diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 84306108..b4685d26 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ let
     { imports = [ ./hydra-module.nix ];
 
       virtualisation.memorySize = 1024;
+      virtualisation.writableStore = true;
 
       services.hydra.enable = true;
       services.hydra.package = hydraPkg;
@@ -216,9 +217,8 @@ in rec {
               , "chown -R hydra /run/jobset /tmp/nix"
               );
 
-          # Start the web interface with some weird settings.
-          $machine->succeed("systemctl stop hydra-server hydra-evaluator hydra-queue-runner");
-          $machine->mustSucceed("su - hydra -c 'NIX_STORE_DIR=/tmp/nix/store NIX_LOG_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/log/nix NIX_STATE_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/nix NIX_REMOTE= DBIC_TRACE=1 hydra-server -d' >&2 &");
+          $machine->succeed("systemctl stop hydra-evaluator hydra-queue-runner");
+          $machine->waitForJob("hydra-server");
           $machine->waitForOpenPort("3000");
 
           # Run the API tests.
diff --git a/tests/api-test.pl b/tests/api-test.pl
index 4ee2dd7a..99f05780 100644
--- a/tests/api-test.pl
+++ b/tests/api-test.pl
@@ -49,20 +49,18 @@ ok(exists $jobset->{jobsetinputs}->{"my-src"}, "The new jobset has a 'my-src' in
 
 ok($jobset->{jobsetinputs}->{"my-src"}->{jobsetinputalts}->[0] eq "/run/jobset", "The 'my-src' input is in /run/jobset");
 
-system("NIX_STORE_DIR=/tmp/nix/store NIX_LOG_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/log/nix NIX_STATE_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/nix NIX_REMOTE= hydra-evaluator sample default");
+system("hydra-evaluator sample default");
 $result = request_json({ uri => '/jobset/sample/default/evals' });
 ok($result->code() == 200, "Can get evals of a jobset");
 my $evals = decode_json($result->content())->{evals};
 my $eval = $evals->[0];
 ok($eval->{hasnewbuilds} == 1, "The first eval of a jobset has new builds");
 
-# Ugh, cached for 30s
-sleep 30;
-system("echo >> /run/jobset/default.nix; NIX_STORE_DIR=/tmp/nix/store NIX_LOG_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/log/nix NIX_STATE_DIR=/tmp/nix/var/nix hydra-evaluator sample default");
+system("echo >> /run/jobset/default.nix; hydra-evaluator sample default");
 my $evals = decode_json(request_json({ uri => '/jobset/sample/default/evals' })->content())->{evals};
 ok($evals->[0]->{jobsetevalinputs}->{"my-src"}->{revision} != $evals->[1]->{jobsetevalinputs}->{"my-src"}->{revision}, "Changing a jobset source changes its revision");
 
 my $build = decode_json(request_json({ uri => "/build/" . $evals->[0]->{builds}->[0] })->content());
 ok($build->{job} eq "job", "The build's job name is job");
 ok($build->{finished} == 0, "The build isn't finished yet");
-ok($build->{buildoutputs}->{out}->{path} =~ /^\/tmp\/nix\/store\/[a-zA-Z0-9]{32}-job$/, "The build's outpath is in the nix store and named 'job'");
+ok($build->{buildoutputs}->{out}->{path} =~ /^\/nix\/store\/[a-zA-Z0-9]{32}-job$/, "The build's outpath is in the Nix store and named 'job'");