diff --git a/lib/make-iso9660-image.sh b/lib/make-iso9660-image.sh
index d3f220ae4f53..3305b8856e25 100644
--- a/lib/make-iso9660-image.sh
+++ b/lib/make-iso9660-image.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ touch pathlist
 # Add the individual files.
 for ((i = 0; i < ${#targets_[@]}; i++)); do
     stripSlash "${targets_[$i]}"
-    echo "$res=$(readlink -f ${sources_[$i]})" >> pathlist
+    echo "$res=${sources_[$i]}" >> pathlist
 done
 
 
diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
index bea9da2d03fe..a3bd94805dca 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/iso-image.nix
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ in
         source = pkgs.runCommand "empty" {} "ensureDir $out";
         target = "/nix/store";
       }
+      { # Another quick hack: the kernel needs a systemConfig
+        # parameter in menu.lst, but the system config depends on
+        # menu.lst.  Break the cyclic dependency by having a /system
+        # symlink on the CD, and having menu.lst refer to /system.
+        source = pkgs.runCommand "system" {}
+          "ln -s ${config.system.build.system} $out";
+        target = "/system";
+      }
     ];
 
   # The Grub menu.
@@ -142,7 +150,7 @@ in
         chainloader +1
     
       title NixOS Installer / Rescue
-        kernel /boot/vmlinuz init=${config.system.build.bootStage2} systemConfig=${config.system.build.system} ${toString config.boot.kernelParams}
+        kernel /boot/vmlinuz init=${config.system.build.bootStage2} systemConfig=/system ${toString config.boot.kernelParams}
         initrd /boot/initrd
     '';