diff --git a/modules/beatific.nix b/modules/beatific.nix
index 744307a..0eadd72 100644
--- a/modules/beatific.nix
+++ b/modules/beatific.nix
@@ -194,7 +194,10 @@ in {
       # system services so as not to require login to sync.
       services.syncthing = {
         enable = true;
-        dataDir = "/home/tvb";
+        configDir = "/home/tvb/.config/syncthing";
+        # this doesn't prevent syncthing from putting sync points in other locations, it's just a default
+        # normally it would make sense to put it at ~ but see https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/273693
+        dataDir = "/home/tvb/.config/syncthing";
         openDefaultPorts = true;
         user = "tvb";
         group = "tvb";