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 9a7062c816eb..580172b3dac1 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
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ def copy_closure(
 
     sshopts = os.getenv("NIX_SSHOPTS", "")
     extra_env = {
-        "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(filter(lambda x: x, [*SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS, sshopts]))
+        "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(filter(lambda x: x, [sshopts, *SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS]))
     }
 
     def nix_copy_closure(host: Remote, to: bool) -> None:
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 6cc525410fe4..20bba2e83818 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
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ def test_build_remote(
                     Path("/path/to/file"),
                 ],
                 extra_env={
-                    "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join([*p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS, "--ssh opts"])
+                    "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(["--ssh opts", *p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS])
                 },
             ),
             call(
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ def test_build_remote_flake(
                     Path("/path/to/file"),
                 ],
                 extra_env={
-                    "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join([*p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS, "--ssh opts"])
+                    "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(["--ssh opts", *p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS])
                 },
             ),
             call(
@@ -249,13 +249,13 @@ def test_copy_closure(monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch) -> None:
         mock_run.assert_called_with(
             ["nix-copy-closure", "--copy-flag", "--from", "user@build.host", closure],
             extra_env={
-                "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join([*p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS, "--ssh build-opt"])
+                "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(["--ssh build-opt", *p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS])
             },
         )
 
     monkeypatch.setenv("NIX_SSHOPTS", "--ssh build-target-opt")
     extra_env = {
-        "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join([*p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS, "--ssh build-target-opt"])
+        "NIX_SSHOPTS": " ".join(["--ssh build-target-opt", *p.SSH_DEFAULT_OPTS])
     }
     with patch(get_qualified_name(n.run_wrapper, n), autospec=True) as mock_run:
         n.copy_closure(closure, target_host, build_host, {"copy_flag": True})