diff --git a/tests/installer.nix b/tests/installer.nix
index ace42492424..bd2e79b9fe3 100644
--- a/tests/installer.nix
+++ b/tests/installer.nix
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ let
       # Make the Nix store in this VM writable using AUFS.  Use Linux
       # 2.6.27 because 2.6.32 doesn't work (probably we need AUFS2).
       # This should probably be moved to qemu-vm.nix.
-      boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.kernelPackages_2_6_27;
+      boot.kernelPackages = (if pkgs ? linuxPackages then
+        pkgs.linuxPackages_2_6_27 else pkgs.kernelPackages_2_6_27);
       boot.extraModulePackages = [ config.boot.kernelPackages.aufs ];
       boot.initrd.availableKernelModules = [ "aufs" ];