Thank you, Joshua Branson! Your code helped me a bit (use-modules  (gnu services databases) ) (services (cons*  (service postgresql-service-type) %desktop-services)) After `guix reconfigure /etc/config.scm` and reboot postgresql server is running: # herd status | grep postgre  + postgres The only one change I want to do. Please, how to disable auto-start of postgresql? I need it sometimes and want to start it manually only. I think there should be some guile function like '(service postgresql-service-type (config no-autostart))', but qwant search does not give the answer. I've read 'start' and 'stop' options here https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/guix.html#Shepherd-Services and here https://www.gnu.org/software/shepherd/manual/shepherd.html#index-Configuration-file  and tried to find out here http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/services/databases.scm But I did not get the answer for those 10 minutes I've spend there. I tried with no success: (service postgresql-service-type (unstartable '()) ) (service postgresql-service-type (config (unstartable '()) )(service postgresql-service-type (let (unstartable '())) ) Please, how to do this?