diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/hardware/upower.nix b/nixos/modules/services/hardware/upower.nix
index 5713bfb15fd..449810b5315 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/hardware/upower.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/hardware/upower.nix
@@ -220,22 +220,19 @@ in
 
     systemd.packages = [ cfg.package ];
 
-    systemd.services.upower.environment.UPOWER_CONF_FILE_NAME = pkgs.writeTextFile {
-      name = "UPower.conf";
-      text = generators.toINI {} {
-        UPower = {
-          EnableWattsUpPro = cfg.enableWattsUpPro;
-          NoPollBatteries = cfg.noPollBatteries;
-          IgnoreLid = cfg.ignoreLid;
-          UsePercentageForPolicy = cfg.usePercentageForPolicy;
-          PercentageLow = cfg.percentageLow;
-          PercentageCritical = cfg.percentageCritical;
-          PercentageAction = cfg.percentageAction;
-          TimeLow = cfg.timeLow;
-          TimeCritical = cfg.timeCritical;
-          TimeAction = cfg.timeAction;
-          CriticalPowerAction = cfg.criticalPowerAction;
-        };
+    environment.etc."UPower/UPower.conf".text = generators.toINI {} {
+      UPower = {
+        EnableWattsUpPro = cfg.enableWattsUpPro;
+        NoPollBatteries = cfg.noPollBatteries;
+        IgnoreLid = cfg.ignoreLid;
+        UsePercentageForPolicy = cfg.usePercentageForPolicy;
+        PercentageLow = cfg.percentageLow;
+        PercentageCritical = cfg.percentageCritical;
+        PercentageAction = cfg.percentageAction;
+        TimeLow = cfg.timeLow;
+        TimeCritical = cfg.timeCritical;
+        TimeAction = cfg.timeAction;
+        CriticalPowerAction = cfg.criticalPowerAction;
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/upower/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/upower/default.nix
index d787acae61b..ab7f65925ee 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/upower/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/upower/default.nix
@@ -52,12 +52,14 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     "--with-systemdsystemunitdir=${placeholder "out"}/etc/systemd/system"
     "--with-systemdutildir=${placeholder "out"}/lib/systemd"
     "--with-udevrulesdir=${placeholder "out"}/lib/udev/rules.d"
+    "--sysconfdir=/etc"
   ];
 
   doCheck = false; # fails with "env: './linux/integration-test': No such file or directory"
 
   installFlags = [
     "historydir=$(TMPDIR)/foo"
+    "sysconfdir=${placeholder "out"}/etc"
   ];
 
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {