diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 296b9b39..7650c958 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .direnv
 result*
-pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/deps_flake
+pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nixpkgs
 pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/assets
 
 # python
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
index 83c56be9..0dec9c13 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from typing import Optional
 
 from fastapi import HTTPException
 
-from clan_cli.dirs import get_clan_flake_toplevel, nixpkgs
+from clan_cli.dirs import get_clan_flake_toplevel, nixpkgs_source
 from clan_cli.machines.folders import machine_folder, machine_settings_file
 from clan_cli.nix import nix_eval
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def schema_for_machine(machine_name: str, flake: Optional[Path] = None) -> dict:
                 f"""
                 let
                     flake = builtins.getFlake (toString {flake});
-                    lib = import {nixpkgs()}/lib;
+                    lib = import {nixpkgs_source()}/lib;
                     options = flake.nixosConfigurations.{machine_name}.options;
                     clanOptions = options.clan;
                     jsonschemaLib = import {Path(__file__).parent / "jsonschema"} {{ inherit lib; }};
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
index 7aeb33c9..064f52f0 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/dirs.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import json
 import os
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -31,15 +30,12 @@ def module_root() -> Path:
     return Path(__file__).parent
 
 
-def deps_flake() -> Path:
-    return (module_root() / "deps_flake").resolve()
+def nixpkgs_flake() -> Path:
+    return (module_root() / "nixpkgs").resolve()
 
 
-def nixpkgs() -> Path:
-    # load the flake.lock json file from the deps_flake and return nodes.nixpkgs.path
-    with open(deps_flake() / "flake.lock") as f:
-        flake_lock = json.load(f)
-    return Path(flake_lock["nodes"]["nixpkgs"]["locked"]["path"])
+def nixpkgs_source() -> Path:
+    return (module_root() / "nixpkgs" / "path").resolve()
 
 
 def unfree_nixpkgs() -> Path:
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
index 36e0265f..a90b29b1 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/nix.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 
-from .dirs import deps_flake, nixpkgs, unfree_nixpkgs
+from .dirs import nixpkgs_flake, nixpkgs_source, unfree_nixpkgs
 
 
 def nix_eval(flags: list[str]) -> list[str]:
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def nix_eval(flags: list[str]) -> list[str]:
                 "nix-command flakes",
                 "--override-input",
                 "nixpkgs",
-                str(nixpkgs()),
+                str(nixpkgs_source()),
                 # --store is required to prevent this error:
                 # error: cannot unlink '/nix/store/6xg259477c90a229xwmb53pdfkn6ig3g-default-builder.sh': Operation not permitted
                 "--store",
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def nix_shell(packages: list[str], cmd: list[str]) -> list[str]:
             "--extra-experimental-features",
             "nix-command flakes",
             "--inputs-from",
-            f"{str(deps_flake())}",
+            f"{str(nixpkgs_flake())}",
         ]
         + wrapped_packages
         + ["-c"]
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/default.nix b/pkgs/clan-cli/default.nix
index 890a2452..c73810b2 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/default.nix
@@ -44,19 +44,33 @@ let
   checkPython = python3.withPackages (_ps: dependencies ++ testDependencies);
 
   # - vendor the jsonschema nix lib (copy instead of symlink).
-  # - lib.cleanSource prevents unnecessary rebuilds when `self` changes.
   source = runCommand "clan-cli-source" { } ''
     cp -r ${./.} $out
     chmod -R +w $out
     rm $out/clan_cli/config/jsonschema
-    cp -r ${depsFlake} $out/clan_cli/deps_flake
+    cp -r ${nixpkgs} $out/clan_cli/nixpkgs
     cp -r ${../../lib/jsonschema} $out/clan_cli/config/jsonschema
     ln -s ${ui-assets} $out/clan_cli/webui/assets
   '';
-  depsFlake = runCommand "deps-flake" { } ''
+  nixpkgs = runCommand "nixpkgs" { nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.nix ]; } ''
     mkdir $out
-    cp ${./deps-flake.nix} $out/flake.nix
-    ${pkgs.nix}/bin/nix flake lock $out \
+    mkdir -p $out/unfree                                                                       
+    cat > $out/unfree/default.nix <<EOF                                                        
+    import "${pkgs.path}" { config = { allowUnfree = true; overlays = []; }; }                 
+    EOF
+    cat > $out/flake.nix << EOF
+    {
+      description = "dependencies for the clan-cli";
+
+      inputs = {
+        nixpkgs.url = "nixpkgs";
+      };
+
+      outputs = _inputs: { };
+    }
+    EOF
+    ln -s ${pkgs.path} $out/path
+    nix flake lock $out \
       --store ./. \
       --experimental-features 'nix-command flakes' \
       --override-input nixpkgs ${pkgs.path}
@@ -94,7 +108,7 @@ python3.pkgs.buildPythonPackage {
     ${checkPython}/bin/python ./bin/gen-openapi --out $out/openapi.json --app-dir . clan_cli.webui.app:app
     touch $out
   '';
-  passthru.depsFlake = depsFlake;
+  passthru.nixpkgs = nixpkgs;
 
   passthru.devDependencies = [
     setuptools
@@ -104,7 +118,7 @@ python3.pkgs.buildPythonPackage {
   passthru.testDependencies = dependencies ++ testDependencies;
 
   postInstall = ''
-    cp -r ${depsFlake} $out/${python3.sitePackages}/clan_cli/deps_flake
+    cp -r ${nixpkgs} $out/${python3.sitePackages}/clan_cli/nixpkgs
     installShellCompletion --bash --name clan \
       <(${argcomplete}/bin/register-python-argcomplete --shell bash clan)
     installShellCompletion --fish --name clan.fish \
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/shell.nix b/pkgs/clan-cli/shell.nix
index 0c9644ec..d3ebaab6 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/shell.nix
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/shell.nix
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ mkShell {
     tmp_path=$(realpath ./.direnv)
 
     rm -f clan_cli/nixpkgs clan_cli/assets
-    ln -sf ${clan-cli.depsFlake} clan_cli/deps_flake
+    ln -sf ${clan-cli.nixpkgs} clan_cli/nixpkgs
     ln -sf ${ui-assets} clan_cli/webui/assets
 
     export PATH="$tmp_path/bin:${checkScript}/bin:$PATH"
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
index f5db6eb2..70ebd827 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/conftest.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from typing import Generator
 
 import pytest
 
-from clan_cli.dirs import nixpkgs
+from clan_cli.dirs import nixpkgs_source
 
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "helpers"))
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def machine_flake(monkeymodule: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> Generator[Path, None, Non
         # provided by get_clan_flake_toplevel
         flake_nix = flake / "flake.nix"
         flake_nix.write_text(
-            flake_nix.read_text().replace("__NIXPKGS__", str(nixpkgs()))
+            flake_nix.read_text().replace("__NIXPKGS__", str(nixpkgs_source()))
         )
         # check that an empty config is returned if no json file exists
         monkeymodule.chdir(flake)