diff --git a/modules/programs/alacritty.nix b/modules/programs/alacritty.nix
index 2f0ad3643..78f28d450 100644
--- a/modules/programs/alacritty.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/alacritty.nix
@@ -7,26 +7,6 @@
 let
   cfg = config.programs.alacritty;
   tomlFormat = pkgs.formats.toml { };
-
-  alacrittyTheme = pkgs.alacritty-theme.overrideAttrs (prevAttrs: {
-    name = "alacritty-theme-for-home-manager";
-    postInstall =
-      let
-        inherit (config.programs.alacritty) theme;
-      in
-      lib.concatStringsSep "\n" [
-        prevAttrs.postInstall
-        (lib.optionalString (theme != null)
-          # bash
-          ''
-            if [ ! -f "$out/share/alacritty-theme/${theme}.toml" ]; then
-              echo "error: alacritty theme '${theme}' does not exist"
-              exit 1
-            fi
-          ''
-        )
-      ];
-  });
 in
 {
   options = {
@@ -35,6 +15,8 @@ in
 
       package = lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "alacritty" { nullable = true; };
 
+      themePackage = lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "alacritty-theme" { };
+
       theme = lib.mkOption {
         type = with lib.types; nullOr str;
         default = null;
@@ -86,6 +68,28 @@ in
 
     programs.alacritty.settings =
       let
+        # We want to check that the theme actually exists.
+        # We need to do this at build time, to avoid IFD.
+        alacrittyTheme = cfg.themePackage.overrideAttrs (prevAttrs: {
+          name = "alacritty-theme-for-home-manager";
+          postInstall =
+            let
+              inherit (config.programs.alacritty) theme;
+            in
+            lib.concatStringsSep "\n" [
+              prevAttrs.postInstall
+              (lib.optionalString (theme != null)
+                # bash
+                ''
+                  if [ ! -f "$out/share/alacritty-theme/${theme}.toml" ]; then
+                    echo "error: alacritty theme '${theme}' does not exist"
+                    exit 1
+                  fi
+                ''
+              )
+            ];
+        });
+
         theme = "${alacrittyTheme}/share/alacritty-theme/${cfg.theme}.toml";
       in
       lib.mkIf (cfg.theme != null) {