diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
index 426da778f43..6977880fa28 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ let
       cp -pvd ${pkgs.busybox}/bin/* ${pkgs.busybox}/sbin/* $out/bin/
 
       # Copy some utillinux stuff.
-      cp -vf ${pkgs.utillinux}/sbin/blkid $out/bin
+      cp -vf --remove-destination ${pkgs.utillinux}/sbin/blkid $out/bin
       cp -pdv ${pkgs.utillinux}/lib/libblkid*.so.* $out/lib
       cp -pdv ${pkgs.utillinux}/lib/libuuid*.so.* $out/lib
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix b/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
index 58386ce5cf5..33f48d65d43 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ in
     boot.initrd.extraUtilsCommands =
       ''
         # We need mke2fs in the initrd.
-        cp -f ${pkgs.e2fsprogs}/sbin/mke2fs $out/bin
+        cp -vf --remove-destination ${pkgs.e2fsprogs}/sbin/mke2fs $out/bin
       '';
 
     boot.initrd.postDeviceCommands =