diff --git a/modules/nixos/services/earlyoom/default.nix b/modules/nixos/services/earlyoom/default.nix
index abe8923e..5cd5706f 100644
--- a/modules/nixos/services/earlyoom/default.nix
+++ b/modules/nixos/services/earlyoom/default.nix
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ in
         in
         [
           "-g" # kill all processes within a process group
-          "--avoid '^(${appsToAvoid})$'" # things we want to not kill
-          "--prefer '^(${appsToPrefer})$'" # things we want to kill as soon as possible
+          "--avoid"
+          "'^(${appsToAvoid})$'" # things we want to not kill
+          "--prefer"
+          "'^(${appsToPrefer})$'" # things we want to kill as soon as possible
         ];
 
       killHook = pkgs.writeShellScript "earlyoom-kill-hook" ''