diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/resolved.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/resolved.nix
index b658a7a2dc05..65c00b694e0f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/resolved.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/resolved.nix
@@ -205,11 +205,12 @@ in
 
       boot.initrd.systemd = {
         contents = {
-          "/etc/tmpfiles.d/resolv.conf".text =
-            "L /etc/resolv.conf - - - - /run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf";
           "/etc/systemd/resolved.conf".text = resolvedConf;
         };
 
+        tmpfiles.settings.systemd-resolved-stub."/etc/resolv.conf".L.argument =
+          "/run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf";
+
         additionalUpstreamUnits = ["systemd-resolved.service"];
         users.systemd-resolve = {};
         groups.systemd-resolve = {};
diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd/tmpfiles.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd/tmpfiles.nix
index f609da314c86..44c72f2768cc 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd/tmpfiles.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd/tmpfiles.nix
@@ -163,6 +163,20 @@ in
   };
 
   config = {
+    warnings =
+      let
+        paths = lib.filter (path:
+          path != null && lib.hasPrefix "/etc/tmpfiles.d/" path
+        ) (map (path: path.target) config.boot.initrd.systemd.storePaths);
+      in
+      lib.optional (lib.length paths > 0) (lib.concatStringsSep " " [
+        "Files inside /etc/tmpfiles.d in the initrd need to be created with"
+        "boot.initrd.systemd.tmpfiles.settings."
+        "Creating them by hand using boot.initrd.systemd.contents or"
+        "boot.initrd.systemd.storePaths will lead to errors in the future."
+        "Found these problematic files: ${lib.concatStringsSep ", " paths}"
+      ]);
+
     systemd.additionalUpstreamSystemUnits = [
       "systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service"
       "systemd-tmpfiles-clean.timer"