diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
index 548467ae7856..4e57b920a7d8 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/web-servers/nginx/default.nix
@@ -246,11 +246,13 @@ in
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        default = pkgs.nginx;
-        defaultText = "pkgs.nginx";
+        default = pkgs.nginxStable;
+        defaultText = "pkgs.nginxStable";
         type = types.package;
         description = "
-          Nginx package to use.
+          Nginx package to use. This defaults to the stable version. Note
+          that the nginx team recommends to use the mainline version which
+          available in nixpkgs as <literal>nginxMainline</literal>.
         ";
       };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/http/nginx/generic.nix b/pkgs/servers/http/nginx/generic.nix
index 5d5a98ad8a8f..dfde20452723 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/http/nginx/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/http/nginx/generic.nix
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     homepage    = http://nginx.org;
     license     = licenses.bsd2;
     platforms   = platforms.all;
-    maintainers = with maintainers; [ thoughtpolice raskin ];
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ thoughtpolice raskin fpletz ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 144fcbd27295..2e72eda08f5c 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -10687,7 +10687,9 @@ with pkgs;
 
   neard = callPackage ../servers/neard { };
 
-  nginx = callPackage ../servers/http/nginx/stable.nix {
+  nginx = nginxStable;
+
+  nginxStable = callPackage ../servers/http/nginx/stable.nix {
     # We don't use `with` statement here on purpose!
     # See https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/10474/files#r42369334
     modules = [ nginxModules.rtmp nginxModules.dav nginxModules.moreheaders ];