diff --git a/arch/conduwuit.service b/arch/conduwuit.service
index 34c3995e..18c34f33 100644
--- a/arch/conduwuit.service
+++ b/arch/conduwuit.service
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ StandardError=journal+console
 
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_LOG_TO_JOURNALD=true"
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_JOURNALD_IDENTIFIER=%N"
+Environment="CONTINUWUITY_DATABASE_PATH=/var/lib/conduwuit"
 
 TTYReset=yes
 # uncomment to allow buffer to be cleared every restart
diff --git a/debian/conduwuit.service b/debian/conduwuit.service
index da78f09f..ec2505b5 100644
--- a/debian/conduwuit.service
+++ b/debian/conduwuit.service
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Environment="CONTINUWUITY_CONFIG=/etc/conduwuit/conduwuit.toml"
 
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_LOG_TO_JOURNALD=true"
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_JOURNALD_IDENTIFIER=%N"
+Environment="CONTINUWUITY_DATABASE_PATH=/var/lib/conduwuit"
 
 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/conduwuit
 
diff --git a/fedora/conduwuit.service b/fedora/conduwuit.service
index 6ab2af46..f37c7798 100644
--- a/fedora/conduwuit.service
+++ b/fedora/conduwuit.service
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Environment="CONTINUWUITY_CONFIG=/etc/conduwuit/conduwuit.toml"
 
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_LOG_TO_JOURNALD=true"
 Environment="CONTINUWUITY_JOURNALD_IDENTIFIER=%N"
+Environment="CONTINUWUITY_DATABASE_PATH=/var/lib/conduwuit"
 
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/conduwuit
 
diff --git a/src/core/config/mod.rs b/src/core/config/mod.rs
index e8518ed4..58a39a75 100644
--- a/src/core/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/core/config/mod.rs
@@ -126,9 +126,11 @@ pub struct Config {
 	/// This is the only directory where continuwuity will save its data,
 	/// including media. Note: this was previously "/var/lib/matrix-conduit".
 	///
-	/// YOU NEED TO EDIT THIS.
+	/// YOU NEED TO EDIT THIS, UNLESS you are running continuwuity as a `systemd` service.
+	/// The service file sets it to `/var/lib/conduwuit` using an environment variable
+	/// and also grants write access.
 	///
-	/// example: "/var/lib/continuwuity"
+	/// example: "/var/lib/conduwuit"
 	pub database_path: PathBuf,
 
 	/// continuwuity supports online database backups using RocksDB's Backup