diff --git a/nixos/tests/xmpp/prosody.nix b/nixos/tests/xmpp/prosody.nix
index 14eab56fb821..045ae6430fd4 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/xmpp/prosody.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/xmpp/prosody.nix
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ in import ../make-test-python.nix {
         ${nodes.server.config.networking.primaryIPAddress} uploads.example.com
       '';
       environment.systemPackages = [
-        (pkgs.callPackage ./xmpp-sendmessage.nix { connectTo = nodes.server.config.networking.primaryIPAddress; })
+        (pkgs.callPackage ./xmpp-sendmessage.nix { connectTo = "example.com"; })
       ];
     };
     server = { config, pkgs, ... }: {
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ in import ../make-test-python.nix {
 
   testScript = { nodes, ... }: ''
     # Check with sqlite storage
+    start_all()
     server.wait_for_unit("prosody.service")
     server.succeed('prosodyctl status | grep "Prosody is running"')
 
diff --git a/nixos/tests/xmpp/xmpp-sendmessage.nix b/nixos/tests/xmpp/xmpp-sendmessage.nix
index 4c009464b704..8ccac0612491 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/xmpp/xmpp-sendmessage.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/xmpp/xmpp-sendmessage.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ in writeScriptBin "send-message" ''
 #!${(python3.withPackages (ps: [ ps.slixmpp ])).interpreter}
 import logging
 import sys
+import signal
 from types import MethodType
 
 from slixmpp import ClientXMPP
@@ -64,8 +65,13 @@ class CthonTest(ClientXMPP):
         log.info('MUC join success!')
         log.info('XMPP SCRIPT TEST SUCCESS')
 
+def timeout_handler(signalnum, stackframe):
+    print('ERROR: xmpp-sendmessage timed out')
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, timeout_handler)
+    signal.alarm(120)
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
                         format='%(levelname)-8s %(message)s')
 
@@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     ct.register_plugin('xep_0363')
     # MUC
     ct.register_plugin('xep_0045')
-    ct.connect(("server", 5222))
+    ct.connect(("${connectTo}", 5222))
     ct.process(forever=False)
 
     if not ct.test_succeeded: