diff --git a/modules/darwin/applications.nix b/modules/darwin/applications.nix
index 8f4d4c1..f8d87f2 100644
--- a/modules/darwin/applications.nix
+++ b/modules/darwin/applications.nix
@@ -7,18 +7,18 @@
   system.defaults.dock.persistent-apps = [
     "/Applications/Firefox.app"
     "/Applications/Ghostty.app"
-    "${pkgs.spotify}/Applications/Spotify.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/Spotify.app"
     "/System/Applications/Messages.app"
 
-    "${pkgs.utm}/Applications/UTM.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/UTM.app"
 
-    "/Applications/Thunderbird.app"
-    "${pkgs.obsidian}/Applications/Obsidian.app"
-    "${pkgs.keepassxc}/Applications/KeePassXC.app"
+    "/System/Applications/Mail.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/Obsidian.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/KeePassXC.app"
 
     "/Applications/OBS.app"
-    "${pkgs.audacity}/Applications/Audacity.app"
-    "${pkgs.gimp}/Applications/GNU Image Manipulation Program.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/Audacity.app"
+    "/Applications/Nix Apps/GNU Image Manipulation Program.app"
     "/Applications/Krita.app"
     "/Applications/Blender.app"
     "/Applications/OpenUTAU.app"
diff --git a/modules/darwin/nix.nix b/modules/darwin/nix.nix
index 0340a43..45ce730 100644
--- a/modules/darwin/nix.nix
+++ b/modules/darwin/nix.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,30 @@
 { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
 
 {
+  system.activationScripts.applications.text = let
+    appsSrc = config.system.build.applications + /Applications;
+    baseDir = "/Applications/Nix Apps";
+  in
+    pkgs.lib.mkForce ''
+      echo 'Setting up /Applications/Nix Apps...' >&2
+      appsSrc="${appsSrc}"
+      if [ -d "$appsSrc" ]; then
+        baseDir="${baseDir}"
+        rsyncFlags=(
+          --archive
+          --checksum
+          --chmod=-w
+          --copy-unsafe-links
+          --delete
+          --no-group
+          --no-owner
+        )
+        $DRY_RUN_CMD mkdir -p "$baseDir"
+        $DRY_RUN_CMD ${lib.getBin pkgs.rsync}/bin/rsync \
+          ''${VERBOSE_ARG:+-v} "''${rsyncFlags[@]}" "$appsSrc/" "$baseDir"
+      fi
+    '';
+
   # nix auto garbage collection
   nix.gc = {
     automatic = true;
@@ -8,27 +32,6 @@
     options = "--delete-older-than 7d";
   };
 
-  # make nix applications use alias instead of symlinks for compatability
-  system.activationScripts.applications.text = let
-    env = pkgs.buildEnv {
-      name = "system-applications";
-      paths = config.environment.systemPackages;
-      pathsToLink = "/Applications";
-    };
-  in
-    pkgs.lib.mkForce ''
-    # Set up applications.
-    echo "setting up /Applications..." >&2
-    rm -rf /Applications/Nix\ Apps
-    mkdir -p /Applications/Nix\ Apps
-    find ${env}/Applications -maxdepth 1 -type l -exec readlink '{}' + |
-    while read -r src; do
-      app_name=$(basename "$src")
-      echo "copying $src" >&2
-      ${pkgs.mkalias}/bin/mkalias "$src" "/Applications/Nix Apps/$app_name"
-    done
-        '';
-
   # changing this might break
   system.stateVersion = 5;
 }