diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/pulseaudio.nix b/nixos/modules/config/pulseaudio.nix
index a9c5fc75660d3..0fb3a9119e456 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/pulseaudio.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/pulseaudio.nix
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ in {
     hardware.pulseaudio = {
       enable = mkOption {
         type = types.bool;
-        default = false;
+        defaultText = "config.sound.enable";
         description = ''
           Whether to enable the PulseAudio sound server.
         '';
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ in {
         source = clientConf;
       };
 
+      hardware.pulseaudio.enable = mkDefault config.sound.enable;
+
       hardware.pulseaudio.configFile = mkDefault "${getBin overriddenPackage}/etc/pulse/default.pa";
     }
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/audio/alsa.nix b/nixos/modules/services/audio/alsa.nix
index acf48d3c3d032..69e82fb830035 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/audio/alsa.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/audio/alsa.nix
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ in
         type = types.bool;
         default = true;
         description = ''
-          Whether to enable ALSA sound.
+          Whether to enable ALSA sound. Will also enable pulseaudio unless
+          <option>hardware.pulseaudio.enable</option> is set to false.
         '';
       };