diff --git a/packages.nix b/packages.nix
index 7c48e325..3d2eedde 100644
--- a/packages.nix
+++ b/packages.nix
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ lib.attrsets.mapAttrs
         rebuildArg = "--flake ${self}#${name} ${overrideInputsArgs} --accept-flake-config";
         hostConfig = self.nixosConfigurations."${name}".config;
         declaredRunnerDrvPath = discardStringCtx hostConfig.microvm.declaredRunner.drvPath;
+        declaredRunnerOutPath = discardStringCtx hostConfig.microvm.declaredRunner.outPath;
         toplevelDrvPath = discardStringCtx hostConfig.system.build.toplevel.drvPath;
         toplevelOutPath = discardStringCtx hostConfig.system.build.toplevel.outPath;
         # let /var/lib/microvm/*/flake point to the flake-update branch so that
@@ -254,21 +255,15 @@ lib.attrsets.mapAttrs
             exit 2
           ''}
 
-          ${hostConfig.system.build.copyToServer} ${declaredRunnerDrvPath}
+          nix build -L --no-link ${declaredRunnerDrvPath}^*
+          ${hostConfig.system.build.copyToServer} ${declaredRunnerOutPath}
 
           ${hostConfig.system.build.runOnServer} bash -e <<END
           set -eou pipefail
-          hostname=\$(cat /etc/hostname)
-          if [[ "\$hostname" != ${name} ]]; then
-            echo "hostname of ${target} was expected to be ${name} but is \$hostname. Aborting to be safe..."
-            exit 2
-          fi
 
           ${createDirsCopyCurrent name}
-
-          ln -sfT ${hostConfig.microvm.declaredRunner} current
+          ln -sfT ${declaredRunnerOutPath} current
           echo '${selfRef}' > flake
-
           ${createSymlinks name}
 
           systemctl restart microvm@${name}.service