diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index fdcffd0db..fed839373 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@
         ]
       },
       "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1747365160,
-        "narHash": "sha256-4ZVr0x+ry6ybym/VhVYACj0HlJo44YxAaPGOxiS88Hg=",
+        "lastModified": 1747521943,
+        "narHash": "sha256-GMAJcB8oB9cC+TbYTE7QDfw9fwHZyloxUWnUpHnQRko=",
         "owner": "nix-darwin",
         "repo": "nix-darwin",
-        "rev": "8817b00b0011750381d0d44bb94d61087349b6ba",
+        "rev": "b9b927dd1f24094b271e8ec5277a672dc4fc860d",
         "type": "github"
       },
       "original": {
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
index 3ac2019bf..71a725f57 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
@@ -9,10 +9,9 @@ from functools import cached_property
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
-from clan_lib.cmd import Log, RunOpts, run
 from clan_lib.errors import ClanCmdError, ClanError
 from clan_lib.flake import Flake
-from clan_lib.nix import nix_config, nix_eval, nix_test_store
+from clan_lib.nix import nix_config, nix_test_store
 
 from clan_cli.facts import public_modules as facts_public_modules
 from clan_cli.facts import secret_modules as facts_secret_modules
@@ -179,27 +178,6 @@ class Machine:
         ) as build_host:
             yield build_host
 
-    @cached_property
-    def deploy_as_root(self) -> bool:
-        if self._class_ == "nixos":
-            return True
-
-        # Currently nix-darwin HEAD requires you to deploy as a non-root user
-        # however there is a soon to be merged PR that requires deployment
-        # as root to match NixOS: https://github.com/nix-darwin/nix-darwin/pull/1341
-        return json.loads(
-            run(
-                nix_eval(
-                    [
-                        f"{self.flake}#darwinConfigurations.{self.name}.options.system",
-                        "--apply",
-                        "system: system ? primaryUser",
-                    ]
-                ),
-                RunOpts(log=Log.NONE),
-            ).stdout.strip()
-        )
-
     def nix(
         self,
         attr: str,
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/update.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/update.py
index ea2e99eb0..a32d55deb 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/update.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/update.py
@@ -58,11 +58,18 @@ def upload_sources(machine: Machine, host: Host) -> str:
     if not has_path_inputs:
         # Just copy the flake to the remote machine, we can substitute other inputs there.
         path = flake_data["path"]
+
+        remote_url = f"ssh-ng://{host.target}"
+
+        # MacOS doesn't come with a proper login shell for ssh and therefore doesn't have nix in $PATH as it doesn't source /etc/profile
+        if machine._class_ == "darwin":
+            remote_url += "?remote-program=bash -lc 'exec nix-daemon --stdio'"
+
         cmd = nix_command(
             [
                 "copy",
                 "--to",
-                f"ssh://{host.target}",
+                remote_url,
                 "--no-check-sigs",
                 path,
             ]
@@ -109,11 +116,6 @@ def deploy_machine(machine: Machine) -> None:
         target_host = stack.enter_context(machine.target_host())
         build_host = stack.enter_context(machine.build_host())
 
-        if machine._class_ == "darwin":
-            if not machine.deploy_as_root and target_host.user == "root":
-                msg = f"'targetHost' should be set to a non-root user for deploying to nix-darwin on machine '{machine.name}'"
-                raise ClanError(msg)
-
         host = build_host or target_host
 
         generate_facts([machine], service=None, regenerate=False)
@@ -138,9 +140,10 @@ def deploy_machine(machine: Machine) -> None:
             f"{path}#{machine.name}",
         ]
 
-        become_root = machine.deploy_as_root
+        become_root = True
 
         if machine._class_ == "nixos":
+            switch_cmd = ["nixos-rebuild", "switch", *nix_options]
             nix_options += [
                 "--fast",
                 "--build-host",
@@ -153,9 +156,13 @@ def deploy_machine(machine: Machine) -> None:
 
                 if target_host.user != "root":
                     nix_options += ["--use-remote-sudo"]
-
-        switch_cmd = [f"{machine._class_}-rebuild", "switch", *nix_options]
-        test_cmd = [f"{machine._class_}-rebuild", "test", *nix_options]
+        elif machine._class_ == "darwin":
+            # use absolute path to darwin-rebuild
+            switch_cmd = [
+                "/run/current-system/sw/bin/darwin-rebuild",
+                "switch",
+                *nix_options,
+            ]
 
         remote_env = host.nix_ssh_env(None, local_ssh=False)
         ret = host.run(
@@ -182,7 +189,7 @@ def deploy_machine(machine: Machine) -> None:
                     "Mobile machine detected, applying workaround deployment method"
                 )
             ret = host.run(
-                test_cmd if is_mobile else switch_cmd,
+                ["nixos--rebuild", "test", *nix_options] if is_mobile else switch_cmd,
                 RunOpts(
                     log=Log.BOTH,
                     msg_color=MsgColor(stderr=AnsiColor.DEFAULT),
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/ssh/host.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/ssh/host.py
index eda9866fd..39acea75f 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/ssh/host.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/ssh/host.py
@@ -140,16 +140,16 @@ class Host:
         if opts is None:
             opts = RunOpts()
 
-        # If we are not root and we need to become root, prepend sudo
-        sudo = ""
-        if become_root and self.user != "root":
-            sudo = "sudo -- "
-
         # Quote all added environment variables
         env_vars = []
         for k, v in extra_env.items():
             env_vars.append(f"{shlex.quote(k)}={shlex.quote(v)}")
 
+        sudo = []
+        if become_root and self.user != "root":
+            # If we are not root and we need to become root, prepend sudo
+            sudo = ["sudo", "--"]
+
         if opts.prefix is None:
             opts.prefix = self.command_prefix
         # always set needs_user_terminal to True because ssh asks for passwords
@@ -185,7 +185,12 @@ class Host:
         ssh_cmd = [
             *self.ssh_cmd(verbose_ssh=verbose_ssh, tty=tty),
             "--",
-            f"{sudo}bash -c {quote(bash_cmd)} -- {' '.join(map(quote, cmd))}",
+            *sudo,
+            "bash",
+            "-c",
+            quote(bash_cmd),
+            "--",
+            " ".join(map(quote, cmd)),
         ]
 
         # Run the ssh command