diff --git a/modules/system/checks.nix b/modules/system/checks.nix
index ab6ea19d..949a28ea 100644
--- a/modules/system/checks.nix
+++ b/modules/system/checks.nix
@@ -129,18 +129,26 @@ let
     fi
   '';
 
-  singleUser = ''
-    if grep -q 'build-users-group =' /etc/nix/nix.conf; then
-        echo "error: The daemon is not enabled but this is a multi-user install, aborting activation" >&2
-        echo "Enable the nix-daemon service:" >&2
-        echo >&2
-        echo "    services.nix-daemon.enable = true;" >&2
-        echo >&2
-        echo "or set" >&2
-        echo >&2
-        echo "    nix.useDaemon = true;" >&2
-        echo >&2
-        exit 2
+  nixDaemon = if config.nix.useDaemon then ''
+    if ! dscl . -read /Groups/nixbld PrimaryGroupID &> /dev/null; then
+      printf >&2 'error: The daemon should not be enabled for single-user installs, aborting activation\n'
+      printf >&2 'Disable the nix-daemon service:\n'
+      printf >&2 '\n'
+      printf >&2 '    services.nix-daemon.enable = false;\n'
+      printf >&2 '\n'
+      # shellcheck disable=SC2016
+      printf >&2 'and remove `nix.useDaemon` from your configuration if it is present.\n'
+      printf >&2 '\n'
+      exit 2
+    fi
+  '' else ''
+    if dscl . -read /Groups/nixbld PrimaryGroupID &> /dev/null; then
+      printf >&2 'error: The daemon should be enabled for multi-user installs, aborting activation\n'
+      printf >&2 'Enable the nix-daemon service:\n'
+      printf >&2 '\n'
+      printf >&2 '    services.nix-daemon.enable = true;\n'
+      printf >&2 '\n'
+      exit 2
     fi
   '';
 
@@ -337,7 +345,7 @@ in
       (mkIf cfg.verifyBuildUsers buildUsers)
       (mkIf cfg.verifyBuildUsers preSequoiaBuildUsers)
       (mkIf config.nix.configureBuildUsers buildGroupID)
-      (mkIf (!config.nix.useDaemon) singleUser)
+      nixDaemon
       nixStore
       (mkIf (config.nix.gc.automatic && config.nix.gc.user == null) nixGarbageCollector)
       (mkIf (config.nix.optimise.automatic && config.nix.optimise.user == null) nixStoreOptimiser)