diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/gpodder/default.nix b/hosts/common/programs/gpodder/default.nix
index 50160fc93..ff7b6e059 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/gpodder/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/gpodder/default.nix
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ in {
     sandbox.net = "clearnet";
 
     fs.".config/gpodderFeeds.opml".symlink.text = feeds.feedsToOpml wanted-feeds;
-    fs.".local/share/gPodder/Settings.json".symlink.text = builtins.toJSON ./settings.nix;
+    fs.".local/share/gPodder/Settings.json".symlink.text = builtins.toJSON (import ./settings.nix);
     # if you don't persist its database, you get untracked (and hence non-gc'd) downloads, plus slooow startup.
     # but i *don't* want to persist all the things in this directory, so dedicate a subdir to the persisted data.
-    fs.".local/share/gPodder/Database".symlink.text = "persist/Database";
+    fs.".local/share/gPodder/Database".symlink.target = "persist/Database";
     # fs.".local/share/gPodder/gpodder.net".symlink.text = "persist/gpodder.net";  #< for synching episode playback positions between devices, i think
 
     services.gpodder-ensure-feeds = {