diff --git a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
index 947291b52c4b..9018dc589e40 100644
--- a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
+++ b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ sub new {
         $startCommand =
             "qemu-kvm -m 384 " .
             "-net nic,model=virtio \$QEMU_OPTS ";
-        my $iface = $args->{hdaInterface} or "virtio";
+        my $iface = $args->{hdaInterface} || "virtio";
         $startCommand .= "-drive file=" . Cwd::abs_path($args->{hda}) . ",if=$iface,boot=on,werror=report "
             if defined $args->{hda};
-        
         $startCommand .= "-cdrom $args->{cdrom} "
             if defined $args->{cdrom};
         $startCommand .= $args->{qemuFlags} || "";
diff --git a/tests/installer.nix b/tests/installer.nix
index c6b84c1d9551..b16206547a44 100644
--- a/tests/installer.nix
+++ b/tests/installer.nix
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ let
         ''}
         boot.loader.grub.device = "${grubDevice}";
         boot.loader.grub.extraConfig = "serial; terminal_output.serial";
-        boot.initrd.kernelModules = [ "ext3" "virtio_console" ];
+        boot.initrd.kernelModules = [ "ext3" "ext4" "xfs" "virtio_console" ];
 
         fileSystems = [ ${fileSystems} ];
         swapDevices = [ { label = "swap"; } ];
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ let
 
       # And just to be sure, check that the machine still boots after
       # "nixos-rebuild switch".
-      my $machine = createMachine({ hda => "harddisk" });
+      my $machine = createMachine({ hda => "harddisk", hdaInterface => "${iface}" });
       $machine->waitForJob("network-interfaces");
       $machine->shutdown;
     '';
@@ -250,28 +250,32 @@ in {
     };
 
   # Create two physical LVM partitions combined into one volume group
-  # that contains the logical swap and root partitions.
+  # that contains the logical swap and root partitions.  Uses a 
   lvm = makeTest
     { createPartitions =
         ''
           $machine->mustSucceed(
               "parted /dev/vda mklabel msdos",
-              "parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary 1M 2048M", # first PV
+              "parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary ext2 1M 30MB", # /boot
+              "parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary 31M 2048M", # first PV
               "parted /dev/vda -- set 1 lvm on",
               "parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary 2048M -1s", # second PV
               "parted /dev/vda -- set 2 lvm on",
               "udevadm settle",
-              "pvcreate /dev/vda1 /dev/vda2",
-              "vgcreate MyVolGroup /dev/vda1 /dev/vda2",
+              "pvcreate /dev/vda2 /dev/vda3",
+              "vgcreate MyVolGroup /dev/vda2 /dev/vda3",
               "lvcreate --size 1G --name swap MyVolGroup",
               "lvcreate --size 2G --name nixos MyVolGroup",
               "mkswap -f /dev/MyVolGroup/swap -L swap",
               "swapon -L swap",
-              "mkfs.ext3 -L nixos /dev/MyVolGroup/nixos",
+              "mkfs.xfs -L nixos /dev/MyVolGroup/nixos",
               "mount LABEL=nixos /mnt",
+              "mkfs.ext4 -L boot /dev/vda1",
+              "mkdir /mnt/boot",
+              "mount LABEL=boot /mnt/boot",
           );
         '';
-      fileSystems = rootFS;
+      fileSystems = rootFS + bootFS;
     };
 
   swraid = makeTest