diff --git a/modules/programs/sioyek.nix b/modules/programs/sioyek.nix
index 0d16f41d..566a1520 100644
--- a/modules/programs/sioyek.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/sioyek.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ let
     mkKeyValue = key: value: "${key} ${value}";
     listsAsDuplicateKeys = true;
   };
-
 in
 {
   meta.maintainers = [ lib.maintainers.podocarp ];
@@ -58,24 +57,58 @@ in
           {file}`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/sioyek/prefs_user.config`.
           See <https://github.com/ahrm/sioyek/blob/main/pdf_viewer/prefs.config>.
         '';
-        type = types.attrsOf types.str;
         default = { };
         example = literalExpression ''
           {
             "background_color" = "1.0 1.0 1.0";
             "text_highlight_color" = "1.0 0.0 0.0";
+            startup_commands = [
+              "toggle_visual_scroll"
+              "toggle_dark_mode"
+            ];
           }
         '';
-      };
+        type = types.submodule {
+          freeformType = types.attrsOf types.str;
 
+          options.startup_commands = mkOption {
+            description = ''
+              Commands to be run upon startup. Will be written to {file}`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/sioyek/prefs_user.config`.
+              See <https://github.com/ahrm/sioyek/blob/a4ce95fd968804fbf6ff3befcbe0d9b972bd754c/pdf_viewer/prefs.config#L116>.
+            '';
+            type = types.either types.str (types.listOf types.str);
+            apply =
+              x:
+              lib.warnIf (lib.isString x)
+                "`programs.sioyek.config.startup_commands` should now be a list of strings instead of a string."
+                x;
+            default = [ ];
+            example = [
+              "toggle_visual_scroll"
+              "toggle_dark_mode"
+            ];
+          };
+        };
+      };
     };
   };
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable (
+    let
+      prefsCfg =
+        cfg.config
+        //
+          lib.optionalAttrs (cfg.config.startup_commands != [ ] && !lib.isString cfg.config.startup_commands)
+            {
+              startup_commands = lib.concatStringsSep ";" cfg.config.startup_commands;
+            };
+    in
     lib.mkMerge [
-      { home.packages = [ cfg.package ]; }
-      (mkIf (cfg.config != { }) {
-        xdg.configFile."sioyek/prefs_user.config".text = renderConfig cfg.config;
+      {
+        home.packages = [ cfg.package ];
+      }
+      (mkIf (prefsCfg != { }) {
+        xdg.configFile."sioyek/prefs_user.config".text = renderConfig prefsCfg;
       })
       (mkIf (cfg.bindings != { }) {
         xdg.configFile."sioyek/keys_user.config".text = renderConfig cfg.bindings;
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/sioyek-basic-configuration.nix b/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/sioyek-basic-configuration.nix
index 8e884d5c..2e2d0619 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/sioyek-basic-configuration.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/sioyek-basic-configuration.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
     config = {
       "dark_mode_background_color" = "0.0 0.0 0.0";
       "dark_mode_contrast" = "0.8";
+
+      startup_commands = [
+        "toggle_visual_scroll"
+        "toggle_dark_mode"
+      ];
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/test_prefs_user.config b/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/test_prefs_user.config
index 730dd51b..02a30419 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/test_prefs_user.config
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/sioyek/test_prefs_user.config
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 dark_mode_background_color 0.0 0.0 0.0
 dark_mode_contrast 0.8
+startup_commands toggle_visual_scroll;toggle_dark_mode