diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/get-version-suffix b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/get-version-suffix
deleted file mode 100644
index 8d72905cdcb4..000000000000
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/get-version-suffix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-getVersion() {
-    local dir="$1"
-    rev=
-    gitDir="$dir/.git"
-    if [ -e "$gitDir" ]; then
-        if [ -z "$(type -P git)" ]; then
-            echo "warning: Git not found; cannot figure out revision of $dir" >&2
-            return
-        fi
-        cd "$dir"
-        rev=$(git --git-dir="$gitDir" rev-parse --short HEAD)
-        if git --git-dir="$gitDir" describe --always --dirty | grep -q dirty; then
-            rev+=M
-        fi
-    fi
-}
-
-if nixpkgs=$(nix-instantiate --find-file nixpkgs "$@"); then
-    getVersion $nixpkgs
-    if [ -n "$rev" ]; then
-        echo ".git.$rev"
-    fi
-fi
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
index 7f16b97440c1..3c5816858a46 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
@@ -17,26 +17,9 @@ let
     '';
   });
 
-  nixos-build-vms = makeProg {
-    name = "nixos-build-vms";
-    src = ./nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh;
-    inherit (pkgs) runtimeShell;
-    manPage = ./manpages/nixos-build-vms.8;
-  };
-
-  nixos-install = makeProg {
-    name = "nixos-install";
-    src = ./nixos-install.sh;
-    inherit (pkgs) runtimeShell;
-    nix = config.nix.package.out;
-    path = makeBinPath [
-      pkgs.jq
-      nixos-enter
-      pkgs.util-linuxMinimal
-    ];
-    manPage = ./manpages/nixos-install.8;
-  };
+  inherit (pkgs) nixos-build-vms;
 
+  nixos-install = pkgs.nixos-install.override { nix = config.nix.package; };
   nixos-rebuild = pkgs.nixos-rebuild.override { nix = config.nix.package.out; };
 
   nixos-generate-config = makeProg {
@@ -69,16 +52,7 @@ let
     manPage = ./manpages/nixos-version.8;
   };
 
-  nixos-enter = makeProg {
-    name = "nixos-enter";
-    src = ./nixos-enter.sh;
-    inherit (pkgs) runtimeShell;
-    path = makeBinPath [
-      pkgs.util-linuxMinimal
-    ];
-    manPage = ./manpages/nixos-enter.8;
-  };
-
+  inherit (pkgs) nixos-enter;
 in
 
 {
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix
similarity index 87%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix
index 21a257378a63..12b3c44746a4 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 { system ? builtins.currentSystem
 , config ? {}
+, nixpkgs
 , networkExpr
 }:
 
@@ -9,9 +10,9 @@ let
     imports = [ module ];
   }) (import networkExpr);
 
-  pkgs = import ../../../../.. { inherit system config; };
+  pkgs = import nixpkgs { inherit system config; };
 
-  testing = import ../../../../lib/testing-python.nix {
+  testing = import "${pkgs.path}/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix" {
     inherit system pkgs;
   };
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-build-vms.8 b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.8
similarity index 100%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-build-vms.8
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.8
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh
similarity index 86%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh
index 490ede04e6bb..d55eb5d0620f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/nixos-build-vms.sh
@@ -49,5 +49,6 @@ then
 fi
 
 # Build a network of VMs
-nix-build '<nixpkgs/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-build-vms/build-vms.nix>' \
-    --argstr networkExpr "$networkExpr" "${nixBuildArgs[@]}"
+nix-build @buildVms@ \
+    --argstr networkExpr "$networkExpr" "${nixBuildArgs[@]}" \
+    --arg nixpkgs "<nixpkgs>"
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/package.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fc8b4f403e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-build-vms/package.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  substituteAll,
+  runtimeShell,
+  installShellFiles,
+}:
+substituteAll {
+  name = "nixos-build-vms";
+  src = ./nixos-build-vms.sh;
+  inherit runtimeShell;
+  buildVms = ./build-vms.nix;
+
+  dir = "bin";
+  isExecutable = true;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ installShellFiles ];
+
+  postInstall = ''
+    installManPage ${./nixos-build-vms.8}
+  '';
+
+  meta.mainProgram = "nixos-build-vms";
+}
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-enter.8 b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/nixos-enter.8
similarity index 100%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-enter.8
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/nixos-enter.8
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-enter.sh b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/nixos-enter.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-enter.sh
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/nixos-enter.sh
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/package.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a548eed4092e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-enter/package.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  substituteAll,
+  runtimeShell,
+  installShellFiles,
+  util-linuxMinimal,
+}:
+substituteAll {
+  name = "nixos-enter";
+  src = ./nixos-enter.sh;
+
+  inherit runtimeShell;
+
+  path = lib.makeBinPath [
+    util-linuxMinimal
+  ];
+
+  dir = "bin";
+  isExecutable = true;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ installShellFiles ];
+
+  postInstall = ''
+    installManPage ${./nixos-enter.8}
+  '';
+
+  meta.mainProgram = "nixos-enter";
+}
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-install.8 b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/nixos-install.8
similarity index 100%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/manpages/nixos-install.8
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/nixos-install.8
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-install.sh b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/nixos-install.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-install.sh
rename to pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/nixos-install.sh
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/package.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0d8ee638acc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-install/package.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  substituteAll,
+  runtimeShell,
+  installShellFiles,
+  nix,
+  jq,
+  nixos-enter,
+  util-linuxMinimal,
+}:
+substituteAll {
+  name = "nixos-install";
+  src = ./nixos-install.sh;
+
+  inherit runtimeShell nix;
+
+  path = lib.makeBinPath [
+    jq
+    nixos-enter
+    util-linuxMinimal
+  ];
+
+  dir = "bin";
+  isExecutable = true;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ installShellFiles ];
+
+  postInstall = ''
+    installManPage ${./nixos-install.8}
+  '';
+
+  meta.mainProgram = "nixos-install";
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
index 957f03c5fc8e..023bdde5b90d 100755
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
@@ -548,6 +548,26 @@ getNixDrv() {
     fi
 }
 
+getVersion() {
+    local dir="$1"
+    local rev=
+    local gitDir="$dir/.git"
+    if [ -e "$gitDir" ]; then
+        if [ -z "$(type -P git)" ]; then
+            echo "warning: Git not found; cannot figure out revision of $dir" >&2
+            return
+        fi
+        cd "$dir"
+        rev=$(git --git-dir="$gitDir" rev-parse --short HEAD)
+        if git --git-dir="$gitDir" describe --always --dirty | grep -q dirty; then
+            rev+=M
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    echo ".git.$rev"
+}
+
+
 if [[ -n $buildNix && -z $flake ]]; then
     log "building Nix..."
     getNixDrv
@@ -569,7 +589,7 @@ fi
 # nixos-version shows something useful).
 if [[ -n $canRun && -z $flake ]]; then
     if nixpkgs=$(runCmd nix-instantiate --find-file nixpkgs "${extraBuildFlags[@]}"); then
-        suffix=$(runCmd $SHELL "$nixpkgs/nixos/modules/installer/tools/get-version-suffix" "${extraBuildFlags[@]}" || true)
+        suffix=$(getVersion "$nixpkgs" || true)
         if [ -n "$suffix" ]; then
             echo -n "$suffix" > "$nixpkgs/.version-suffix" || true
         fi