diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-pc.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-pc.nix
index c1a738568877..035b6dd6c0ad 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-pc.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-pc.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # This module contains the basic configuration for building a NixOS
-# installation CD.
+# tarball, that can directly boot, maybe using PXE or unpacking on a fs.
 
 { config, pkgs, ... }:
 
@@ -164,10 +164,20 @@ in
   # To be able to use the systemTarball to catch troubles.
   boot.crashDump = {
     enable = true;
-    # Why not a recent kernel?
-    kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_3_2;
+    kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_3_4;
   };
 
+  # No grub for the tarball.
+  boot.loader.grub.enable = false;
+
+  /* fake entry, just to have a happy stage-1. Users
+     may boot without having stage-1 though */
+  fileSystems = [
+    { mountPoint = "/";
+      device = "/dev/something";
+      }
+  ];
+
   nixpkgs.config = {
     packageOverrides = p: rec {
       linux_3_2 = p.linux_3_2.override {