diff --git a/doc/manual/development.xml b/doc/manual/development.xml
index 56c071cce98..5ddf5d935d1 100644
--- a/doc/manual/development.xml
+++ b/doc/manual/development.xml
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ boot correctly is to use QEMU’s <option>-kernel</option> and
 <screen>
 $ nix-build /etc/nixos/nixos -A config.system.build.initialRamdisk -o initrd
 $ nix-build /etc/nixos/nixos -A config.system.build.kernel -o kernel
-$ qemu-system-x86_64 -kernel ./kernel/vmlinuz -initrd ./initrd/initrd -hda /dev/null
+$ qemu-system-x86_64 -kernel ./kernel/bzImage -initrd ./initrd/initrd -hda /dev/null
 </screen>
 
 </para>
diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
index 3135fa2cda4..f84233e923a 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ in
 
   # !!! Hack - attributes expected by other modules.
   system.build.menuBuilder = "true";
-  system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "vmlinuz";
+  system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "bzImage";
   environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.grub2 ];
 
   # In stage 1 of the boot, mount the CD/DVD as the root FS by label
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ in
       { source = pkgs.writeText "grub.cfg" grubCfg;
         target = "/boot/grub/grub.cfg";
       }
-      { source = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel + "/vmlinuz";
-        target = "/boot/vmlinuz";
+      { source = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel + "/bzImage";
+        target = "/boot/bzImage";
       }
       { source = config.system.build.initialRamdisk + "/initrd";
         target = "/boot/initrd";
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ in
   boot.loader.grub.extraEntries =
     ''
       menuentry "NixOS Installer / Rescue" {
-        linux /boot/vmlinuz init=${config.system.build.bootStage2} systemConfig=${config.system.build.toplevel} ${toString config.boot.kernelParams}
+        linux /boot/bzImage init=${config.system.build.bootStage2} systemConfig=${config.system.build.toplevel} ${toString config.boot.kernelParams}
         initrd /boot/initrd
       }
 
diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball.nix
index f5684c7c1eb..70bb12eac00 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball.nix
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ in
 
   # !!! Hack - attributes expected by other modules.
   system.build.menuBuilder = "true";
-  system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "vmlinuz";
+  system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "bzImage";
   environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.grub2 ];
 
   # In stage 1 of the boot, mount the CD/DVD as the root FS by label
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ in
   # Individual files to be included on the CD, outside of the Nix
   # store on the CD.
   tarball.contents =
-    [ { source = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel + "/vmlinuz";
-        target = "/boot/vmlinuz";
+    [ { source = config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel + "/bzImage";
+        target = "/boot/bzImage";
       }
       { source = config.system.build.initialRamdisk + "/initrd";
         target = "/boot/initrd";
diff --git a/modules/installer/generations-dir/generations-dir.nix b/modules/installer/generations-dir/generations-dir.nix
index 4b999a8d5a4..304fb1a6a42 100644
--- a/modules/installer/generations-dir/generations-dir.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/generations-dir/generations-dir.nix
@@ -61,6 +61,6 @@ in
     boot.loader.kernelFile = (
        if (platform.name == "sheevaplug") then "uImage"
        else if (platform.name == "versatileARM") then "zImage"
-       else "vmlinuz");
+       else "bzImage");
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/installer/grub/grub.nix b/modules/installer/grub/grub.nix
index e3df1593e71..f393d04955a 100644
--- a/modules/installer/grub/grub.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/grub/grub.nix
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ in
     # Common attribute for boot loaders so only one of them can be
     # set at once.
     system.boot.loader.id = "grub";
-    system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "vmlinuz";
+    system.boot.loader.kernelFile = "bzImage";
 
     environment.systemPackages = mkIf config.boot.loader.grub.enable [ grub ];