diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py
index 64b3740c83522..52b51f63f4d85 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py
@@ -217,11 +217,11 @@ class ManualHTMLRenderer(RendererMixin, HTMLRenderer):
     _base_path: Path
     _in_dir: Path
     _html_params: HTMLParameters
-    _redirects: Redirects
+    _redirects: Redirects | None
 
     def __init__(self, toplevel_tag: str, revision: str, html_params: HTMLParameters,
                  manpage_urls: Mapping[str, str], xref_targets: dict[str, XrefTarget],
-                 redirects: Redirects, in_dir: Path, base_path: Path):
+                 redirects: Redirects | None, in_dir: Path, base_path: Path):
         super().__init__(toplevel_tag, revision, manpage_urls, xref_targets)
         self._in_dir = in_dir
         self._base_path = base_path.absolute()
@@ -310,9 +310,12 @@ def _file_header(self, toc: TocEntry) -> str:
                 '  </div>',
             ])
 
-        redirects_path = f'{self._base_path}/{toc.target.path.split('.html')[0]}-redirects.js'
-        with open(redirects_path, 'w') as file:
-            file.write(self._redirects.get_redirect_script(toc.target.path))
+        scripts = self._html_params.scripts
+        if self._redirects:
+            redirects_path = f'{self._base_path}/{toc.target.path.split('.html')[0]}-redirects.js'
+            with open(redirects_path, 'w') as file:
+                file.write(self._redirects.get_redirect_script(toc.target.path))
+            scripts.append(redirects_path)
 
         return "\n".join([
             '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>',
@@ -325,7 +328,7 @@ def _file_header(self, toc: TocEntry) -> str:
             "".join((f'<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="{html.escape(style, True)}" />'
                      for style in self._html_params.stylesheets)),
             "".join((f'<script src="{html.escape(script, True)}" type="text/javascript"></script>'
-                     for script in [*self._html_params.scripts, redirects_path])),
+                     for script in scripts)),
             f' <meta name="generator" content="{html.escape(self._html_params.generator, True)}" />',
             f' <link rel="home" href="{home.target.href()}" title="{home.target.title}" />' if home.target.href() else "",
             f' {up_link}{prev_link}{next_link}',
@@ -509,7 +512,7 @@ class HTMLConverter(BaseConverter[ManualHTMLRenderer]):
     _revision: str
     _html_params: HTMLParameters
     _manpage_urls: Mapping[str, str]
-    _redirects: Redirects
+    _redirects: Redirects | None
     _xref_targets: dict[str, XrefTarget]
     _redirection_targets: set[str]
     _appendix_count: int = 0
@@ -518,7 +521,7 @@ def _next_appendix_id(self) -> str:
         self._appendix_count += 1
         return _to_base26(self._appendix_count - 1)
 
-    def __init__(self, revision: str, html_params: HTMLParameters, manpage_urls: Mapping[str, str], redirects: Redirects):
+    def __init__(self, revision: str, html_params: HTMLParameters, manpage_urls: Mapping[str, str], redirects: Redirects | None = None):
         super().__init__()
         self._revision, self._html_params, self._manpage_urls, self._redirects = revision, html_params, manpage_urls, redirects
         self._xref_targets = {}
@@ -679,13 +682,14 @@ def _postprocess(self, infile: Path, outfile: Path, tokens: Sequence[Token]) ->
                 )
 
         TocEntry.collect_and_link(self._xref_targets, tokens)
-        self._redirects.validate(self._xref_targets)
-        server_redirects = self._redirects.get_server_redirects()
-        with open(outfile.parent / '_redirects', 'w') as server_redirects_file:
-            formatted_server_redirects = []
-            for from_path, to_path in server_redirects.items():
-                formatted_server_redirects.append(f"{from_path} {to_path} 301")
-            server_redirects_file.write("\n".join(formatted_server_redirects))
+        if self._redirects:
+            self._redirects.validate(self._xref_targets)
+            server_redirects = self._redirects.get_server_redirects()
+            with open(outfile.parent / '_redirects', 'w') as server_redirects_file:
+                formatted_server_redirects = []
+                for from_path, to_path in server_redirects.items():
+                    formatted_server_redirects.append(f"{from_path} {to_path} 301")
+                server_redirects_file.write("\n".join(formatted_server_redirects))
 
 
 def _build_cli_html(p: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
@@ -704,16 +708,16 @@ def _build_cli_html(p: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
 
 def _run_cli_html(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
     with open(args.manpage_urls) as manpage_urls, open(Path(__file__).parent / "redirects.js") as redirects_script:
-        redirects = {}
+        redirects = None
         if args.redirects:
             with open(args.redirects) as raw_redirects:
-                redirects = json.load(raw_redirects)
+                redirects = Redirects(json.load(raw_redirects), redirects_script.read())
 
         md = HTMLConverter(
             args.revision,
             HTMLParameters(args.generator, args.stylesheet, args.script, args.toc_depth,
                            args.chunk_toc_depth, args.section_toc_depth, args.media_dir),
-            json.load(manpage_urls), Redirects(redirects, redirects_script.read()))
+            json.load(manpage_urls), redirects)
         md.convert(args.infile, args.outfile)
 
 def build_cli(p: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_auto_id_prefix.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_auto_id_prefix.py
index a3d33930b3035..ae847de6b8a8d 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_auto_id_prefix.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_auto_id_prefix.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def set_prefix(token: Token, ident: str) -> None:
 
 
 def test_auto_id_prefix_simple() -> None:
-    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {}, Redirects({}, ''))
+    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {})
 
     src = f"""
 # title
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def test_auto_id_prefix_simple() -> None:
 
 
 def test_auto_id_prefix_repeated() -> None:
-    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {}, Redirects({}, ''))
+    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {})
 
     src = f"""
 # title
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def test_auto_id_prefix_repeated() -> None:
     ]
 
 def test_auto_id_prefix_maximum_nested() -> None:
-    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {}, Redirects({}, ''))
+    md = HTMLConverter("1.0.0", HTMLParameters("", [], [], 2, 2, 2, Path("")), {})
 
     src = f"""
 # h1