diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1903.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1903.xml
index 376a5355f7c9..65cc166c9a07 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1903.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-1903.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
 
   <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
-    <para />
+    <para>
+     <literal>./programs/nm-applet.nix</literal>
+    </para>
    </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
  </section>
diff --git a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
index 7a6fbab7c36e..789c340a030e 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/module-list.nix
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
   ./programs/mininet.nix
   ./programs/mtr.nix
   ./programs/nano.nix
+  ./programs/nm-applet.nix
   ./programs/npm.nix
   ./programs/oblogout.nix
   ./programs/plotinus.nix
diff --git a/nixos/modules/programs/nm-applet.nix b/nixos/modules/programs/nm-applet.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e42219e9638c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/modules/programs/nm-applet.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+{
+  options.programs.nm-applet.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "nm-applet";
+
+  config = lib.mkIf config.programs.nm-applet.enable {
+    systemd.user.services.nm-applet = {
+      description = "Network manager applet";
+      wantedBy = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
+      partOf = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
+      serviceConfig.ExecStart = "${pkgs.networkmanagerapplet}/bin/nm-applet";
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/network-manager/applet.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/network-manager/applet.nix
index bead4556cb7a..63c142d760aa 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/network-manager/applet.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/network-manager/applet.nix
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     gnome3.gtk networkmanager libnotify libsecret gsettings-desktop-schemas
     polkit isocodes mobile-broadband-provider-info libgudev
     modemmanager jansson glib-networking
-    libappindicator-gtk3
+    libappindicator-gtk3 gnome3.defaultIconTheme
   ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals withGnome [ gnome3.gcr ]; # advanced certificate chooser
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ meson ninja intltool pkgconfig wrapGAppsHook gobjectIntrospection python3 gtk-doc docbook_xsl docbook_xml_dtd_43 libxml2 ];