diff --git a/integration-tests/apply/test-script.py b/integration-tests/apply/test-script.py
index 24823d1..bdf3c5c 100644
--- a/integration-tests/apply/test-script.py
+++ b/integration-tests/apply/test-script.py
@@ -68,6 +68,15 @@ with subtest("Check that key files have correct permissions"):
         for path, permission in permissions.items():
             node.succeed(f"if [[ \"{permission}\" != \"$(stat -c '%a %U %G' '{path}')\" ]]; then ls -lah '{path}'; exit 1; fi")
 
+with subtest("Check that key services respond to key file changes"):
+    alpha.require_unit_state("key-text-key.service", "active")
+
+    alpha.succeed("rm /run/keys/key-text")
+    alpha.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl --no-pager show key-text-key.service | grep ActiveState=inactive", timeout=10)
+
+    alpha.succeed("touch /run/keys/key-text")
+    alpha.wait_for_unit("key-text-key.service")
+
 with subtest("Check that we can correctly deploy to remaining nodes despite failures"):
     beta.systemctl("stop sshd")
 
diff --git a/integration-tests/tools.nix b/integration-tests/tools.nix
index 63eaafe..452c738 100644
--- a/integration-tests/tools.nix
+++ b/integration-tests/tools.nix
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ let
 
       environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
         git # for git flake tests
+        inotifyTools # for key services build
 
         # HACK: copy stderr to both stdout and stderr
         # (the test framework only captures stdout, and only stderr appears on screen during the build)
diff --git a/manual/src/features/keys.md b/manual/src/features/keys.md
index 6efe4c8..be2b5eb 100644
--- a/manual/src/features/keys.md
+++ b/manual/src/features/keys.md
@@ -28,3 +28,8 @@ For example, to deploy DNS-01 credentials for use with `security.acme`:
 
 Take note that if you use the default path (`/run/keys`), the secret files are only stored in-memory and will not survive reboots.
 To upload your secrets without performing a full deployment, use `colmena upload-keys`.
+
+## Key Services
+
+For each secret file deployed using `deployment.keys`, a systemd service with the name of `${name}-key.service` is created (`acme-credentials.secret-key.service` for the example above).
+This unit is only active when the corresponding file is present, allowing you to set up dependencies for services requiring secret files to function.
diff --git a/src/nix/hive/eval.nix b/src/nix/hive/eval.nix
index caf1cb1..1f33a24 100644
--- a/src/nix/hive/eval.nix
+++ b/src/nix/hive/eval.nix
@@ -467,6 +467,47 @@ let
     in {
       system.activationScripts.colmena-chown-keys = lib.mkIf (length commands != 0) script;
     };
+
+    # Create "${name}-key" services for NixOps compatibility
+    #
+    # This is built as part of the system profile.
+    # We must be careful not to access `text` / `keyCommand` / `keyFile` here
+    #
+    # Sadly, path units don't automatically deactivate the bound units when
+    # the key files are deleted, so we use inotifywait in the services' scripts.
+    #
+    # <https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3642>
+    keyServiceModule = { pkgs, lib, config, ... }: {
+      systemd.paths = lib.mapAttrs' (name: val: {
+        name = "${name}-key";
+        value = {
+          wantedBy = [ "paths.target" ];
+          pathConfig = {
+            PathExists = val.path;
+          };
+        };
+      }) config.deployment.keys;
+
+      systemd.services = lib.mapAttrs' (name: val: {
+        name = "${name}-key";
+        value = {
+          bindsTo = [ "${name}-key.path" ];
+          serviceConfig = {
+            Restart = "on-failure";
+          };
+          path = [ pkgs.inotifyTools ];
+          script = ''
+            if [[ ! -e "${val.path}" ]]; then
+              >&2 echo "${val.path} does not exist"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+
+            inotifywait -qq -e delete_self "${val.path}"
+            >&2 echo "${val.path} disappeared"
+          '';
+        };
+      }) config.deployment.keys;
+    };
   in evalConfig {
     inherit (npkgs) system;
 
@@ -474,6 +515,7 @@ let
       assertionModule
       nixpkgsModule
       keyChownModule
+      keyServiceModule
       deploymentOptions
       hive.defaults
     ] ++ configs;