diff --git a/nixos/lib/build-vms.nix b/nixos/lib/build-vms.nix
index a5580f4712eb..6c92aa1ffa2f 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/build-vms.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/build-vms.nix
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ rec {
 
     import ./eval-config.nix {
       inherit system;
-      modules = configurations ++
+      modules = configurations ++ extraConfigurations;
+      baseModules =  (import ../modules/module-list.nix) ++
         [ ../modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
           ../modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix # !!! should only get added for automated test runs
           { key = "no-manual"; documentation.nixos.enable = false; }
           { key = "qemu"; system.build.qemu = qemu; }
-        ] ++ optional minimal ../modules/testing/minimal-kernel.nix
-          ++ extraConfigurations;
-      extraArgs = { inherit nodes; };
+          { key = "nodes"; _module.args.nodes = nodes; }
+        ] ++ optional minimal ../modules/testing/minimal-kernel.nix;
     };
 
 
diff --git a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
index 9bce49c9e302..10a381c2c8f4 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ in
   nat.standalone = handleTest ./nat.nix { withFirewall = false; };
   ndppd = handleTest ./ndppd.nix {};
   neo4j = handleTest ./neo4j.nix {};
+  nesting = handleTest ./nesting.nix {};
   netdata = handleTest ./netdata.nix {};
   networking.networkd = handleTest ./networking.nix { networkd = true; };
   networking.scripted = handleTest ./networking.nix { networkd = false; };
diff --git a/nixos/tests/nesting.nix b/nixos/tests/nesting.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1306d6f8e0c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/tests/nesting.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import ./make-test.nix {
+  name = "nesting";
+  nodes =  {
+    clone = { pkgs, ... }: {
+      environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.cowsay ];
+      nesting.clone = [
+        ({ pkgs, ... }: {
+          environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.hello ];
+        })
+      ];
+    };
+    children = { pkgs, ... }: {
+      environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.cowsay ];
+      nesting.children = [
+        ({ pkgs, ... }: {
+          environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.hello ];
+        })
+      ];
+    };
+  };
+  testScript = ''
+    $clone->waitForUnit("default.target");
+    $clone->succeed("cowsay hey");
+    $clone->fail("hello");
+
+    # Nested clones do inherit from parent
+    $clone->succeed("/run/current-system/fine-tune/child-1/bin/switch-to-configuration test");
+    $clone->succeed("cowsay hey");
+    $clone->succeed("hello");
+    
+
+    $children->waitForUnit("default.target");
+    $children->succeed("cowsay hey");
+    $children->fail("hello");
+
+    # Nested children do not inherit from parent
+    $children->succeed("/run/current-system/fine-tune/child-1/bin/switch-to-configuration test");
+    $children->fail("cowsay hey");
+    $children->succeed("hello");
+
+  '';
+}