diff --git a/docs/release-notes/rl-2511.md b/docs/release-notes/rl-2511.md
index 9744e985..f6d23c5e 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/rl-2511.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes/rl-2511.md
@@ -77,4 +77,7 @@ The state version in this release includes the changes below. These
 changes are only active if the `home.stateVersion` option is set to
 \"25.11\" or later.
 
-- No changes.
+- The `programs.password-store.settings` option does not set
+  `{ PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = $XDG_DATA_HOME/password-store; }` anymore by its
+  default value. This will revert to the default behaviour of the program,
+  namely `$HOME/.password-store` to be used as the store path.
diff --git a/modules/programs/password-store.nix b/modules/programs/password-store.nix
index ebdcf27f..01f16a32 100644
--- a/modules/programs/password-store.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/password-store.nix
@@ -24,15 +24,20 @@ in
     settings = mkOption rec {
       type = with types; attrsOf str;
       apply = lib.mergeAttrs default;
-      default = {
-        PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "${config.xdg.dataHome}/password-store";
-      };
+      default =
+        if lib.versionOlder config.home.stateVersion "25.11" then
+          {
+            PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "${config.xdg.dataHome}/password-store";
+          }
+        else
+          { };
       defaultText = literalExpression ''
-        { PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "$XDG_DATA_HOME/password-store"; }
+        { }                                                       for state version ≥ 25.11
+        { PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "$XDG_DATA_HOME/password-store"; } for state version < 25.11
       '';
       example = literalExpression ''
         {
-          PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "/some/directory";
+          PASSWORD_STORE_DIR = "$\{config.xdg.dataHome\}/password-store";
           PASSWORD_STORE_KEY = "12345678";
           PASSWORD_STORE_CLIP_TIME = "60";
         }
@@ -52,7 +57,9 @@ in
     home.packages = [ cfg.package ];
     home.sessionVariables = cfg.settings;
 
-    services.pass-secret-service.storePath = lib.mkDefault cfg.settings.PASSWORD_STORE_DIR;
+    services.pass-secret-service = lib.mkIf (builtins.hasAttr "PASSWORD_STORE_DIR" cfg.settings) {
+      storePath = cfg.settings.PASSWORD_STORE_DIR;
+    };
 
     xsession.importedVariables = lib.mkIf config.xsession.enable (
       lib.mapAttrsToList (name: value: name) cfg.settings
diff --git a/modules/services/pass-secret-service.nix b/modules/services/pass-secret-service.nix
index 0d079932..8b532f43 100644
--- a/modules/services/pass-secret-service.nix
+++ b/modules/services/pass-secret-service.nix
@@ -28,10 +28,11 @@ in
       defaultText = "$HOME/.password-store";
       example = "/home/user/.local/share/password-store";
       description = ''
-        Absolute path to password store. Defaults to
-        {file}`$HOME/.password-store` if the
-        {option}`programs.password-store` module is not enabled, and
-        {option}`programs.password-store.settings.PASSWORD_STORE_DIR` if it is.
+        Absolute path to password store, default upstream value of which is
+        {file}`$HOME/.password-store`. If the
+        {option}`programs.password-store` module is enabled and
+        {option}`programs.password-store.settings.PASSWORD_STORE_DIR` is set,
+        it will inherit the value from the latter.
       '';
     };
   };