatStringsSep "\n" (mapAttrsToList (database: permission: ''
                         echo "GRANT ${permission} ON ${database} TO '${user.name}'@'localhost';"
                       '') user.ensurePermissions)}
-                    ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -u root -N
+                    ) | ${cfg.package}/bin/mysql -N
                   '') cfg.ensureUsers}
               '';
             in
-              # ensureDatbases & ensureUsers depends on this script being run as root
-              # when the user has secured their mysql install
-              "+${setupScript}";
+              "${setupScript}";
           # User and group
           User = cfg.user;
           Group = cfg.group;