diff --git a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
index 64f62adab16..069d60261a1 100644
--- a/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
+++ b/lib/test-driver/Machine.pm
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ sub start {
         dup2(fileno(NUL), fileno(STDIN));
         $ENV{TMPDIR} = $self->{stateDir};
         $ENV{QEMU_OPTS} = "-nographic -no-reboot -redir tcp:65535::514 -net nic,vlan=1 -net socket,vlan=1,mcast=$mcastAddr";
-        $ENV{QEMU_KERNEL_PARAMS} = "console=tty1 console=ttyS0 panic=1 hostTmpDir=$ENV{TMPDIR}";
+        $ENV{QEMU_KERNEL_PARAMS} = "hostTmpDir=$ENV{TMPDIR}";
         chdir $self->{stateDir} or die;
         exec $self->{startCommand};
         die;
diff --git a/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix b/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
index 4b142197932..c404e044f63 100644
--- a/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
+++ b/modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ in
 
     # Panic if an error occurs in stage 1 (rather than waiting for
     # user intervention). 
-    boot.kernelParams = [ "stage1panic" ];
+    boot.kernelParams =
+      [ "console=tty1" "console=ttyS0" "panic=1" "stage1panic" ];
 
     # `xwininfo' is used by the test driver to query open windows.
     environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.xorg.xwininfo ];
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 8180df3dc4b..0cfa377a5df 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ let
         };
       in {
         firefox = t.firefox.test;
+        installer = t.installer.test;
         kde4 = t.kde4.test;
         quake3 = t.quake3.test;
         subversion = t.subversion.report;
diff --git a/tests/installer.nix b/tests/installer.nix
index c44990a3451..115f7a82a46 100644
--- a/tests/installer.nix
+++ b/tests/installer.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ rec {
         [ ../modules/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-graphical.nix
           ../modules/testing/test-instrumentation.nix
           { key = "serial"; 
-            boot.kernelParams = [ "console=tty1" "console=ttyS0" "panic=1" ];
             boot.loader.grub.timeout = pkgs.lib.mkOverride 0 {} 0;
             
             # The test cannot access the network, so any sources we
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ rec {
         boot.loader.grub.version = 2;
         boot.loader.grub.device = "/dev/vda";
         boot.initrd.kernelModules = [ "ext3" ];
-        boot.kernelParams = [ "console=tty1" "console=ttyS0" "panic=1" ];
       
         fileSystems =
           [ { mountPoint = "/";
@@ -115,7 +113,7 @@ rec {
       $machine->mustSucceed("type -tP ls") =~ /profiles/
           or die "nix-env failed";
 
-      #$machine->mustSucceed("nixos-rebuild switch");
+      #$machine->mustSucceed("nixos-rebuild switch >&2");
 
       $machine->shutdown;
     '';