diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-irc.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
index b041c9c82c56..ff938527ed58 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ in {
     systemd.services.matrix-appservice-irc = {
       description = "Matrix-IRC bridge";
       before = [ "matrix-synapse.service" ]; # So the registration can be used by Synapse
+      after = lib.optionals (cfg.settings.database.engine == "postgres") [
+        "postgresql.service"
+      ];
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
 
       preStart = ''
diff --git a/nixos/tests/matrix/appservice-irc.nix b/nixos/tests/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
index 7dd44da8305e..78c53024ca6c 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/matrix/appservice-irc.nix
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ import ../make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, ... }:
 
     testScript = ''
       import pathlib
+      import os
 
       start_all()
 
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ import ../make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, ... }:
       with subtest("copy the registration file"):
           appservice.copy_from_vm("/var/lib/matrix-appservice-irc/registration.yml")
           homeserver.copy_from_host(
-              pathlib.Path(os.environ.get("out", os.getcwd())) / "registration.yml", "/"
+              str(pathlib.Path(os.environ.get("out", os.getcwd())) / "registration.yml"), "/"
           )
           homeserver.succeed("chmod 444 /registration.yml")