diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/package.nix
index b75960263e2d..1e2c8363ad6c 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/package.nix
@@ -134,14 +134,17 @@ python3Packages.buildPythonApplication rec {
         # NOTE: this is a passthru test rather than a build-time test because we
         # want to keep the build closures small
         linters = runCommand "${pname}-linters" { nativeBuildInputs = [ python-with-pkgs ]; } ''
+          export MYPY_CACHE_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
           export RUFF_CACHE_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
 
+          pushd ${src}
           echo -e "\x1b[32m## run mypy\x1b[0m"
-          mypy ${src}
+          mypy .
           echo -e "\x1b[32m## run ruff\x1b[0m"
-          ruff check ${src}
+          ruff check .
           echo -e "\x1b[32m## run ruff format\x1b[0m"
-          ruff format --check ${src}
+          ruff format --check .
+          popd
 
           touch $out
         '';
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/constants.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/constants.py
index a00327060765..03d4bb79eb61 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/constants.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/constants.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# mypy: disable-error-code=comparison-overlap
 from typing import Final
 
 # Build-time flags
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/models.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/models.py
index d804a1c07ad6..ef249b9a718a 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/models.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/models.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from typing import Any, ClassVar, Self, TypedDict, override
 
 from .process import Remote, run_wrapper
 
-type ImageVariants = list[str]
+type ImageVariants = dict[str, str]
 
 
 class NixOSRebuildError(Exception):
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def _get_hostname(target_host: Remote | None) -> str | None:
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class Flake:
-    path: Path | str
+    path: str
     attr: str
     _re: ClassVar = re.compile(r"^(?P<path>[^\#]*)\#?(?P<attr>[^\#\"]*)$")
 
@@ -86,11 +86,7 @@ class Flake:
 
     @override
     def __str__(self) -> str:
-        if isinstance(self.path, Path):
-            # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/433726
-            return f"{self.path.absolute()}#{self.attr}"
-        else:
-            return f"{self.path}#{self.attr}"
+        return f"{self.path}#{self.attr}"
 
     @classmethod
     def parse(cls, flake_str: str, target_host: Remote | None = None) -> Self:
@@ -101,10 +97,7 @@ class Flake:
             f'nixosConfigurations."{attr or _get_hostname(target_host) or "default"}"'
         )
         path = m.group("path")
-        if ":" in path:
-            return cls(path, nixos_attr)
-        else:
-            return cls(Path(path), nixos_attr)
+        return cls(path, nixos_attr)
 
     @classmethod
     def from_arg(cls, flake_arg: Any, target_host: Remote | None) -> Self | None:  # noqa: ANN401
@@ -125,6 +118,12 @@ class Flake:
                 else:
                     return None
 
+    def resolve_path_if_exists(self) -> str:
+        try:
+            return str(Path(self.path).resolve(strict=True))
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return self.path
+
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class Generation:
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/nix.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/nix.py
index 8580ddffd83a..9a7062c816eb 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/nix.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/nix.py
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ def repl_flake(flake: Flake, flake_flags: Args | None = None) -> None:
         files(__package__).joinpath(FLAKE_REPL_TEMPLATE).read_text()
     ).substitute(
         flake=flake,
-        flake_path=flake.path.resolve() if isinstance(flake.path, Path) else flake.path,
+        flake_path=flake.resolve_path_if_exists(),
         flake_attr=flake.attr,
         bold="\033[1m",
         blue="\033[34;1m",
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/utils.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/utils.py
index b5057e0cc255..6cdfaba456c6 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/utils.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/utils.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class LogFormatter(logging.Formatter):
     }
 
     @override
-    def format(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> str:
+    def format(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> Any:
         record.levelname = record.levelname.lower()
         formatter = self.formatters.get(record.levelno, self.formatters["DEFAULT"])
         return formatter.format(record)
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_models.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_models.py
index 0663d73ef538..544233e6fd73 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_models.py
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ def test_build_attr_to_attr() -> None:
 @patch("platform.node", autospec=True, return_value=None)
 def test_flake_parse(mock_node: Mock, tmpdir: Path, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     assert m.Flake.parse("/path/to/flake#attr") == m.Flake(
-        Path("/path/to/flake"), 'nixosConfigurations."attr"'
+        "/path/to/flake", 'nixosConfigurations."attr"'
     )
     assert m.Flake.parse("/path/ to /flake") == m.Flake(
-        Path("/path/ to /flake"), 'nixosConfigurations."default"'
+        "/path/ to /flake", 'nixosConfigurations."default"'
     )
     with patch(
         get_qualified_name(m.run_wrapper, m),
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ def test_flake_parse(mock_node: Mock, tmpdir: Path, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch) ->
     ):
         target_host = m.Remote("target@remote", [], None)
         assert m.Flake.parse("/path/to/flake", target_host) == m.Flake(
-            Path("/path/to/flake"), 'nixosConfigurations."remote"'
+            "/path/to/flake", 'nixosConfigurations."remote"'
         )
-    assert m.Flake.parse(".#attr") == m.Flake(Path("."), 'nixosConfigurations."attr"')
-    assert m.Flake.parse("#attr") == m.Flake(Path("."), 'nixosConfigurations."attr"')
-    assert m.Flake.parse(".") == m.Flake(Path("."), 'nixosConfigurations."default"')
+    assert m.Flake.parse(".#attr") == m.Flake(".", 'nixosConfigurations."attr"')
+    assert m.Flake.parse("#attr") == m.Flake("", 'nixosConfigurations."attr"')
+    assert m.Flake.parse(".") == m.Flake(".", 'nixosConfigurations."default"')
     assert m.Flake.parse("path:/to/flake#attr") == m.Flake(
         "path:/to/flake", 'nixosConfigurations."attr"'
     )
@@ -64,19 +64,33 @@ def test_flake_parse(mock_node: Mock, tmpdir: Path, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch) ->
 
