diff --git a/synapse-module/default.nix b/synapse-module/default.nix
index b5484c3..ec5f3d8 100644
--- a/synapse-module/default.nix
+++ b/synapse-module/default.nix
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ in
         default = 0;
       };
 
+      useUserDirectoryWorker = lib.mkEnableOption "user directory worker";
+
       instances = lib.mkOption {
         type = lib.types.attrsOf (lib.types.submodule ({config, ...}: {
 
@@ -170,6 +172,7 @@ in
                   "initial-sync"  = "synapse.app.generic_worker";
                   "normal-sync"   = "synapse.app.generic_worker";
                   "event-persist" = "synapse.app.generic_worker";
+                  "user-dir"      = "synapse.app.generic_worker";
                 }.${t};
                 defaultApp = if (!isAuto)
                   then "synapse.app.generic_worker"
@@ -230,6 +233,7 @@ in
                       "initial-sync"  = [ "client" ];
                       "normal-sync"   = [ "client" ];
                       "event-persist" = [ "replication" ];
+                      "user-dir"      = [ "client" ];
                     }.${t};
                   in lib.mkOption {
                     type = lib.types.listOf (lib.types.submodule {
@@ -620,11 +624,22 @@ in
           (i: {
             isAuto = true; type = "event-persist"; index = i;
             settings.worker_listeners = [{ port = cfg.workers.workerStartingPort + cfg.workers.federationReceivers + cfg.workers.initialSyncers + cfg.workers.normalSyncers + i - 1;}]
-             ++ lib.optional wcfg.enableMetrics { port = cfg.workers.metricsStartingPort + cfg.workers.federationSenders + cfg.workers.federationReceivers + cfg.workers.initialSyncers + cfg.workers.normalSyncers + i;
-               resources = [ { names = [ "metrics" ]; } ];
+              ++ lib.optional wcfg.enableMetrics { port = cfg.workers.metricsStartingPort + cfg.workers.federationSenders + cfg.workers.federationReceivers + cfg.workers.initialSyncers + cfg.workers.normalSyncers + i;
+                resources = [ { names = [ "metrics" ]; } ];
           };
         });
       })
+
+      (lib.mkIf cfg.workers.useUserDirectoryWorker {
+        services.matrix-synapse-next.workers.instances."auto-user-dir" = {
+          isAuto = true; type = "user-dir"; index = 1;
+          settings.worker_listeners = [{ port = cfg.workers.workerStartingPort + cfg.workers.federationReceivers + cfg.workers.initialSyncers + cfg.workers.normalSyncers + cfg.workers.eventPersisters + 1 - 1;}]
+            ++ lib.optional wcfg.enableMetrics { port = cfg.workers.metricsStartingPort + cfg.workers.federationSenders + cfg.workers.federationReceivers + cfg.workers.initialSyncers + cfg.workers.normalSyncers + cfg.workers.eventPersisters + 1;
+              resources = [ { names = [ "metrics"]; } ];
+            };
+        };
+        services.matrix-synapse-next.settings.update_user_directory_from_worker = "auto-user-dir";
+      })
     ])
 
     ({
diff --git a/synapse-module/nginx.nix b/synapse-module/nginx.nix
index 52cfa3e..db3fe5a 100644
--- a/synapse-module/nginx.nix
+++ b/synapse-module/nginx.nix
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ in
       ~^/_matrix/client/(api/v1|r0|v3|unstable)/presence/ synapse_client_presence;
 
       # User directory search requests;
-      ~^/_matrix/client/(r0|v3|unstable)/user_directory/search$ synapse_client_search;
+      ~^/_matrix/client/(r0|v3|unstable)/user_directory/search$ synapse_client_user-dir;
     }
 
     #Plugboard for url -> workers
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ in
 
       synapse_federation synapse_worker_federation;
       synapse_federation_transaction synapse_worker_federation;
+
+      synapse_client_user-dir synapse_worker_user-dir;
     }
 
     # from https://github.com/tswfi/synapse/commit/b3704b936663cc692241e978dce4ac623276b1a6
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ in
       socketAddresses = generateSocketAddresses "client" initialSyncers;
     in if initialSyncers != [ ] then
       lib.genAttrs socketAddresses (_: { })
-    else config.services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_master.server;
+    else config.services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_master.servers;
     extraConfig = ''
       hash $mxid_localpart consistent;
     '';
@@ -179,13 +181,21 @@ in
       socketAddresses = generateSocketAddresses "client" normalSyncers;
     in if normalSyncers != [ ] then
       lib.genAttrs socketAddresses (_: { })
-    else config.services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_master.server;
+    else config.services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_master.servers;
     extraConfig = ''
       hash $mxid_localpart consistent;
     '';
   };
 
 
+  services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_worker_user-dir = {
+    servers = let
+      workers = getWorkersOfType "user-dir";
+      socketAddresses = generateSocketAddresses "client" workers;
+    in if workers != [ ] then
+      lib.genAttrs socketAddresses (_: { })
+    else config.services.nginx.upstreams.synapse_master.servers;
+  };
 
   services.nginx.virtualHosts."${cfg.public_baseurl}" = {
     enableACME = true;