diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/desktops/pipewire.nix b/nixos/modules/services/desktops/pipewire.nix
index f9cd49237d19..dd812ede458f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/desktops/pipewire.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/desktops/pipewire.nix
@@ -156,7 +156,12 @@ in {
             # If nofail is given, module initialization failures are ignored.
             #
             libpipewire-module-rtkit = {
-              args = "\"rt.prio=20 rt.time.soft=200000 rt.time.hard=200000\"";
+              args = {
+                rt.prio = 20;
+                rt.time.soft = 200000;
+                rt.time.hard = 200000;
+                nice.level = -11;
+              };
               flags = "ifexists|nofail";
             };
             libpipewire-module-protocol-native = { _priority = -100; _content = "null"; };
@@ -168,7 +173,12 @@ in {
             libpipewire-module-client-device = "null";
             libpipewire-module-portal = "null";
             libpipewire-module-access = {
-              args = "\"access.allowed=${builtins.unsafeDiscardStringContext cfg.sessionManager} access.force=flatpak\"";
+              args.access = {
+                allowed = ["${builtins.unsafeDiscardStringContext cfg.sessionManager}"];
+                rejected = [];
+                restricted = [];
+                force = "flatpak";
+              };
             };
             libpipewire-module-adapter = "null";
             libpipewire-module-link-factory = "null";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/pipewire/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/pipewire/default.nix
index fa1f3edc56f4..ee51ff657e3e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/pipewire/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/pipewire/default.nix
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ let
 
   self = stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     pname = "pipewire";
-    version = "0.3.20";
+    version = "0.3.21";
 
     outputs = [
       "out"
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ let
       owner = "pipewire";
       repo = "pipewire";
       rev = version;
-      sha256 = "1di8b78ldhswrd7km0nm6q58vnzd62rpy2a4p9spqzs48q6iyvff";
+      hash = "sha256:2YJzPTMPIoQQeNja3F53SD4gtpdSlbD/i77hBWiQfuQ=";
     };
 
     patches = [