diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_inputs.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_inputs.py
index f9d7c541..105c8227 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_inputs.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_inputs.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
-from pydantic import AnyUrl, BaseModel, validator
+from pydantic import AnyUrl, BaseModel, Extra, validator
 
 from ..dirs import clan_data_dir, clan_flakes_dir
 from ..flakes.create import DEFAULT_URL
@@ -29,3 +29,12 @@ class ClanFlakePath(BaseModel):
 
 class FlakeCreateInput(ClanFlakePath):
     url: AnyUrl = DEFAULT_URL
+
+
+class MachineConfig(BaseModel):
+    clanImports: list[str] = []  # noqa: N815
+    clan: dict = {}
+
+    # allow extra fields to cover the full spectrum of a nixos config
+    class Config:
+        extra = Extra.allow
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_outputs.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_outputs.py
index ba69c032..b0d4f26a 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_outputs.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/api_outputs.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import Dict, List
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Extra, Field
 
 from ..async_cmd import CmdOut
 from ..task_manager import TaskStatus
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ class MachineResponse(BaseModel):
 
 
 class ConfigResponse(BaseModel):
-    config: dict
+    clanImports: list[str] = []  # noqa: N815
+    clan: dict = {}
+
+    # allow extra fields to cover the full spectrum of a nixos config
+    class Config:
+        extra = Extra.allow
 
 
 class SchemaResponse(BaseModel):
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/routers/machines.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/routers/machines.py
index 43f9c6a7..c2d6b364 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/routers/machines.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/webui/routers/machines.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ from typing import Annotated
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Body
 
+from clan_cli.webui.api_inputs import MachineConfig
+
 from ...config.machine import (
     config_for_machine,
     schema_for_machine,
@@ -55,15 +57,15 @@ async def get_machine(flake_name: FlakeName, name: str) -> MachineResponse:
 @router.get("/api/{flake_name}/machines/{name}/config", tags=[Tags.machine])
 async def get_machine_config(flake_name: FlakeName, name: str) -> ConfigResponse:
     config = config_for_machine(flake_name, name)
-    return ConfigResponse(config=config)
+    return ConfigResponse(**config)
 
 
 @router.put("/api/{flake_name}/machines/{name}/config", tags=[Tags.machine])
 async def set_machine_config(
-    flake_name: FlakeName, name: str, config: Annotated[dict, Body()]
-) -> ConfigResponse:
-    set_config_for_machine(flake_name, name, config)
-    return ConfigResponse(config=config)
+    flake_name: FlakeName, name: str, config: Annotated[MachineConfig, Body()]
+) -> None:
+    conf = dict(config)
+    set_config_for_machine(flake_name, name, conf)
 
 
 @router.get("/api/{flake_name}/machines/{name}/schema", tags=[Tags.machine])
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_api.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_api.py
index 8a9fe0ed..dde4ae86 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_api.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_api.py
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
     # ensure an empty config is returned by default for a new machine
     response = api.get(f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config")
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": {}}
+    assert response.json() == {
+        "clanImports": [],
+        "clan": {},
+    }
 
     # get jsonschema for machine
     response = api.get(f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/schema")
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
     # ensure the config has actually been updated
     response = api.get(f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config")
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": invalid_config}
+    assert response.json() == dict(clanImports=[], **invalid_config)
 
     # the part of the config that makes the evaluation pass
     fs_config = dict(
@@ -109,12 +112,18 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
         json=config2,
     )
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": config2}
+
+    # ensure the config has been applied
+    response = api.get(
+        f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.json() == dict(clanImports=[], **config2)
 
     # get the config again
     response = api.get(f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config")
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": config2}
+    assert response.json() == {"clanImports": [], **config2}
 
     # ensure PUT on the config is idempotent by passing the config again
     # For example, this should not result in the boot.loader.grub.devices being
@@ -124,7 +133,13 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
         json=config2,
     )
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": config2}
+
+    # ensure the config has been applied
+    response = api.get(
+        f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.json() == dict(clanImports=[], **config2)
 
     # verify the machine config evaluates
     response = api.get(f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/verify")
@@ -163,16 +178,20 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
         json=config_with_imports,
     )
     assert response.status_code == 200
+
+    # ensure the config has been applied
+    response = api.get(
+        f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
     assert response.json() == {
-        "config": {
-            "clanImports": ["fake-module"],
-            "clan": {
-                "fake-module": {
-                    "fake-flag": True,
-                },
+        "clanImports": ["fake-module"],
+        "clan": {
+            "fake-module": {
+                "fake-flag": True,
             },
-            **fs_config,
-        }
+        },
+        **fs_config,
     }
 
     # remove the import from the config
@@ -185,4 +204,14 @@ def test_configure_machine(api: TestClient, test_flake: FlakeForTest) -> None:
         json=config_with_empty_imports,
     )
     assert response.status_code == 200
-    assert response.json() == {"config": config_with_empty_imports}
+
+    # ensure the config has been applied
+    response = api.get(
+        f"/api/{test_flake.name}/machines/machine1/config",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.json() == {
+        "clanImports": ["fake-module"],
+        "clan": {},
+        **config_with_empty_imports,
+    }