diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
index 70ebd8271..4c1ac4d2e 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 import os
 import sys
-import tempfile
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Generator
-
-import pytest
-
-from clan_cli.dirs import nixpkgs_source
 
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "helpers"))
 
@@ -20,32 +13,5 @@ pytest_plugins = [
     "command",
     "ports",
     "host_group",
+    "machine_flake",
 ]
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
-def monkeymodule() -> Generator[pytest.MonkeyPatch, None, None]:
-    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as mp:
-        yield mp
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
-def machine_flake(monkeymodule: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> Generator[Path, None, None]:
-    template = Path(__file__).parent / "machine_flake"
-    # copy the template to a new temporary location
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir_:
-        flake = Path(tmpdir_)
-        for path in template.glob("**/*"):
-            if path.is_dir():
-                (flake / path.relative_to(template)).mkdir()
-            else:
-                (flake / path.relative_to(template)).write_text(path.read_text())
-        # in the flake.nix file replace the string __CLAN_URL__ with the the clan flake
-        # provided by get_clan_flake_toplevel
-        flake_nix = flake / "flake.nix"
-        flake_nix.write_text(
-            flake_nix.read_text().replace("__NIXPKGS__", str(nixpkgs_source()))
-        )
-        # check that an empty config is returned if no json file exists
-        monkeymodule.chdir(flake)
-        yield flake
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/machine_flake.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/machine_flake.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8660c58ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/machine_flake.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import shutil
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Generator
+
+import pytest
+
+from clan_cli.dirs import nixpkgs_source
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def monkeymodule() -> Generator[pytest.MonkeyPatch, None, None]:
+    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as mp:
+        yield mp
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def machine_flake(monkeymodule: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> Generator[Path, None, None]:
+    template = Path(__file__).parent / "machine_flake"
+    # copy the template to a new temporary location
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir_:
+        home = Path(tmpdir_)
+        flake = home / "machine_flake"
+        shutil.copytree(template, flake)
+        # in the flake.nix file replace the string __CLAN_URL__ with the the clan flake
+        # provided by get_clan_flake_toplevel
+        flake_nix = flake / "flake.nix"
+        flake_nix.write_text(
+            flake_nix.read_text().replace("__NIXPKGS__", str(nixpkgs_source()))
+        )
+        # check that an empty config is returned if no json file exists
+        monkeymodule.chdir(flake)
+        monkeymodule.setenv("HOME", str(home))
+        yield flake