diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/qemu.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/qemu.py
index f18f11e0f..0fd1108cc 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/qemu.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/qemu.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ def qemu_command(
             "-serial", "null",
             "-chardev", "file,id=char0,path=/dev/stdout",
             "-device", "virtconsole,chardev=char0,nr=0",
+            "-monitor", "none",
         ])
 
     vsock_cid = None
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
index a0cb3388c..18f48e89b 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/run.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ def start_vm(
     env = os.environ.copy()
     env.update(extra_env)
     cmd = nix_shell(packages, args)
+    log.debug(f"Starting VM with command: {cmd}")
     with subprocess.Popen(
         cmd, env=env, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, stdin=stdin
     ) as process:
@@ -291,7 +292,12 @@ def spawn_vm(
             start_waypipe(qemu_cmd.vsock_cid, f"[{vm.machine_name}] "),
             start_virtiofsd(virtiofsd_socket),
             start_vm(
-                qemu_cmd.args, packages, extra_env, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr
+                qemu_cmd.args,
+                packages,
+                extra_env,
+                stdout=stdout,
+                stderr=stderr,
+                stdin=stdin,
             ) as process,
         ):
             qemu_vm = QemuVm(machine, process, socketdir)
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars_deployment.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars_deployment.py
index 62941e9d8..88229028f 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars_deployment.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars_deployment.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import subprocess
 from contextlib import ExitStack
 
 import pytest
@@ -99,10 +100,13 @@ def test_vm_deployment(
     vm1_config = inspect_vm(machine=Machine("m1_machine", FlakeId(str(flake.path))))
     vm2_config = inspect_vm(machine=Machine("m2_machine", FlakeId(str(flake.path))))
     with ExitStack() as stack:
-        vm1 = stack.enter_context(spawn_vm(vm1_config))
-        vm2 = stack.enter_context(spawn_vm(vm2_config))
+        vm1 = stack.enter_context(spawn_vm(vm1_config, stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL))
+        vm2 = stack.enter_context(spawn_vm(vm2_config, stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL))
         qga_m1 = stack.enter_context(vm1.qga_connect())
         qga_m2 = stack.enter_context(vm2.qga_connect())
+        # run these always succesfull commands to make sure all vms have started before continuing
+        qga_m1.run(["echo"])
+        qga_m2.run(["echo"])
         # check my_secret is deployed
         result = qga_m1.run(["cat", "/run/secrets/vars/m1_generator/my_secret"])
         assert result.stdout == "hello\n"