diff --git a/lib/build-clan/default.nix b/lib/build-clan/default.nix
index a2680c52..9625689d 100644
--- a/lib/build-clan/default.nix
+++ b/lib/build-clan/default.nix
@@ -41,12 +41,10 @@ let
         clan-core.nixosModules.clanCore
         (machines.${name} or { })
         {
-          clanCore.machineName = name;
           clanCore.clanName = clanName;
           clanCore.clanIcon = clanIcon;
           clanCore.clanDir = directory;
-          clanCore.machineIcon = clanIcon;
-          clanCore.machineDescription = null;
+          clanCore.machineName = name;
           nixpkgs.hostPlatform = if forceSystem then lib.mkForce system else lib.mkDefault system;
 
           # speeds up nix commands by using the nixpkgs from the host system (especially useful in VMs)
diff --git a/nixosModules/clanCore/metadata.nix b/nixosModules/clanCore/metadata.nix
index b9a968e0..391f32b8 100644
--- a/nixosModules/clanCore/metadata.nix
+++ b/nixosModules/clanCore/metadata.nix
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@
     };
     machineIcon = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.path;
+      default = null;
       description = ''
         the location of the machine icon
       '';
     };
     machineDescription = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.str;
+      type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.str;
+      default = null;
       description = ''
         the description of the machine
       '';
diff --git a/nixosModules/clanCore/vm.nix b/nixosModules/clanCore/vm.nix
index f9fdc7e2..2dcd3ddd 100644
--- a/nixosModules/clanCore/vm.nix
+++ b/nixosModules/clanCore/vm.nix
@@ -172,6 +172,30 @@ in
           whether to enable native wayland window passthrough with waypipe for the vm
         '';
       };
+      machine_icon = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.path;
+        internal = true;
+        readOnly = true;
+        description = ''
+          the location of the clan icon
+        '';
+      };
+      machine_name = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.str;
+        internal = true;
+        readOnly = true;
+        description = ''
+          the name of the vm
+        '';
+      };
+      machine_description = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.str;
+        internal = true;
+        readOnly = true;
+        description = ''
+          the description of the vm
+        '';
+      };
     };
   };
 
@@ -179,6 +203,9 @@ in
     # for clan vm inspect
     clanCore.vm.inspect = {
       clan_name = config.clanCore.clanName;
+      machine_icon = config.clanCore.machineIcon or config.clanCore.clanIcon;
+      machine_name = config.clanCore.machineName;
+      machine_description = config.clanCore.machineDescription;
       memory_size = config.clan.virtualisation.memorySize;
       inherit (config.clan.virtualisation) cores graphics waypipe;
     };
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
index 8578d187..f5e34127 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from ..dirs import machine_gcroot
 from ..errors import ClanError
 from ..machines.list import list_machines
 from ..machines.machines import Machine
-from ..nix import nix_build, nix_config, nix_eval, nix_metadata
+from ..nix import nix_add_to_gcroots, nix_build, nix_config, nix_eval, nix_metadata
 from ..vms.inspect import VmConfig, inspect_vm
 
 
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ def inspect_flake(flake_url: str | Path, machine_name: str) -> FlakeConfig:
     machine = Machine(machine_name, flake_url)
     vm = inspect_vm(machine)
 
+    # Make symlink to gcroots from vm.machine_icon
+    if vm.machine_icon:
+        gcroot_icon: Path = (
+            machine_gcroot(clan_name=vm.clan_name, flake_url=str(flake_url))
+            / vm.machine_name
+        )
+        nix_add_to_gcroots(vm.machine_icon, gcroot_icon)
+
     # Get the cLAN name
     cmd = nix_eval(
         [
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
index a8672c40..e922fd5e 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ def nix_build(flags: list[str], gcroot: Path | None = None) -> list[str]:
         )
 
 
+def nix_add_to_gcroots(nix_path: Path, dest: Path) -> None:
+    cmd = ["nix-store", "--realise", f"{nix_path}", "--add-root", f"{dest}"]
+    run(cmd)
+
+
 def nix_config() -> dict[str, Any]:
     cmd = nix_command(["show-config", "--json"])
     proc = run(cmd)
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/inspect.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/inspect.py
index 9e3804fd..cb70b758 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/inspect.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vms/inspect.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ from ..machines.machines import Machine
 @dataclass
 class VmConfig:
     machine_name: str
+    machine_icon: Path
+    machine_description: str
     flake_url: str | Path
     clan_name: str
 
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ class VmConfig:
 
 def inspect_vm(machine: Machine) -> VmConfig:
     data = json.loads(machine.eval_nix("config.clanCore.vm.inspect"))
-    return VmConfig(machine_name=machine.name, flake_url=machine.flake, **data)
+    return VmConfig(flake_url=machine.flake, **data)
 
 
 @dataclass