diff --git a/nixos/tests/nix-config.nix b/nixos/tests/nix-config.nix
index b39baf3f6b50..005dd71b2f63 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/nix-config.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/nix-config.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
     start_all()
     machine.wait_for_unit("nix-daemon.socket")
     # regression test for the workaround for https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/9487
-    print(machine.succeed("nix-instantiate --find-file extra"))
-    print(machine.succeed("nix-instantiate --find-file nonextra"))
+    # unset NIX_PATH because environtment overrides the config
+    print(machine.succeed("env -u NIX_PATH nix-instantiate --find-file extra"))
+    print(machine.succeed("env -u NIX_PATH nix-instantiate --find-file nonextra"))
   '';
 }