diff --git a/apps/tmbitwarden.sh b/apps/tmbitwarden.sh
index 34ffbb8291..2cded18d6e 100644
--- a/apps/tmbitwarden.sh
+++ b/apps/tmbitwarden.sh
@@ -151,9 +151,12 @@ SUBDOMAIN=$(grep ^url "$BITWARDEN_HOME"/bwdata/config.yml)
 SUBDOMAIN=${SUBDOMAIN##*url: http://}
 sed -i "s|^url: .*|url: https://$SUBDOMAIN|g" "$BITWARDEN_HOME"/bwdata/config.yml
 sed -i 's|http://|https://|g' "$BITWARDEN_HOME"/bwdata/env/global.override.env
-check_command sudo -u "$BITWARDEN_USER" ./bitwarden.sh rebuild
+# The following order was recommended here: https://github.com/bitwarden/server/issues/582#issuecomment-551961505
 print_text_in_color "$ICyan" "Starting Bitwarden for the first time, please be patient..."
-check_command systemctl start bitwarden
+start_if_stopped bitwarden
+check_command sudo -u "$BITWARDEN_USER" ./bitwarden.sh rebuild
+check_command sudo -u "$BITWARDEN_USER" ./bitwarden.sh updateconf
+start_if_stopped bitwarden
 check_command sudo -u "$BITWARDEN_USER" ./bitwarden.sh updatedb
 
 # Produce reverse-proxy config and get lets-encrypt certificate