diff --git a/clanServices/hello-world/tests/vm/default.nix b/clanServices/hello-world/tests/vm/default.nix
index 55d20136c..6cc8d3b4e 100644
--- a/clanServices/hello-world/tests/vm/default.nix
+++ b/clanServices/hello-world/tests/vm/default.nix
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ clanLib.test.makeTestClan {
   nixosTest = (
     { ... }:
     {
-      name = "service-hello-test";
+      name = "hello-service";
 
       clan = {
         directory = ./.;
diff --git a/clanServices/wifi/tests/vm/default.nix b/clanServices/wifi/tests/vm/default.nix
index b5ffe3b69..03998a85d 100644
--- a/clanServices/wifi/tests/vm/default.nix
+++ b/clanServices/wifi/tests/vm/default.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ clanLib.test.makeTestClan {
   nixosTest = (
     { ... }:
     {
-      name = "wifi";
+      name = "wifi-service";
 
       clan = {
         directory = ./.;
diff --git a/lib/build-clan/interface.nix b/lib/build-clan/interface.nix
index ca7a02c65..f8fa919ba 100644
--- a/lib/build-clan/interface.nix
+++ b/lib/build-clan/interface.nix
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ in
         else if v == null then
           throw "Please set either clan.self or clan.directory"
         else
-          "${v}"
+          v
       ) lib.types.path;
       default = builtins.toString self;
       defaultText = "Root directory of the flake";
diff --git a/lib/test/default.nix b/lib/test/default.nix
index 5f4361f58..43f8e8936 100644
--- a/lib/test/default.nix
+++ b/lib/test/default.nix
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 let
   inherit (lib)
     mkOption
+    removePrefix
     types
     ;
 
@@ -37,11 +38,13 @@ in
 
       update-vars-script = "${self.packages.${pkgs.system}.generate-test-vars}/bin/generate-test-vars";
 
+      relativeDir = removePrefix ("${self}/") (toString test.config.clan.directory);
+
       update-vars = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "update-vars" ''
-        ${update-vars-script} $PRJ_ROOT/checks/${testName} ${testName}
+        ${update-vars-script} $PRJ_ROOT/${relativeDir} ${testName}
       '';
 
-      testSrc = lib.cleanSource (self + "/checks/${testName}");
+      testSrc = lib.cleanSource test.config.clan.directory;
 
       vars-check =
         pkgs.runCommand "update-vars-check"
@@ -67,9 +70,6 @@ in
             };
           }
           ''
-            # make the test depend on its vars-check derivation
-            echo ${vars-check} >/dev/null
-
             ${self.legacyPackages.${pkgs.system}.setupNixInNix}
             cp -r ${testSrc} ./src
             chmod +w -R ./src
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ in
                   #     Harder to handle advanced setups (like TPM, LUKS, or LVM-on-LUKS) but not needed since we are in a test
                   #     No systemd journal logs from initrd.
                   boot.initrd.systemd.enable = false;
+                  # make the test depend on its vars-check derivation
+                  environment.variables.CLAN_VARS_CHECK = "${vars-check}";
                 }
               );
 
diff --git a/nixosModules/clanCore/vars/interface.nix b/nixosModules/clanCore/vars/interface.nix
index 4e3ac3e42..b2a9c33da 100644
--- a/nixosModules/clanCore/vars/interface.nix
+++ b/nixosModules/clanCore/vars/interface.nix
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ in
                         The path to the file containing the content of the generated value.
                         This will be set automatically
                       '';
-                      type = nullOr str;
+                      type = nullOr path;
                       default = null;
                     };
                     path = lib.mkOption {