diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
index 77d32990d..e0a000dd6 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ def find_git_repo_root() -> Path | None:
     return find_toplevel([".git"])
 
 
+def clan_key_safe(clan_name: str, flake_url: str) -> str:
+    quoted_url = urllib.parse.quote_plus(flake_url)
+    return f"{clan_name}-{quoted_url}"
+
+
 def find_toplevel(top_level_files: list[str]) -> Path | None:
     """Returns the path to the toplevel of the clan flake"""
     for project_file in top_level_files:
@@ -45,9 +50,7 @@ def user_gcroot_dir() -> Path:
 def specific_groot_dir(*, clan_name: str, flake_url: str) -> Path:
     # Always build icon so that we can symlink it to the gcroot
     gcroot_dir = user_gcroot_dir()
-    burl = urllib.parse.quote_plus(flake_url)
-    clan_gcroot = gcroot_dir / f"{clan_name}-{burl}"
-
+    clan_gcroot = gcroot_dir / clan_key_safe(clan_name, flake_url)
     clan_gcroot.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     return clan_gcroot
 
@@ -56,8 +59,9 @@ def user_history_file() -> Path:
     return user_config_dir() / "clan" / "history"
 
 
-def vm_state_dir(clan_name: str, vm_name: str) -> Path:
-    return user_config_dir() / "clan" / "vmstate" / clan_name / vm_name
+def vm_state_dir(clan_name: str, flake_url: str, vm_name: str) -> Path:
+    clan_key = clan_key_safe(clan_name, flake_url)
+    return user_config_dir() / "clan" / "vmstate" / clan_key / vm_name
 
 
 def machines_dir(flake_dir: Path) -> Path:
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
index c8f326399..5d0717737 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def run_vm(
         secrets_dir = generate_secrets(vm, nixos_config, tmpdir, log_fd)
         disk_img = prepare_disk(tmpdir, log_fd)
 
-        state_dir = vm_state_dir(vm.clan_name, machine)
+        state_dir = vm_state_dir(vm.clan_name, str(vm.flake_url), machine)
         state_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
         qemu_cmd = qemu_command(
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_dirs.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_dirs.py
index 25191b419..75b01d6a3 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_dirs.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_dirs.py
@@ -15,3 +15,21 @@
 #     monkeypatch.chdir(subdir)
 #     (subdir / ".clan-flake").touch()
 #     assert _get_clan_flake_toplevel() == subdir
+
+from clan_cli.dirs import clan_key_safe, vm_state_dir
+
+
+def test_clan_key_safe() -> None:
+    assert clan_key_safe("clan1", "/foo/bar") == "clan1-%2Ffoo%2Fbar"
+
+
+def test_vm_state_dir_identity() -> None:
+    dir1 = vm_state_dir("clan1", "https://some.clan", "vm1")
+    dir2 = vm_state_dir("clan1", "https://some.clan", "vm1")
+    assert str(dir1) == str(dir2)
+
+
+def test_vm_state_dir_no_collision() -> None:
+    dir1 = vm_state_dir("clan1", "/foo/bar", "vm1")
+    dir2 = vm_state_dir("clan1", "https://some.clan", "vm1")
+    assert str(dir1) != str(dir2)
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vms_cli.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vms_cli.py
index af72be46b..61d86aeb0 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vms_cli.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vms_cli.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ from cli import Cli
 from fixtures_flakes import FlakeForTest, generate_flake
 from root import CLAN_CORE
 
+from clan_cli.dirs import vm_state_dir
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from age_keys import KeyPair
 
@@ -89,14 +91,8 @@ def test_vm_persistence(
     )
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
     Cli().run(["vms", "run", "my_machine"])
-
     test_file = (
-        temporary_home
-        / ".config"
-        / "clan"
-        / "vmstate"
-        / "_test_vm_persistence"
-        / "my_machine"
+        vm_state_dir("_test_vm_persistence", str(flake.path), "my_machine")
         / "var"
         / "my-state"
         / "test"