diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2105.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2105.xml
index 6e4a9e7114b..b45c19fa9af 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2105.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2105.xml
@@ -692,6 +692,12 @@ environment.systemPackages = [
        <literal>skip-kernel-setup true</literal> and takes care of setting forwarding and rp_filter sysctls by itself as well
        as for each interface in <varname>services.babeld.interfaces</varname>.
      </para>
+    </listitem>
+   <listitem>
+     <para>
+      The <option>services.zigbee2mqtt.config</option> option has been renamed to <option>services.zigbee2mqtt.settings</option> and
+      now follows <link xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/rfcs/blob/master/rfcs/0042-config-option.md">RFC 0042</link>.
+     </para>
    </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
  </section>
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/zigbee2mqtt.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/zigbee2mqtt.nix
index cd987eb76c7..63951348172 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/zigbee2mqtt.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/zigbee2mqtt.nix
@@ -5,26 +5,8 @@ with lib;
 let
   cfg = config.services.zigbee2mqtt;
 
-  configJSON = pkgs.writeText "configuration.json"
-    (builtins.toJSON (recursiveUpdate defaultConfig cfg.config));
-  configFile = pkgs.runCommand "configuration.yaml" { preferLocalBuild = true; } ''
-    ${pkgs.remarshal}/bin/json2yaml -i ${configJSON} -o $out
-  '';
-
-  # the default config contains all required settings,
-  # so the service starts up without crashing.
-  defaultConfig = {
-    homeassistant = false;
-    permit_join = false;
-    mqtt = {
-      base_topic = "zigbee2mqtt";
-      server = "mqtt://localhost:1883";
-    };
-    serial.port = "/dev/ttyACM0";
-    # put device configuration into separate file because configuration.yaml
-    # is copied from the store on startup
-    devices = "devices.yaml";
-  };
+  format = pkgs.formats.yaml { };
+  configFile = format.generate "zigbee2mqtt.yaml" cfg.settings;
 in
 {
   meta.maintainers = with maintainers; [ sweber ];
@@ -37,7 +19,11 @@ in
       default = pkgs.zigbee2mqtt.override {
         dataDir = cfg.dataDir;
       };
-      defaultText = "pkgs.zigbee2mqtt";
+      defaultText = literalExample ''
+        pkgs.zigbee2mqtt {
+          dataDir = services.zigbee2mqtt.dataDir
+        }
+      '';
       type = types.package;
     };
 
@@ -47,9 +33,9 @@ in
       type = types.path;
     };
 
-    config = mkOption {
+    settings = mkOption {
+      type = format.type;
       default = {};
-      type = with types; nullOr attrs;
       example = literalExample ''
         {
           homeassistant = config.services.home-assistant.enable;
@@ -61,11 +47,28 @@ in
       '';
       description = ''
         Your <filename>configuration.yaml</filename> as a Nix attribute set.
+        Check the <link xlink:href="https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/information/configuration.html">documentation</link>
+        for possible options.
       '';
     };
   };
 
   config = mkIf (cfg.enable) {
+
+    # preset config values
+    services.zigbee2mqtt.settings = {
+      homeassistant = mkDefault config.services.home-assistant.enable;
+      permit_join = mkDefault false;
+      mqtt = {
+        base_topic = mkDefault "zigbee2mqtt";
+        server = mkDefault "mqtt://localhost:1883";
+      };
+      serial.port = mkDefault "/dev/ttyACM0";
+      # reference device configuration, that is kept in a separate file
+      # to prevent it being overwritten in the units ExecStartPre script
+      devices = mkDefault "devices.yaml";
+    };
+
     systemd.services.zigbee2mqtt = {
       description = "Zigbee2mqtt Service";
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];