diff --git a/nixos-modules/hardware/bpi-r3.nix b/nixos-modules/hardware/bpi-r3.nix
index 2736cc13..b803280c 100644
--- a/nixos-modules/hardware/bpi-r3.nix
+++ b/nixos-modules/hardware/bpi-r3.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,29 @@
   config = lib.mkIf config.hardware.bpi-r3.enable {
     boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_latest;
 
+    # linux kernel 6.3+ requires using extra flags for memfd_create that only
+    # exist starting in systemd-stable v254
+    nixpkgs.overlays = lib.optional
+      (!lib.versionAtLeast pkgs.systemd.version "254")
+      (_: prev: {
+        systemd = prev.systemd.overrideAttrs (old: {
+          patches = (old.patches or [ ]) ++ (with prev; [
+            (fetchpatch {
+              url = "https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/8cb0a001d8193721af98a448d5b3615ac5e263f1.diff";
+              hash = "sha256-E1rsAhhmBQMc1w3dI7GD/dmffTFTWYHtiM/DQjzuVgc=";
+            })
+            (fetchpatch {
+              url = "https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/ad62530ebb397982a73266a07ac6f182e47922de.diff";
+              hash = "sha256-6oLb7W78uYHmSp/hfesjunaaxSigfrgpcekVJ1Ho4N8=";
+            })
+            (fetchpatch {
+              url = "https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/c29715a8f77d96cd731b4a3083b3a852b3b61eb8.diff";
+              hash = "sha256-2I1afgVHdi4c+k8zUL1TI1gxRM8YPVEMNoy4twnaUSk=";
+            })
+          ]);
+        });
+      });
+
     boot.kernelParams = [ "console=ttyS0,115200" ];
 
     # u-boot looks for $fdtfile on the ESP at /dtb