diff --git a/configuration/system-configuration.nix b/configuration/system-configuration.nix
index f080e61078a4..c470dbf1cff7 100644
--- a/configuration/system-configuration.nix
+++ b/configuration/system-configuration.nix
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@ rec {
   systemConfiguration = pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
     name = "system-configuration";
     builder = ./system-configuration.sh;
-    inherit (pkgs) grub coreutils gnused gnugrep diffutils;
+    inherit (pkgs) grub coreutils gnused gnugrep diffutils findutils;
     inherit grubDevice;
     inherit bootStage2;
+    inherit activateConfiguration;
     inherit grubMenuBuilder;
     kernel = pkgs.kernel + "/vmlinuz";
     initrd = initialRamdisk + "/initrd";
diff --git a/configuration/system-configuration.sh b/configuration/system-configuration.sh
index 0020053edf74..72cbe430e5d8 100644
--- a/configuration/system-configuration.sh
+++ b/configuration/system-configuration.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ ln -s $kernel $out/kernel
 ln -s $grub $out/grub
 ln -s $bootStage2 $out/init
 ln -s $initrd $out/initrd
+ln -s $activateConfiguration $out/activate
 echo "$extraKernelParams" > $out/kernel-params
 
 cat > $out/menu.lst << GRUBEND
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ ensureDir $out/bin
 cat > $out/bin/switch-to-configuration <<EOF
 #! $SHELL
 set -e
-export PATH=$coreutils/bin:$gnused/bin:$gnugrep/bin:$diffutils/bin
+export PATH=$coreutils/bin:$gnused/bin:$gnugrep/bin:$diffutils/bin:$findutils/bin
+
 if test -n "$grubDevice"; then
     mkdir -m 0700 -p /boot/grub
     $grubMenuBuilder $out
@@ -26,6 +28,13 @@ if test -n "$grubDevice"; then
         $grub/sbin/grub-install "$grubDevice" --no-floppy --recheck
     fi
 fi
+
+if test "\$activateNow" = "1"; then
+    echo "Activating the configuration..."
+    $out/activate
+    kill -TERM 1 # make Upstart reload its events    
+fi
+
 sync
 EOF