diff --git a/boot/login.sh b/boot/login.sh
index 9222b2aba13..14bb418bd9a 100644
--- a/boot/login.sh
+++ b/boot/login.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ exec < $tty > $tty 2>&1
 echo
 echo "=== Welcome to Nix! ==="
 
-export HOME=/home/root
+export HOME=/root
 cd $HOME
 
 exec @bash@/bin/sh
diff --git a/fill-disk.sh b/fill-disk.sh
index 8391eef8b82..84ace7b66d7 100755
--- a/fill-disk.sh
+++ b/fill-disk.sh
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ make_dir 00755 /dev
 make_dir 00755 /etc # global non-constant configuration
 make_dir 00755 /etc-secret
 make_dir 00755 /home
-make_dir 00755 /home/root
 make_dir 00755 /lib
 make_dir 00755 /lib/modules
 make_dir 00755 /mnt
@@ -145,6 +144,7 @@ make_dir 00755 /nix/var/log/nix
 make_dir 00755 /nixpkgs
 make_dir 00755 /nixpkgs/trunk
 make_dir 00755 /proc
+make_dir 00750 /root
 make_dir 00755 /sbin
 make_dir 00755 /sys
 make_dir 01777 /tmp