diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-discord.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-discord.nix
index f579c2529c0a53a..6ce8718c35d8e00 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-discord.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/appservice-discord.nix
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ in {
 
       serviceDependencies = mkOption {
         type = with types; listOf str;
-        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service";
+        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit;
         defaultText = literalExpression ''
-          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service"
+          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit
         '';
         description = lib.mdDoc ''
           List of Systemd services to require and wait for when starting the application service,
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/matrix-sliding-sync.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/matrix-sliding-sync.nix
index 7e464d6ed589867..9807cde40919707 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/matrix-sliding-sync.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/matrix-sliding-sync.nix
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@ in
       } ];
     };
 
-    systemd.services.matrix-sliding-sync = {
-      after = lib.optional cfg.createDatabase "postgresql.service";
+    systemd.services.matrix-sliding-sync = rec {
+      after =
+        lib.optional cfg.createDatabase "postgresql.service"
+        ++ lib.optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit;
+      wants = after;
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       environment = cfg.settings;
       serviceConfig = {
@@ -90,6 +93,8 @@ in
         ExecStart = lib.getExe cfg.package;
         StateDirectory = "matrix-sliding-sync";
         WorkingDirectory = "%S/matrix-sliding-sync";
+        Restart = "on-failure";
+        RestartSec = "1s";
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-facebook.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-facebook.nix
index bab6865496dd938..671040500df8435 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-facebook.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-facebook.nix
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ in {
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       wants = [
         "network-online.target"
-      ] ++ optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service"
+      ] ++ optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit
         ++ optional cfg.configurePostgresql "postgresql.service";
       after = wants;
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-telegram.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-telegram.nix
index 97a6ba858e00433..168c8bf436accd1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-telegram.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-telegram.nix
@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ in {
 
       serviceDependencies = mkOption {
         type = with types; listOf str;
-        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service";
+        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit;
         defaultText = literalExpression ''
-          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service"
+          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit
         '';
         description = lib.mdDoc ''
           List of Systemd services to require and wait for when starting the application service.
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-whatsapp.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-whatsapp.nix
index c4dc48213495607..4b561a4b07a3864 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-whatsapp.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mautrix-whatsapp.nix
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ in {
 
     serviceDependencies = lib.mkOption {
       type = with lib.types; listOf str;
-      default = lib.optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service";
+      default = lib.optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit;
       defaultText = lib.literalExpression ''
-        optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service"
+        optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnits
       '';
       description = lib.mdDoc ''
         List of Systemd services to require and wait for when starting the application service.
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mx-puppet-discord.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mx-puppet-discord.nix
index 36c9f8b122ea209..70828804b556ce7 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mx-puppet-discord.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/mx-puppet-discord.nix
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ in {
       };
       serviceDependencies = mkOption {
         type = with types; listOf str;
-        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service";
+        default = optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit;
         defaultText = literalExpression ''
-          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable "matrix-synapse.service"
+          optional config.services.matrix-synapse.enable config.services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit
         '';
         description = lib.mdDoc ''
           List of Systemd services to require and wait for when starting the application service.
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/synapse.nix b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/synapse.nix
index 12e27ef26ff3e98..9cc769c2d0db7d1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/matrix/synapse.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/matrix/synapse.nix
@@ -296,6 +296,18 @@ in {
     services.matrix-synapse = {
       enable = mkEnableOption (lib.mdDoc "matrix.org synapse");
 
+      serviceUnit = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.str;
+        readOnly = true;
+        description = lib.mdDoc ''
+          The systemd unit (a service or a target) for other services to depend on if they
+          need to be started after matrix-synapse.
+
+          This option is useful as the actual parent unit for all matrix-synapse processes
+          changes when configuring workers.
+        '';
+      };
+
       configFile = mkOption {
         type = types.path;
         readOnly = true;
@@ -1021,6 +1033,7 @@ in {
       port = 9093;
     });
 
+    services.matrix-synapse.serviceUnit = if hasWorkers then "matrix-synapse.target" else "matrix-synapse.service";
     services.matrix-synapse.configFile = configFile;
     services.matrix-synapse.package = wrapped;