diff --git a/src/action/common/configure_shell_profile.rs b/src/action/common/configure_shell_profile.rs
index d6fc900..70c7300 100644
--- a/src/action/common/configure_shell_profile.rs
+++ b/src/action/common/configure_shell_profile.rs
@@ -44,25 +44,29 @@ impl ConfigureShellProfile {
         for profile_target in locations.bash.iter().chain(locations.zsh.iter()) {
             let profile_target_path = Path::new(profile_target);
             if let Some(parent) = profile_target_path.parent() {
-                if !parent.exists() {
-                    create_directories.push(
-                        CreateDirectory::plan(parent, None, None, 0o0755, false)
-                            .await
-                            .map_err(Self::error)?,
+                // Some tools (eg `nix-darwin`) create symlinks to these files, don't write to them if that's the case.
+                if !profile_target_path.is_symlink() {
+                    if !parent.exists() {
+                        create_directories.push(
+                            CreateDirectory::plan(parent, None, None, 0o0755, false)
+                                .await
+                                .map_err(Self::error)?,
+                        );
+                    }
+
+                    create_or_insert_files.push(
+                        CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
+                            profile_target_path,
+                            None,
+                            None,
+                            0o644,
+                            shell_buf.to_string(),
+                            create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
+                        )
+                        .await
+                        .map_err(Self::error)?,
                     );
                 }
-                create_or_insert_files.push(
-                    CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
-                        profile_target_path,
-                        None,
-                        None,
-                        0o644,
-                        shell_buf.to_string(),
-                        create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
-                    )
-                    .await
-                    .map_err(Self::error)?,
-                );
             }
         }
 
@@ -88,23 +92,27 @@ impl ConfigureShellProfile {
             let mut profile_target = fish_prefix_path;
             profile_target.push(locations.fish.confd_suffix.clone());
 
-            if let Some(conf_d) = profile_target.parent() {
-                create_directories.push(
-                    CreateDirectory::plan(conf_d.to_path_buf(), None, None, 0o755, false).await?,
+            // Some tools (eg `nix-darwin`) create symlinks to these files, don't write to them if that's the case.
+            if !profile_target.is_symlink() {
+                if let Some(conf_d) = profile_target.parent() {
+                    create_directories.push(
+                        CreateDirectory::plan(conf_d.to_path_buf(), None, None, 0o755, false)
+                            .await?,
+                    );
+                }
+
+                create_or_insert_files.push(
+                    CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
+                        profile_target,
+                        None,
+                        None,
+                        0o644,
+                        fish_buf.to_string(),
+                        create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
+                    )
+                    .await?,
                 );
             }
-
-            create_or_insert_files.push(
-                CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
-                    profile_target,
-                    None,
-                    None,
-                    0o644,
-                    fish_buf.to_string(),
-                    create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
-                )
-                .await?,
-            );
         }
         for fish_prefix in &locations.fish.vendor_confd_prefixes {
             let fish_prefix_path = PathBuf::from(fish_prefix);
diff --git a/src/action/macos/configure_remote_building.rs b/src/action/macos/configure_remote_building.rs
index 3d9e036..81cadc4 100644
--- a/src/action/macos/configure_remote_building.rs
+++ b/src/action/macos/configure_remote_building.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ This enables remote building, which requires `ssh host nix` to work.
  */
 #[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize, Clone)]
 pub struct ConfigureRemoteBuilding {
-    create_or_insert_into_file: StatefulAction<CreateOrInsertIntoFile>,
+    create_or_insert_into_file: Option<StatefulAction<CreateOrInsertIntoFile>>,
 }
 
 impl ConfigureRemoteBuilding {
@@ -29,16 +29,24 @@ fi
 "#
         );
 
-        let create_or_insert_into_file = CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
-            Path::new("/etc/zshenv"),
-            None,
-            None,
-            0o644,
-            shell_buf.to_string(),
-            create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
-        )
-        .await
-        .map_err(Self::error)?;
+        let zshenv = Path::new("/etc/zshenv");
+
+        let create_or_insert_into_file = if !zshenv.is_symlink() {
+            Some(
+                CreateOrInsertIntoFile::plan(
+                    zshenv,
+                    None,
+                    None,
+                    0o644,
+                    shell_buf.to_string(),
+                    create_or_insert_into_file::Position::Beginning,
+                )
+                .await
+                .map_err(Self::error)?,
+            )
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
 
         Ok(Self {
             create_or_insert_into_file,
@@ -63,7 +71,11 @@ impl Action for ConfigureRemoteBuilding {
 
     fn execute_description(&self) -> Vec<ActionDescription> {
         vec![ActionDescription::new(
-            self.tracing_synopsis(),
+            if self.create_or_insert_into_file.is_none() {
+                "Skipping configuring zsh to support using Nix in non-interactive shells, `/etc/zshenv` is a symlink".to_string()
+            } else {
+                self.tracing_synopsis()
+            },
             vec!["Update `/etc/zshenv` to import Nix".to_string()],
         )]
     }
@@ -71,11 +83,13 @@ impl Action for ConfigureRemoteBuilding {
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip_all)]
     async fn execute(&mut self) -> Result<(), ActionError> {
         let span = tracing::Span::current().clone();
-        self.create_or_insert_into_file
-            .try_execute()
-            .instrument(span)
-            .await
-            .map_err(Self::error)?;
+        if let Some(create_or_insert_into_file) = &mut self.create_or_insert_into_file {
+            create_or_insert_into_file
+                .try_execute()
+                .instrument(span)
+                .await
+                .map_err(Self::error)?;
+        }
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -89,7 +103,9 @@ impl Action for ConfigureRemoteBuilding {
 
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip_all)]
     async fn revert(&mut self) -> Result<(), ActionError> {
-        self.create_or_insert_into_file.try_revert().await?;
+        if let Some(create_or_insert_into_file) = &mut self.create_or_insert_into_file {
+            create_or_insert_into_file.try_revert().await?
+        };
 
         Ok(())
     }