 def test_flake_to_attr() -> None:
     assert (
-        m.Flake(Path("/path/to/flake"), "nixosConfigurations.preAttr").to_attr(
+        m.Flake("/path/to/flake", "nixosConfigurations.preAttr").to_attr(
             "attr1", "attr2"
         )
         == "/path/to/flake#nixosConfigurations.preAttr.attr1.attr2"
     )
 
 
-def test_flake__str__(monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch, tmpdir: Path) -> None:
+def test_flake__str__() -> None:
     assert str(m.Flake("github:nixos/nixpkgs", "attr")) == "github:nixos/nixpkgs#attr"
-    assert str(m.Flake(Path("/etc/nixos"), "attr")) == "/etc/nixos#attr"
+    assert str(m.Flake("/etc/nixos", "attr")) == "/etc/nixos#attr"
+    assert str(m.Flake(".", "attr")) == ".#attr"
+    assert str(m.Flake("", "attr")) == "#attr"
+
+
+def test_flake_resolve_path_if_exists(monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch, tmpdir: Path) -> None:
+    assert (
+        m.Flake("github:nixos/nixpkgs", "attr").resolve_path_if_exists()
+        == "github:nixos/nixpkgs"
+    )
+    assert (
+        m.Flake("/an/inexistent/path", "attr").resolve_path_if_exists()
+        == "/an/inexistent/path"
+    )
     with monkeypatch.context() as patch_context:
         patch_context.chdir(tmpdir)
-        assert str(m.Flake(Path("."), "attr")) == f"{tmpdir}#attr"
+        assert m.Flake(str(tmpdir), "attr").resolve_path_if_exists() == str(tmpdir)
+        assert m.Flake(".", "attr").resolve_path_if_exists() == str(tmpdir)
 
 
 @patch("platform.node", autospec=True)
@@ -87,7 +101,7 @@ def test_flake_from_arg(
 
     # Flake string
     assert m.Flake.from_arg("/path/to/flake#attr", None) == m.Flake(
-        Path("/path/to/flake"), 'nixosConfigurations."attr"'
+        "/path/to/flake", 'nixosConfigurations."attr"'
     )
 
     # False
@@ -97,7 +111,7 @@ def test_flake_from_arg(
     with monkeypatch.context() as patch_context:
         patch_context.chdir(tmpdir)
         assert m.Flake.from_arg(True, None) == m.Flake(
-            Path("."), 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
+            ".", 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
         )
 
     # None when we do not have /etc/nixos/flake.nix
@@ -122,7 +136,7 @@ def test_flake_from_arg(
         ),
     ):
         assert m.Flake.from_arg(None, None) == m.Flake(
-            Path("/etc/nixos"), 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
+            "/etc/nixos", 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
         )
 
     with (
@@ -138,7 +152,7 @@ def test_flake_from_arg(
         ),
     ):
         assert m.Flake.from_arg(None, None) == m.Flake(
-            Path("/path/to"), 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
+            "/path/to", 'nixosConfigurations."hostname"'
         )
 
     with (
@@ -149,7 +163,7 @@ def test_flake_from_arg(
         ),
     ):
         assert m.Flake.from_arg("/path/to", m.Remote("user@host", [], None)) == m.Flake(
-            Path("/path/to"), 'nixosConfigurations."remote-hostname"'
+            "/path/to", 'nixosConfigurations."remote-hostname"'
         )
 
 
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_nix.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_nix.py
index a61004a60d6a..6cc525410fe4 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_nix.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_nix.py
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ def test_get_build_image_variants(mock_run: Mock, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     ),
 )
 def test_get_build_image_variants_flake(mock_run: Mock) -> None:
-    flake = m.Flake(Path("/flake.nix"), "myAttr")
+    flake = m.Flake("/flake.nix", "myAttr")
     assert n.get_build_image_variants_flake(flake, {"eval_flag": True}) == {
         "azure": "nixos-image-azure-25.05.20250102.6df2492-x86_64-linux.vhd",
         "vmware": "nixos-image-vmware-25.05.20250102.6df2492-x86_64-linux.vmdk",
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ def test_repl(mock_run: Mock) -> None:
 
 @patch(get_qualified_name(n.run_wrapper, n), autospec=True)
 def test_repl_flake(mock_run: Mock) -> None:
-    n.repl_flake(m.Flake(Path("flake.nix"), "myAttr"), {"nix_flag": True})
+    n.repl_flake(m.Flake("flake.nix", "myAttr"), {"nix_flag": True})
     # See nixos-rebuild-ng.tests.repl for a better test,
     # this is mostly for sanity check
     assert mock_run.call_count == 1