diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/__init__.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/__init__.py
index 95517c0ac920..da444403bff1 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/__init__.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/nixos_rebuild/__init__.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def get_parser() -> tuple[argparse.ArgumentParser, dict[str, argparse.ArgumentPa
 
     common_build_flags = argparse.ArgumentParser(add_help=False)
     common_build_flags.add_argument("--builders")
-    common_build_flags.add_argument("--include", "-I")
+    common_build_flags.add_argument("--include", "-I", action="append")
     common_build_flags.add_argument("--quiet", action="store_true")
     common_build_flags.add_argument("--print-build-logs", "-L", action="store_true")
     common_build_flags.add_argument("--show-trace", action="store_true")
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 edf4d8ccdaa3..6fbf53a8c00b 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
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ def dict_to_flags(d: Args | None) -> list[str]:
                 flags.append(flag)
                 flags.append(value)
             case list():
-                flags.append(flag)
                 for v in value:
+                    flags.append(flag)
                     flags.append(v)
             case _:
                 assert_never(value)
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_main.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_main.py
index de376135678e..858916b682c9 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_main.py
@@ -150,6 +150,55 @@ def test_execute_nix_boot(mock_run: Any, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     )
 
 
+@patch.dict(nr.process.os.environ, {}, clear=True)
+@patch(get_qualified_name(nr.process.subprocess.run), autospec=True)
+def test_execute_nix_build_vm(mock_run: Any, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    config_path = tmp_path / "test"
+    config_path.touch()
+
+    def run_side_effect(args: list[str], **kwargs: Any) -> CompletedProcess[str]:
+        if args[0] == "nix-build":
+            return CompletedProcess([], 0, str(config_path))
+        else:
+            return CompletedProcess([], 0)
+
+    mock_run.side_effect = run_side_effect
+
+    nr.execute(
+        [
+            "nixos-rebuild",
+            "build-vm",
+            "--no-flake",
+            "-I",
+            "nixos-config=./configuration.nix",
+            "-I",
+            "nixpkgs=$HOME/.nix-defexpr/channels/pinned_nixpkgs",
+            "--fast",
+        ]
+    )
+
+    assert mock_run.call_count == 1
+    mock_run.assert_has_calls(
+        [
+            call(
+                [
+                    "nix-build",
+                    "<nixpkgs/nixos>",
+                    "--attr",
+                    "config.system.build.vm",
+                    "--include",
+                    "nixos-config=./configuration.nix",
+                    "--include",
+                    "nixpkgs=$HOME/.nix-defexpr/channels/pinned_nixpkgs",
+                ],
+                check=True,
+                stdout=PIPE,
+                **DEFAULT_RUN_KWARGS,
+            )
+        ]
+    )
+
+
 @patch.dict(nr.process.os.environ, {}, clear=True)
 @patch(get_qualified_name(nr.process.subprocess.run), autospec=True)
 def test_execute_nix_build_image_flake(mock_run: Any, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_utils.py b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_utils.py
index de573a2b55a2..cfa224478053 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ni/nixos-rebuild-ng/src/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def test_dict_to_flags() -> None:
         "value",
         "--test-flag-4",
         "v1",
+        "--test-flag-4",
         "v2",
         "-t",
         "-vvvvv",