diff --git a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
index 7b48f26fb82..49e5fd767ee 100644
--- a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
+++ b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ sub new {
     
     my $name = $args->{name};
     if (!$name) {
-        $startCommand =~ /run-(.*)-vm$/;
+        $startCommand =~ /run-(.*)-vm$/ if defined $startCommand;
         $name = $1 || "machine";
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/installer.nix b/tests/installer.nix
index f4d4281a073..b356eff4947 100644
--- a/tests/installer.nix
+++ b/tests/installer.nix
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ let
     ''
       createDisk("harddisk", 4 * 1024);
 
-      my $machine = createMachine({ hda => "harddisk", cdrom => glob("${iso}/iso/*.iso"), qemuFlags => '${qemuNICFlags 1 1 1}' });
+      my $machine = createMachine({ hda => "harddisk", cdrom => glob("${iso}/iso/*.iso"), 
+        qemuFlags => '${if testChannel then qemuNICFlags 1 1 1 else ""}'});
       $machine->start;
 
       ${optionalString testChannel ''