diff --git a/modules/system/checks.nix b/modules/system/checks.nix
index 74bd44e4..a2ccd263 100644
--- a/modules/system/checks.nix
+++ b/modules/system/checks.nix
@@ -84,9 +84,13 @@ let
     darwinConfig=$(NIX_PATH=${concatStringsSep ":" config.nix.nixPath} nix-instantiate --eval -E '<darwin-config>' || echo '$HOME/.nixpkgs/darwin-configuration.nix') || true
     if ! test -e "$darwinConfig"; then
         echo "error: Changed <darwin-config> but target does not exist, aborting activation" >&2
-        echo "Create $darwinConfig or set nix.nixPath:" >&2
+        echo "Create $darwinConfig or set environment.darwinConfig:" >&2
+        echo >&2
+        echo "    environment.darwinConfig = \"$(nix-instantiate --eval -E '<darwin-config>' 2> /dev/null || echo '***')\";" >&2
+        echo >&2
+        echo "And rebuild using (only required once)" >&2
+        echo "$ darwin-rebuild switch -I \"darwin-config=$(nix-instantiate --eval -E '<darwin-config>' 2> /dev/null || echo '***')\"" >&2
         echo >&2
-        echo "    nix.nixPath = [ \"darwin-config=$(nix-instantiate --eval -E '<darwin-config>' 2> /dev/null || echo '***')\" ];" >&2
         echo >&2
         exit 2
     fi