diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/continuous-integration/hydra/default.nix b/nixos/modules/services/continuous-integration/hydra/default.nix
index 87806d48e89f..d3945f2370d7 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/continuous-integration/hydra/default.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/continuous-integration/hydra/default.nix
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ in
         environment = env // {
           HYDRA_DBI = "${env.HYDRA_DBI};application_name=hydra-init";
         };
+        path = [ pkgs.util-linux ];
         preStart = ''
           mkdir -p ${baseDir}
           chown hydra:hydra ${baseDir}
@@ -318,11 +319,11 @@ in
 
           ${optionalString haveLocalDB ''
             if ! [ -e ${baseDir}/.db-created ]; then
-              ${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/createuser hydra
-              ${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/createdb -O hydra hydra
+              runuser -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/createuser hydra
+              runuser -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/createdb -O hydra hydra
               touch ${baseDir}/.db-created
             fi
-            echo "create extension if not exists pg_trgm" | ${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} -- ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/psql hydra
+            echo "create extension if not exists pg_trgm" | runuser -u ${config.services.postgresql.superUser} -- ${config.services.postgresql.package}/bin/psql hydra
           ''}
 
           if [ ! -e ${cfg.gcRootsDir} ]; then