diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/x-windows.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/x-windows.xml
index 7cdc5196e0d2..f6f659b02afa 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/x-windows.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/x-windows.xml
@@ -279,6 +279,12 @@ xkb_symbols "media"
 <programlisting>
 <xref linkend="opt-services.xserver.displayManager.sessionCommands"/> = "setxkbmap -keycodes media";
 </programlisting>
+  <para>
+    If you are manually starting the X server, you should set the argument
+    <literal>-xkbdir /etc/X11/xkb</literal>, otherwise X won't find your layout files.
+    For example with <command>xinit</command> run
+    <screen><prompt>$ </prompt>xinit -- -xkbdir /etc/X11/xkb</screen>
+  </para>
   <para>
    To learn how to write layouts take a look at the XKB
   <link xlink:href="https://www.x.org/releases/current/doc/xorg-docs/input/XKB-Enhancing.html#Defining_New_Layouts">
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/extra-layouts.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/extra-layouts.nix
index 5523dd2bf023..1af98a1318bb 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/extra-layouts.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/extra-layouts.nix
@@ -158,7 +158,10 @@ in
 
     });
 
-    services.xserver.xkbDir = "${pkgs.xkb_patched}/etc/X11/xkb";
+    services.xserver = {
+      xkbDir = "${pkgs.xkb_patched}/etc/X11/xkb";
+      exportConfiguration = config.services.xserver.displayManager.startx.enable;
+    };
 
   };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix b/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
index b581b7e8a4c2..7e081b664b33 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ self: super:
         <model>
           <configItem>
             <name>${name}</name>
-            <_description>${layout.description}</_description>
+            <description>${layout.description}</description>
             <vendor>${layout.description}</vendor>
           </configItem>
         </model>
@@ -484,8 +484,8 @@ self: super:
         <layout>
           <configItem>
             <name>${name}</name>
-            <_shortDescription>${name}</_shortDescription>
-            <_description>${layout.description}</_description>
+            <shortDescription>${name}</shortDescription>
+            <description>${layout.description}</description>
             <languageList>
               ${concatMapStrings (lang: "<iso639Id>${lang}</iso639Id>\n") layout.languages}
             </languageList>