diff --git a/nixos/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix b/nixos/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
index 2986bd4c4e3..be5fa88b8ad 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
@@ -45,15 +45,21 @@ with import ../../lib/qemu-flags.nix { inherit pkgs; };
     systemd.services."serial-getty@${qemuSerialDevice}".enable = false;
     systemd.services."serial-getty@hvc0".enable = false;
 
-    # Only use a serial console, no TTY.
-    # NOTE: optionalAttrs
-    #       test-instrumentation.nix appears to be used without qemu-vm.nix, so
-    #       we avoid defining consoles if not possible.
-    # TODO: refactor such that test-instrumentation can import qemu-vm
-    #       or declare virtualisation.qemu.console option in a module that's always imported
-    virtualisation.qemu = {
-      consoles = lib.optional (options ? virtualisation.qemu.consoles) qemuSerialDevice;
-      package  = lib.mkDefault pkgs.qemu_test;
+    # Only set these settings when the options exist. Some tests (e.g. those
+    # that do not specify any nodes, or an empty attr set as nodes) will not
+    # have the QEMU module loaded and thuse these options can't and should not
+    # be set.
+    virtualisation = lib.optionalAttrs (options ? virtualisation.qemu) {
+      qemu = {
+        # Only use a serial console, no TTY.
+        # NOTE: optionalAttrs
+        #       test-instrumentation.nix appears to be used without qemu-vm.nix, so
+        #       we avoid defining consoles if not possible.
+        # TODO: refactor such that test-instrumentation can import qemu-vm
+        #       or declare virtualisation.qemu.console option in a module that's always imported
+        consoles = [ qemuSerialDevice ];
+        package  = lib.mkDefault pkgs.qemu_test;
+      };
     };
 
     boot.initrd.preDeviceCommands =