diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/bind.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/bind.nix
index 03c20f3fe3d3..6c5c59a88dec 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/bind.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/bind.nix
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@ in
       '';
 
       serviceConfig = {
-        ExecStart = "${bindPkg.out}/sbin/named -u ${bindUser} ${optionalString cfg.ipv4Only "-4"} -c ${cfg.configFile} -f";
+        Type = "forking"; # Set type to forking, see https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=900788
+        ExecStart = "${bindPkg.out}/sbin/named -u ${bindUser} ${optionalString cfg.ipv4Only "-4"} -c ${cfg.configFile}";
         ExecReload = "${bindPkg.out}/sbin/rndc -k '/etc/bind/rndc.key' reload";
         ExecStop = "${bindPkg.out}/sbin/rndc -k '/etc/bind/rndc.key' stop";
       };
diff --git a/nixos/tests/bind.nix b/nixos/tests/bind.nix
index 15accbd49db4..95a9fc4e58bb 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/bind.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/bind.nix
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix {
 
   testScript = ''
     machine.wait_for_unit("bind.service")
-    machine.wait_for_open_port(53)
     machine.succeed("host 192.168.0.1 127.0.0.1 | grep -qF ns.example.org")
   '';
 }