diff --git a/test/boot-stage-1-init.sh b/test/boot-stage-1-init.sh
index c3dd9e888787..782ff485c417 100644
--- a/test/boot-stage-1-init.sh
+++ b/test/boot-stage-1-init.sh
@@ -11,5 +11,8 @@ for i in @path@; do
     PATH=$PATH:$i/bin
 done
 
+# Create device nodes in /dev.
+source @makeDevices@
+
 # Start an interactive shell.
 exec @shell@
diff --git a/test/boot-stage-1.nix b/test/boot-stage-1.nix
index da053a9e6c9f..e54778888621 100644
--- a/test/boot-stage-1.nix
+++ b/test/boot-stage-1.nix
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ genericSubstituter {
   path = [
     staticTools
   ];
+  makeDevices = ./make-devices.sh;
 }
diff --git a/test/make-devices.sh b/test/make-devices.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dead9814f7a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/make-devices.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#mknod -m 0600 /dev/console c 5 1
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/ttyS0 c 4 64
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/ttyS1 c 4 65
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/ttyS2 c 4 66
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/ttyS3 c 4 67
+
+# base UNIX devices
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/mem c 1 1
+mknod -m 0666 /dev/null c 1 3
+mknod -m 0666 /dev/zero c 1 5
+
+# tty
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty c 5 0
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty0 c 4 0
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty1 c 4 1
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty2 c 4 2
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty3 c 4 3
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty4 c 4 4
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty5 c 4 5
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty6 c 4 6
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty7 c 4 7
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty8 c 4 8
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/tty9 c 4 9
+
+mkdir -m 0755 /dev/pts
+mknod -m 0666 /dev/ptmx c 5 2
+
+# random
+
+mknod -m 0644 /dev/random c 1 8
+mknod -m 0644 /dev/urandom c 1 9
+
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hda b 3 0
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hda1 b 3 1
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hda2 b 3 2
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hda3 b 3 3
+
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdb b 3 64
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdb1 b 3 65
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdb2 b 3 66
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdb3 b 3 67
+
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdc b 22 0
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdc1 b 22 1
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdc2 b 22 2
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdc3 b 22 3
+
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdd b 22 64
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdd1 b 22 65
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdd2 b 22 66
+mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdd3 b 22 67
+
+#mknod -m 0660 /dev/sda b 8 0
+#mknod -m 0660 /dev/sda1 b 8 1
+#mknod -m 0660 /dev/sda2 b 8 2
+#mknod -m 0660 /dev/sda3 b 8 3
+
+mknod -m 0600 /dev/initctl p
diff --git a/test/make-initrd.sh b/test/make-initrd.sh
index f3b522d53849..2620b90eec75 100644
--- a/test/make-initrd.sh
+++ b/test/make-initrd.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ packagesClosure=$(/nix/bin/nix-store -qR $packages $init)
 # won't unpack 'em.
 mkdir root
 cd root
-cp -prvd --parents $packagesClosure .
+cp -prd --parents $packagesClosure .
 
 # Put the closure in a gzipped cpio archive.
 ensureDir $out