diff --git a/nixos/tests/systemd-machinectl.nix b/nixos/tests/systemd-machinectl.nix
index d4a23877aa4c..57ef95c2725f 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/systemd-machinectl.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/systemd-machinectl.nix
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix (
       networking.useNetworkd = true;
       networking.useDHCP = false;
 
-      # open DHCP server on interface to container
-      networking.firewall.trustedInterfaces = [ "ve-+" ];
-
       # do not try to access cache.nixos.org
       nix.settings.substituters = lib.mkForce [ ];
 
+      # auto-start container
+      systemd.targets.machines.wants = [ "systemd-nspawn@${containerName}.service" ];
+
       virtualisation.additionalPaths = [ containerSystem ];
     };
 
@@ -59,8 +59,19 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix (
       machine.succeed("machinectl start ${containerName}");
       machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl -M ${containerName} is-active default.target");
 
+      # Test nss_mymachines without nscd
+      machine.succeed('LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/run/current-system/sw/lib" getent -s hosts:mymachines hosts ${containerName}');
+
+      # Test failing nss_mymachines via nscd
+      # nscd has not enough rights to connect to systemd bus
+      # via sd_bus_open_system() in
+      # https://github.com/systemd/systemd/blob/main/src/nss-mymachines/nss-mymachines.c#L287
+      machine.fail("getent hosts ${containerName}");
+
       # Test systemd-nspawn network configuration
-      machine.succeed("ping -n -c 1 ${containerName}");
+      machine.succeed("systemctl stop nscd");
+      machine.succeed('LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/run/current-system/sw/lib" ping -n -c 1 ${containerName}');
+      machine.succeed("systemctl start nscd");
 
       # Test systemd-nspawn uses a user namespace
       machine.succeed("test $(machinectl status ${containerName} | grep 'UID Shift: ' | wc -l) = 1")
@@ -73,6 +84,14 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix (
       machine.succeed("machinectl reboot ${containerName}");
       machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl -M ${containerName} is-active default.target");
 
+      # Restart machine
+      machine.shutdown()
+      machine.start()
+      machine.wait_for_unit("default.target");
+
+      # Test auto-start
+      machine.succeed("machinectl show ${containerName}")
+
       # Test machinectl stop
       machine.succeed("machinectl stop ${containerName}");
       machine.wait_until_succeeds("test $(systemctl is-active systemd-nspawn@${containerName}) = inactive");