diff --git a/nixos/tests/systemd-boot.nix b/nixos/tests/systemd-boot.nix
index e911c3933616..eba4729d6de8 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/systemd-boot.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/systemd-boot.nix
@@ -6,26 +6,53 @@
 with import ../lib/testing-python.nix { inherit system pkgs; };
 with pkgs.lib;
 
-makeTest {
-  name = "systemd-boot";
-  meta.maintainers = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; [ danielfullmer ];
-
-  machine = { pkgs, lib, ... }: {
+let
+  common = {
     virtualisation.useBootLoader = true;
     virtualisation.useEFIBoot = true;
     boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
   };
+in
+{
+  basic = makeTest {
+    name = "systemd-boot";
+    meta.maintainers = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; [ danielfullmer ];
 
-  testScript = ''
-    machine.start()
-    machine.wait_for_unit("multi-user.target")
+    machine = common;
 
-    machine.succeed("test -e /boot/loader/entries/nixos-generation-1.conf")
+    testScript = ''
+      machine.start()
+      machine.wait_for_unit("multi-user.target")
 
-    # Ensure we actually booted using systemd-boot.
-    # Magic number is the vendor UUID used by systemd-boot.
-    machine.succeed(
-        "test -e /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/LoaderEntrySelected-4a67b082-0a4c-41cf-b6c7-440b29bb8c4f"
-    )
-  '';
+      machine.succeed("test -e /boot/loader/entries/nixos-generation-1.conf")
+
+      # Ensure we actually booted using systemd-boot
+      # Magic number is the vendor UUID used by systemd-boot.
+      machine.succeed(
+          "test -e /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/LoaderEntrySelected-4a67b082-0a4c-41cf-b6c7-440b29bb8c4f"
+      )
+    '';
+  };
+
+  update = makeTest {
+    name = "systemd-boot-update";
+    meta.maintainers = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; [ danielfullmer ];
+
+    machine = common;
+
+    testScript = ''
+      machine.succeed("mount -o remount,rw /boot")
+
+      # Replace version inside sd-boot with something older. See magic[] string in systemd src/boot/efi/boot.c
+      machine.succeed(
+          """
+        find /boot -iname '*.efi' -print0 | \
+        xargs -0 -I '{}' sed -i 's/#### LoaderInfo: systemd-boot .* ####/#### LoaderInfo: systemd-boot 001 ####/' '{}'
+      """
+      )
+
+      output = machine.succeed("/run/current-system/bin/switch-to-configuration boot")
+      assert "updating systemd-boot from 001 to " in output
+    '';
+  };
 }