diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1809.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1809.xml
index 421208ec0f8..f6504778939 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1809.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1809.xml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ $ nix-instantiate -E '(import <nixpkgsunstable> {}).gitFull'
     <para>
      When enabled the <literal>iproute2</literal> will copy the files expected
      by ip route (e.g., <filename>rt_tables</filename>) in
-     <filename>/run/iproute2</filename>. This allows to write aliases for
+     <filename>/etc/iproute2</filename>. This allows to write aliases for
      routing tables for instance.
     </para>
    </listitem>
diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/iproute2.nix b/nixos/modules/config/iproute2.nix
index 881ad671a62..a1d9ebcec66 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/iproute2.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/iproute2.nix
@@ -4,20 +4,29 @@ with lib;
 
 let
   cfg = config.networking.iproute2;
-  confDir = "/run/iproute2";
 in
 {
-  options.networking.iproute2.enable = mkEnableOption "copy IP route configuration files";
-
-  config = mkMerge [
-    ({ nixpkgs.config.iproute2.confDir = confDir; })
-
-    (mkIf cfg.enable {
-      system.activationScripts.iproute2 = ''
-        cp -R ${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2 ${confDir}
-        chmod -R 664 ${confDir}
-        chmod +x ${confDir}
+  options.networking.iproute2 = {
+    enable = mkEnableOption "copy IP route configuration files";
+    rttablesExtraConfig = mkOption {
+      type = types.lines;
+      default = "";
+      description = ''
+        Verbatim lines to add to /etc/iproute2/rt_tables
       '';
-    })
-  ];
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = mkIf cfg.enable {
+    environment.etc."iproute2/bpf_pinning" = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/bpf_pinning"; };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/ematch_map"  = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/ematch_map";  };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/group"       = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/group";       };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/nl_protos"   = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/nl_protos";   };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/rt_dsfield"  = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/rt_dsfield";  };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/rt_protos"   = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/rt_protos";   };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/rt_realms"   = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/rt_realms";   };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/rt_scopes"   = { mode = "0644"; text = fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/rt_scopes";   };
+    environment.etc."iproute2/rt_tables"   = { mode = "0644"; text = (fileContents "${pkgs.iproute}/etc/iproute2/rt_tables")
+                                                                   + (optionalString (cfg.rttablesExtraConfig != "") "\n\n${cfg.rttablesExtraConfig}"); };
+  };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/iproute/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/iproute/default.nix
index f1abf0fbe92..13135844aa7 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/iproute/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/iproute/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-{ fetchurl, stdenv, config, flex, bash, bison, db, iptables, pkgconfig
-, libelf
-}:
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, flex, bash, bison, db, iptables, pkgconfig, libelf }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "iproute2-${version}";
@@ -28,9 +26,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "HDRDIR=$(TMPDIR)/include/iproute2" # Don't install headers
   ];
 
-  # enable iproute2 module if you want this folder to be created
   buildFlags = [
-    "CONFDIR=${config.iproute2.confDir or "/run/iproute2"}"
+    "CONFDIR=/etc/iproute2"
   ];
 
   installFlags = [