diff --git a/cmd/headscale/headscale_test.go b/cmd/headscale/headscale_test.go
index b0667f78..007d2801 100644
--- a/cmd/headscale/headscale_test.go
+++ b/cmd/headscale/headscale_test.go
@@ -163,10 +163,12 @@ func (*Suite) TestTLSConfigValidation(c *check.C) {
 		c.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	// defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
-
-	configYaml := []byte(
-		"---\nnoise_private_key_path: \"noise_private.key\"\ntls_letsencrypt_hostname: \"example.com\"\ntls_letsencrypt_challenge_type: \"\"\ntls_cert_path: \"abc.pem\"\n",
-	)
+	configYaml := []byte(`---
+tls_letsencrypt_hostname: example.com
+tls_letsencrypt_challenge_type: ""
+tls_cert_path: abc.pem
+noise:
+  private_key_path: noise_private.key`)
 	writeConfig(c, tmpDir, configYaml)
 
 	// Check configuration validation errors (1)
@@ -191,9 +193,13 @@ func (*Suite) TestTLSConfigValidation(c *check.C) {
 	)
 
 	// Check configuration validation errors (2)
-	configYaml = []byte(
-		"---\nnoise_private_key_path: \"noise_private.key\"\nserver_url: \"http://127.0.0.1:8080\"\ntls_letsencrypt_hostname: \"example.com\"\ntls_letsencrypt_challenge_type: \"TLS-ALPN-01\"",
-	)
+	configYaml = []byte(`---
+noise:
+  private_key_path: noise_private.key
+server_url: http://127.0.0.1:8080
+tls_letsencrypt_hostname: example.com
+tls_letsencrypt_challenge_type: TLS-ALPN-01
+`)
 	writeConfig(c, tmpDir, configYaml)
 	err = headscale.LoadConfig(tmpDir, false)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
diff --git a/config-example.yaml b/config-example.yaml
index 5ebc1300..2019a133 100644
--- a/config-example.yaml
+++ b/config-example.yaml
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ grpc_allow_insecure: false
 # autogenerated if it's missing
 private_key_path: /var/lib/headscale/private.key
 
-# The Noise private key is used to encrypt the
-# traffic between headscale and Tailscale clients when
-# using the new Noise-based TS2021 protocol.
-# The noise private key file which will be
-# autogenerated if it's missing
-noise_private_key_path: /var/lib/headscale/noise_private.key
+# The Noise section includes specific configuration for the
+# TS2021 Noise procotol
+noise:
+  # The Noise private key is used to encrypt the
+  # traffic between headscale and Tailscale clients when
+  # using the new Noise-based protocol. It must be different
+  # from the legacy private key.
+  private_key_path: /var/lib/headscale/noise_private.key
 
 # List of IP prefixes to allocate tailaddresses from.
 # Each prefix consists of either an IPv4 or IPv6 address,
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index e503b615..00247318 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ func LoadConfig(path string, isFile bool) error {
 		errorText += "Fatal config error: set either tls_letsencrypt_hostname or tls_cert_path/tls_key_path, not both\n"
 	}
 
-	if !viper.IsSet("noise_private_key_path") {
-		errorText += "Fatal config error: headscale now requires a new `noise_private_key_path` field in the config file for the Tailscale v2 protocol\n"
+	if !viper.IsSet("noise") || viper.GetString("noise.private_key_path") == "" {
+		errorText += "Fatal config error: headscale now requires a new `noise.private_key_path` field in the config file for the Tailscale v2 protocol\n"
 	}
 
 	if (viper.GetString("tls_letsencrypt_hostname") != "") &&
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ func GetHeadscaleConfig() (*Config, error) {
 			viper.GetString("private_key_path"),
 		),
 		NoisePrivateKeyPath: AbsolutePathFromConfigPath(
-			viper.GetString("noise_private_key_path"),
+			viper.GetString("noise.private_key_path"),
 		),
 		BaseDomain: baseDomain,
 
diff --git a/docs/running-headscale-container.md b/docs/running-headscale-container.md
index 4a9f1518..d341bb7c 100644
--- a/docs/running-headscale-container.md
+++ b/docs/running-headscale-container.md
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ metrics_listen_addr: 0.0.0.0:9090
 # The default /var/lib/headscale path is not writable in the container
 private_key_path: /etc/headscale/private.key
 # The default /var/lib/headscale path is not writable in the container
-noise_private_key_path: /var/lib/headscale/noise_private.key
+noise:
+  private_key_path: /var/lib/headscale/noise_private.key
 # The default /var/lib/headscale path is not writable  in the container
 db_path: /etc/headscale/db.sqlite
 ```
diff --git a/integration_test/etc/alt-config.dump.gold.yaml b/integration_test/etc/alt-config.dump.gold.yaml
index e71c9576..3d38b128 100644
--- a/integration_test/etc/alt-config.dump.gold.yaml
+++ b/integration_test/etc/alt-config.dump.gold.yaml
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ oidc:
     - email
   strip_email_domain: true
 private_key_path: private.key
-noise_private_key_path: noise_private.key
+noise:
+  private_key_path: noise_private.key
 server_url: http://headscale:18080
 tls_client_auth_mode: relaxed
 tls_letsencrypt_cache_dir: /var/www/.cache
diff --git a/integration_test/etc/alt-config.yaml b/integration_test/etc/alt-config.yaml
index 35dd9e48..179fdcd5 100644
--- a/integration_test/etc/alt-config.yaml
+++ b/integration_test/etc/alt-config.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ dns_config:
     - 1.1.1.1
 db_path: /tmp/integration_test_db.sqlite3
 private_key_path: private.key
-noise_private_key_path: noise_private.key
+noise:
+  private_key_path: noise_private.key
 listen_addr: 0.0.0.0:18080
 metrics_listen_addr: 127.0.0.1:19090
 server_url: http://headscale:18080
diff --git a/integration_test/etc/config.dump.gold.yaml b/integration_test/etc/config.dump.gold.yaml
index 71539656..91ca5b93 100644
--- a/integration_test/etc/config.dump.gold.yaml
+++ b/integration_test/etc/config.dump.gold.yaml
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ oidc:
     - email
   strip_email_domain: true
 private_key_path: private.key
-noise_private_key_path: noise_private.key
+noise:
+  private_key_path: noise_private.key
 server_url: http://headscale:8080
 tls_client_auth_mode: relaxed
 tls_letsencrypt_cache_dir: /var/www/.cache