diff --git a/bundles/transmission/items.py b/bundles/transmission/items.py
index f00b1ca..dcbaee8 100644
--- a/bundles/transmission/items.py
+++ b/bundles/transmission/items.py
@@ -1,13 +1,23 @@
 from bundlewrap.metadata import metadata_to_json
 
-# transmission overwrites this on a restart. As of 2021-01 there's no
-# way of disabling that.
 files = {
-    '/etc/transmission-daemon/settings.json': {
+    # XXX Manage settings using bundlewrap once transmission has an
+    # option to disable config rewriting.
+    '/etc/transmission-daemon/initial-settings.json': {
         'content': metadata_to_json(node.metadata['transmission']['config']),
         'mode': '0444',
-        'triggers': {
-            'svc_systemd:transmission-daemon:reload',
+    },
+}
+
+actions = {
+    'transmission_deploy_initial_settings': {
+        'command': 'cp /etc/transmission-daemon/initial-settings.json /etc/transmission-daemon/settings.json',
+        'unless': 'test -f /etc/transmission-daemon/settings.json',
+        'needs': {
+            'file:/etc/transmission-daemon/initial-settings.json',
+        },
+        'needed_by': {
+            'pkg_apt:transmission-daemon',
         },
     },
 }