diff --git a/modules/services/hardware/udev.nix b/modules/services/hardware/udev.nix
index 2baa87e9547e..eebf9672a840 100644
--- a/modules/services/hardware/udev.nix
+++ b/modules/services/hardware/udev.nix
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ in
             ${udev}/sbin/udevadm trigger
             ${udev}/sbin/udevadm settle # wait for udev to finish
 
-            initctl emit new-devices
+            initctl emit -n new-devices
           '';
         
       };
diff --git a/modules/services/networking/dhclient.nix b/modules/services/networking/dhclient.nix
index 80451ce2a5a8..5a193e60728e 100644
--- a/modules/services/networking/dhclient.nix
+++ b/modules/services/networking/dhclient.nix
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ let
           # it"), so we silently lose time synchronisation.
           ${config.system.build.upstart}/sbin/initctl stop ntpd
           
-          ${config.system.build.upstart}/sbin/initctl emit ip-up
+          ${config.system.build.upstart}/sbin/initctl emit -n ip-up
       fi
 
       if test "$reason" = EXPIRE -o "$reason" = RELEASE; then
-          ${config.system.build.upstart}/sbin/initctl emit ip-down
+          ${config.system.build.upstart}/sbin/initctl emit -n ip-down
       fi
     '';
   
diff --git a/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix b/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
index 159c8022442d..895a8b8933bb 100644
--- a/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
+++ b/modules/services/networking/ntpd.nix
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ in
             chown ${ntpUser} ${stateDir}
 
             # Needed to run ntpd as an unprivileged user.
-            ${modprobe}/sbin/modprobe capability || true
+            ${modprobe}/sbin/modprobe --quiet capability
 
             # !!! This can hang indefinitely if the network is down or
             # the servers are unreachable.  This is particularly bad
diff --git a/modules/system/upstart-events/shutdown.nix b/modules/system/upstart-events/shutdown.nix
index 02bce7979d0a..9c2359c0ff8c 100644
--- a/modules/system/upstart-events/shutdown.nix
+++ b/modules/system/upstart-events/shutdown.nix
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ with pkgs.lib;
               echo "<<< MAINTENANCE SHELL >>>"
               echo ""
               while ! ${pkgs.bash}/bin/bash --login; do true; done
-              initctl emit startup
+              initctl emit -n startup
               exit 0
           fi
                 
diff --git a/modules/tasks/lvm.nix b/modules/tasks/lvm.nix
index 92dfd52aefda..4aebb33767e5 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/lvm.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/lvm.nix
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
             # make them appear in /dev.
             ${pkgs.lvm2}/sbin/vgchange --available y
 
-            initctl emit new-devices
+            initctl emit -n new-devices
           '';
 
         task = true;
diff --git a/modules/tasks/network-interfaces.nix b/modules/tasks/network-interfaces.nix
index 098828469a67..2868c251fca0 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/network-interfaces.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/network-interfaces.nix
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ in
 
             # Run any user-specified commands.
             ${pkgs.stdenv.shell} ${pkgs.writeText "local-net-cmds" cfg.localCommands} || true
+
+            # Emit the ip-up event (e.g. to start ntpd).
+            ${optionalString (cfg.interfaces != []) ''
+              initctl emit -n ip-up
+            ''}
           '';
 
         postStop =
diff --git a/modules/tasks/swraid.nix b/modules/tasks/swraid.nix
index 74a34ba56891..b94658226013 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/swraid.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/swraid.nix
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ in
           # Activate each device found.
           ${mdadm}/sbin/mdadm --assemble -c ${tempConf} --scan
       
-          initctl emit new-devices
+          initctl emit -n new-devices
         '';
 
       task = true;        
diff --git a/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix b/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
index 6886a0b23d15..68ba340e6c23 100644
--- a/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
+++ b/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 {config, pkgs, ...}:
 
+with pkgs.lib;
+
 let
 
   vmName = config.networking.hostName;
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ let
   options = {
 
     virtualisation.diskImage =
-      pkgs.lib.mkOption {
+      mkOption {
         default = "./${vmName}.qcow2";
         description =
           ''
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ in
   # where the regular value for the `fileSystems' attribute should be
   # disregarded for the purpose of building a VM test image (since
   # those filesystems don't exist in the VM).
-  fileSystems = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {}
+  fileSystems = mkOverride 50 {}
     [ { mountPoint = "/";
         device = "/dev/vda";
       }
@@ -121,6 +123,11 @@ in
 
   networking.nameservers = [ "10.0.2.3" ];
 
+  networking.interfaces = singleton
+    { name = "eth0";
+      ipAddress = "10.0.2.15";
+    };
+
   system.build.vm = pkgs.runCommand "nixos-vm" {}
     ''
       ensureDir $out/bin
@@ -137,11 +144,11 @@ in
 
   # When building a regular system configuration, override whatever
   # video driver the host uses.
-  services.xserver.videoDriver = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} null;
-  services.xserver.videoDrivers = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} [ "cirrus" "vesa" ];
-  services.xserver.defaultDepth = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} 0;
-  services.xserver.resolutions = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} [];
+  services.xserver.videoDriver = mkOverride 50 {} null;
+  services.xserver.videoDrivers = mkOverride 50 {} [ "cirrus" "vesa" ];
+  services.xserver.defaultDepth = mkOverride 50 {} 0;
+  services.xserver.resolutions = mkOverride 50 {} [];
 
   # Wireless won't work in the VM.
-  networking.enableWLAN = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 50 {} false;
+  networking.enableWLAN = mkOverride 50 {} false;
 }