diff --git a/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix b/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
index a407da6c..8062ef2a 100644
--- a/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
+++ b/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
@@ -117,6 +117,22 @@ in {
         {file}`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/herbstluftwm/autostart`.
       '';
     };
+
+    herbstclientAlias = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = false;
+      description = ''
+        Set an alias for the {command}`herbstclient` command in the
+        {file}`autostart` script that only stores its arguments and executes
+        them all at once at the end of the {file}`autostart` script.
+
+        This reduces the amount of flickering you get while all options are
+        being applied and improves the performance.
+
+        On the other hand, this makes it impossible to write bash functions
+        that call {command}`herbstclient`.
+      '';
+    };
   };
 
   config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
@@ -131,11 +147,13 @@ in {
 
     xdg.configFile."herbstluftwm/autostart".source =
       pkgs.writeShellScript "herbstluftwm-autostart" ''
-        shopt -s expand_aliases
+        ${lib.optionalString cfg.herbstclientAlias ''
+          shopt -s expand_aliases
 
-        # shellcheck disable=SC2142
-        alias herbstclient='set -- "$@" ";"'
-        set --
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2142
+          alias herbstclient='set -- "$@" ";"'
+          set --
+        ''}
 
         herbstclient emit_hook reload
 
@@ -169,7 +187,9 @@ in {
 
         herbstclient unlock
 
-        ${cfg.package}/bin/herbstclient chain ";" "$@"
+        ${lib.optionalString cfg.herbstclientAlias ''
+          ${cfg.package}/bin/herbstclient chain ";" "$@"
+        ''}
       '';
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/default.nix b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/default.nix
index 31e73365..3b464f96 100644
--- a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/default.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
   herbstluftwm-simple-config = ./herbstluftwm-simple-config.nix;
   herbstluftwm-no-tags = ./herbstluftwm-no-tags.nix;
+  herbstluftwm-alias-enabled = ./herbstluftwm-alias-enabled.nix;
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled-autostart b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled-autostart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..69d48c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled-autostart
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-bash/bin/bash
+shopt -s expand_aliases
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2142
+alias herbstclient='set -- "$@" ";"'
+set --
+
+
+herbstclient emit_hook reload
+
+# Reset everything.
+herbstclient attr theme.tiling.reset 1
+herbstclient attr theme.floating.reset 1
+herbstclient keyunbind --all
+herbstclient mouseunbind --all
+herbstclient unrule --all
+
+herbstclient set always_show_frame true
+herbstclient set default_frame_layout 'max'
+herbstclient set frame_bg_active_color '#000000'
+herbstclient set frame_gap '12'
+herbstclient set frame_padding '-12'
+
+for tag in '1' 'with space' 'wə1rd#ch@rs'\'''; do
+  herbstclient add "$tag"
+done
+
+if @herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient object_tree tags.by-name.default &>/dev/null; then
+  herbstclient use '1'
+  herbstclient merge_tag default '1'
+fi
+
+
+herbstclient keybind Mod4-1 use 1
+herbstclient keybind Mod4-2 use 2
+herbstclient keybind Mod4-Alt-Tab cycle -1
+herbstclient keybind Mod4-Tab cycle 1
+
+herbstclient mousebind Mod4-B1 move
+herbstclient mousebind Mod4-B3 resize
+
+herbstclient rule focus=on
+herbstclient rule windowtype~'_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_(DIALOG|UTILITY|SPLASH)' focus=on pseudotile=on
+herbstclient rule class~'[Pp]inentry' instance=pinentry focus=on floating=on floatplacement=center keys_inactive='.*'
+
+herbstclient use 1
+
+
+herbstclient unlock
+
+@herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient chain ";" "$@"
+
+
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled.nix b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..de69c13c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-alias-enabled.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+{ lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+{
+  xsession.windowManager.herbstluftwm = {
+    enable = true;
+    settings = {
+      always_show_frame = true;
+      default_frame_layout = "max";
+      frame_bg_active_color = "#000000";
+      frame_gap = 12;
+      frame_padding = -12;
+    };
+    keybinds = {
+      "Mod4-1" = "use 1";
+      "Mod4-2" = "use 2";
+      "Mod4-Tab" = "cycle 1";
+      "Mod4-Alt-Tab" = "cycle -1";
+    };
+    mousebinds = {
+      "Mod4-B1" = "move";
+      "Mod4-B3" = "resize";
+    };
+    rules = [
+      "focus=on"
+      "windowtype~'_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_(DIALOG|UTILITY|SPLASH)' focus=on pseudotile=on"
+      "class~'[Pp]inentry' instance=pinentry focus=on floating=on floatplacement=center keys_inactive='.*'"
+    ];
+    tags = [ "1" "with space" "wə1rd#ch@rs'" ];
+    extraConfig = ''
+      herbstclient use 1
+    '';
+    herbstclientAlias = true;
+  };
+
+  test.stubs.herbstluftwm = { };
+
+  nmt.script = ''
+    autostart=home-files/.config/herbstluftwm/autostart
+    assertFileExists "$autostart"
+    assertFileIsExecutable "$autostart"
+
+    normalizedAutostart=$(normalizeStorePaths "$autostart")
+    assertFileContent "$normalizedAutostart" ${
+      ./herbstluftwm-alias-enabled-autostart
+    }
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-no-tags-autostart b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-no-tags-autostart
index 9e8cd78a..384d6d8b 100644
--- a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-no-tags-autostart
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-no-tags-autostart
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 #!/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-bash/bin/bash
-shopt -s expand_aliases
 
-# shellcheck disable=SC2142
-alias herbstclient='set -- "$@" ";"'
-set --
 
 herbstclient emit_hook reload
 
@@ -28,5 +24,5 @@ herbstclient unrule --all
 
 herbstclient unlock
 
-@herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient chain ";" "$@"
+
 
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
index 78d4d7d5..010c1577 100644
--- a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 #!/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-bash/bin/bash
-shopt -s expand_aliases
 
-# shellcheck disable=SC2142
-alias herbstclient='set -- "$@" ";"'
-set --
 
 herbstclient emit_hook reload
 
@@ -47,5 +43,5 @@ herbstclient use 1
 
 herbstclient unlock
 
-@herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient chain ";" "$@"
+