diff --git a/tests/nixos/nix-copy-closure.nix b/tests/nixos/nix-copy-closure.nix
index 66cbfb033..cd25fbbd0 100644
--- a/tests/nixos/nix-copy-closure.nix
+++ b/tests/nixos/nix-copy-closure.nix
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ in {
       "${pkgs.openssh}/bin/ssh-keygen", "-t", "ed25519", "-f", "key", "-N", ""
     ], capture_output=True, check=True)
 
+    server.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+    client.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+    server.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+    client.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+
     client.succeed("mkdir -m 700 /root/.ssh")
     client.copy_from_host("key", "/root/.ssh/id_ed25519")
     client.succeed("chmod 600 /root/.ssh/id_ed25519")
@@ -47,9 +52,8 @@ in {
     # Install the SSH key on the server.
     server.succeed("mkdir -m 700 /root/.ssh")
     server.copy_from_host("key.pub", "/root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
-    server.wait_for_unit("sshd")
-    client.wait_for_unit("network.target")
-    client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {server.name} 'echo hello world'")
+    server.wait_for_unit("sshd.service")
+    client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {server.name} 'echo hello world' >&2")
 
     # Copy the closure of package A from the client to the server.
     server.fail("nix-store --check-validity ${pkgA}")
diff --git a/tests/nixos/nix-copy.nix b/tests/nixos/nix-copy.nix
index 7db5197aa..3bcc7a988 100644
--- a/tests/nixos/nix-copy.nix
+++ b/tests/nixos/nix-copy.nix
@@ -54,8 +54,12 @@ in {
 
     start_all()
 
-    server.wait_for_unit("sshd")
-    client.wait_for_unit("network.target")
+    server.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+    client.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+    server.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+    client.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+
+    server.wait_for_unit("sshd.service")
     client.wait_for_unit("getty@tty1.service")
     # Either the prompt: ]#
     # or an OCR misreading of it: 1#
@@ -82,7 +86,7 @@ in {
     # Install the SSH key on the server.
     server.copy_from_host("key.pub", "/root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
     server.succeed("systemctl restart sshd")
-    client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {server.name} 'echo hello world'")
+    client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {server.name} 'echo hello world' >&2")
     client.succeed(f"ssh -O check {server.name}")
     client.succeed(f"ssh -O exit {server.name}")
     client.fail(f"ssh -O check {server.name}")
diff --git a/tests/nixos/remote-builds-ssh-ng.nix b/tests/nixos/remote-builds-ssh-ng.nix
index cca4066f3..5ff471607 100644
--- a/tests/nixos/remote-builds-ssh-ng.nix
+++ b/tests/nixos/remote-builds-ssh-ng.nix
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ in
 
       start_all()
 
+      builder.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+      client.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+      builder.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+      client.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+
       # Create an SSH key on the client.
       subprocess.run([
         "${hostPkgs.openssh}/bin/ssh-keygen", "-t", "ed25519", "-f", "key", "-N", ""
@@ -87,11 +92,10 @@ in
       client.succeed("chmod 600 /root/.ssh/id_ed25519")
 
       # Install the SSH key on the builder.
-      client.wait_for_unit("network.target")
       builder.succeed("mkdir -p -m 700 /root/.ssh")
       builder.copy_from_host("key.pub", "/root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
-      builder.wait_for_unit("sshd")
-      client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {builder.name} 'echo hello world'")
+      builder.wait_for_unit("sshd.service")
+      client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {builder.name} 'echo hello world' >&2")
 
       # Perform a build
       out = client.succeed("nix-build ${expr nodes.client 1} 2> build-output")
diff --git a/tests/nixos/remote-builds.nix b/tests/nixos/remote-builds.nix
index 423b9d171..d2ed7853a 100644
--- a/tests/nixos/remote-builds.nix
+++ b/tests/nixos/remote-builds.nix
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ in
 
       start_all()
 
+      builder1.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+      builder2.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+      client.succeed("systemctl start network-online.target")
+      builder1.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+      builder2.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+      client.wait_for_unit("network-online.target")
+
       # Create an SSH key on the client.
       subprocess.run([
         "${hostPkgs.openssh}/bin/ssh-keygen", "-t", "ed25519", "-f", "key", "-N", ""
@@ -94,12 +101,11 @@ in
       client.succeed("chmod 600 /root/.ssh/id_ed25519")
 
       # Install the SSH key on the builders.
-      client.wait_for_unit("network.target")
       for builder in [builder1, builder2]:
         builder.succeed("mkdir -p -m 700 /root/.ssh")
         builder.copy_from_host("key.pub", "/root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
-        builder.wait_for_unit("sshd")
-        client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {builder.name} 'echo hello world'")
+        builder.wait_for_unit("sshd.service")
+        client.succeed(f"ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {builder.name} 'echo hello world' >&2")
 
       # Perform a build and check that it was performed on the builder.
       out = client.succeed(