diff --git a/modules/generic/meta-maintainers.nix b/modules/generic/meta-maintainers.nix
index 75365d07ce7a..ff8ce87b004b 100644
--- a/modules/generic/meta-maintainers.nix
+++ b/modules/generic/meta-maintainers.nix
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ in
   options = {
     meta = {
       maintainers = mkOption {
-        type = sourceList;
+        type =
+          let
+            allMaintainers = lib.attrValues lib.maintainers;
+          in
+          lib.types.addCheck sourceList (lib.all (v: lib.elem v allMaintainers))
+          // {
+            description = "list of lib.maintainers";
+          };
         default = [ ];
         example = lib.literalExpression "[ lib.maintainers.alice lib.maintainers.bob ]";
         description = ''
diff --git a/modules/generic/meta-maintainers/test.nix b/modules/generic/meta-maintainers/test.nix
index e4b37780ca83..a9859a6ee2dc 100644
--- a/modules/generic/meta-maintainers/test.nix
+++ b/modules/generic/meta-maintainers/test.nix
@@ -14,9 +14,17 @@ let
   };
 in
 rec {
-  lib = import ../../../lib;
+  # Inject ghost into lib.maintainers so it passes the addCheck validation
+  lib = (import ../../../lib).extend (
+    final: prev: {
+      maintainers = prev.maintainers // {
+        inherit ghost;
+      };
+    }
+  );
 
   example = lib.evalModules {
+    specialArgs.lib = lib;
     modules = [
       ../meta-maintainers.nix
       {
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/databases/clickhouse.nix b/nixos/modules/services/databases/clickhouse.nix
index de9371de513a..50c291a10be6 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/databases/clickhouse.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/databases/clickhouse.nix
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ let
 in
 {
 
-  meta.maintainers = [ "thevar1able" ];
+  meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ thevar1able ];
 
   ###### interface