diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
index 160d76597c8..5ccbaf77481 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ let
       ${optionalString (config.alias != null) "alias ${config.alias};"}
       ${optionalString (config.return != null) "return ${config.return};"}
       ${config.extraConfig}
-      ${optionalString (config.proxyPass != null && cfg.recommendedProxySettings) "include ${recommendedProxyConfig};"}
+      ${optionalString (config.proxyPass != null && config.recommendedProxySettings) "include ${recommendedProxyConfig};"}
       ${mkBasicAuth "sublocation" config}
     }
   '') (sortProperties (mapAttrsToList (k: v: v // { location = k; }) locations)));
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ in
         default = false;
         type = types.bool;
         description = "
-          Enable recommended proxy settings.
+          Whether to enable recommended proxy settings if a vhost does not specify the option manually.
         ";
       };
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/location-options.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/location-options.nix
index 6fd00b38697..49dd8893015 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/location-options.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/location-options.nix
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # has additional options that affect the web server as a whole, like
 # the user/group to run under.)
 
-{ lib }:
+{ lib, config }:
 
 with lib;
 
@@ -128,5 +128,14 @@ with lib;
         a greater priority.
       '';
     };
+
+    recommendedProxySettings = mkOption {
+      type = types.bool;
+      default = config.services.nginx.recommendedProxySettings;
+      defaultText = literalExpression "config.services.nginx.recommendedProxySettings";
+      description = ''
+        Enable recommended proxy settings.
+      '';
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/vhost-options.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/vhost-options.nix
index 2c77d6ee816..a9929297a24 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/vhost-options.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/vhost-options.nix
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ with lib;
 
     locations = mkOption {
       type = types.attrsOf (types.submodule (import ./location-options.nix {
-        inherit lib;
+        inherit lib config;
       }));
       default = {};
       example = literalExpression ''