diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index 0c0e2d5e10217..58fe09182e15d 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ let
       importJSON importTOML warn warnIf warnIfNot throwIf throwIfNot checkListOfEnum
       info showWarnings nixpkgsVersion version isInOldestRelease
       mod compare splitByAndCompare
-      functionArgs setFunctionArgs isFunction toFunction
+      functionArgs setFunctionArgs isFunction toFunction lazyFunction
       toHexString toBaseDigits inPureEvalMode;
     inherit (self.fixedPoints) fix fix' converge extends composeExtensions
       composeManyExtensions makeExtensible makeExtensibleWithCustomName;
diff --git a/lib/systems/default.nix b/lib/systems/default.nix
index 233174d40831c..439f8ac6d617a 100644
--- a/lib/systems/default.nix
+++ b/lib/systems/default.nix
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ rec {
         emulator = pkgs:
           if (final.emulatorAvailable pkgs)
           then selectEmulator pkgs
-          else throw "Don't know how to run ${final.config} executables.";
+          else throw "Don't know how to run ${final.config} executables on ${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.";
 
     }) // mapAttrs (n: v: v final.parsed) inspect.predicates
       // mapAttrs (n: v: v final.gcc.arch or "default") architectures.predicates
diff --git a/lib/trivial.nix b/lib/trivial.nix
index 5d4fad8266bc9..eff5db60c6f01 100644
--- a/lib/trivial.nix
+++ b/lib/trivial.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 { lib }:
 
+let
+  inherit (lib) mapAttrs functionArgs setFunctionArgs;
+in
+
 rec {
 
   ## Simple (higher order) functions
@@ -467,6 +471,29 @@ rec {
     then v
     else k: v;
 
+  /*
+    Make an attribute-set matching function such as `{ a, b }: b` delay
+    its evaluation of the attribute set in the argument.
+
+    This is not compatible with ellipsis patterns, `{ ... }:`. It removes the
+    ability to do `args@{ a, ... }: args.b`, although this limitation should
+    not be relied on.
+
+    Example:
+
+        lib.fix (lib.lazyFunction ({ a, b }: { a = b; b = 1; }))
+  */
+  lazyFunction = f:
+    setFunctionArgs
+      (args:
+        f
+          (mapAttrs
+            (k: _: args.${k})
+            (functionArgs f)
+          )
+      )
+      (functionArgs f) ;
+
   /* Convert the given positive integer to a string of its hexadecimal
      representation. For example:
 
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
index f63b6c78f6da3..726b202e0027b 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 { system
 , pkgs ? import ../.. { inherit system config; }
+, hostPkgs ? pkgs
   # Use a minimal kernel?
 , minimal ? false
   # Ignored
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ rec {
 
   extraTestModule = {
     config = {
-      hostPkgs = pkgs;
+      _module.args.pkgs = pkgs;
+      inherit hostPkgs;
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix b/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
index 765af2878dfe8..159306b982746 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
-testModuleArgs@{ config, lib, hostPkgs, nodes, ... }:
+testModuleArgs@{ config, lib, hostPkgs, pkgs, nodes, ... }:
 
 let
   inherit (lib) mkOption mkForce optional types mapAttrs mkDefault mdDoc;
 
-  system = hostPkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
-
   baseOS =
     import ../eval-config.nix {
-      inherit system;
       inherit (config.node) specialArgs;
       modules = [ config.defaults ];
       baseModules = (import ../../modules/module-list.nix) ++
@@ -17,10 +14,14 @@ let
           ({ config, ... }:
             {
               virtualisation.qemu.package = testModuleArgs.config.qemu.package;
+              virtualisation.host.pkgs = hostPkgs;
 
               # Ensure we do not use aliases. Ideally this is only set
               # when the test framework is used by Nixpkgs NixOS tests.
               nixpkgs.config.allowAliases = false;
+              nixpkgs = {
+                inherit (pkgs.stdenv) hostPlatform buildPlatform;
+              };
             })
           testModuleArgs.config.extraBaseModules
         ] ++ optional config.minimal ../../modules/testing/minimal-kernel.nix;
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing/pkgs.nix b/nixos/lib/testing/pkgs.nix
index 22dd586868e30..3f3e2b29038f3 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing/pkgs.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing/pkgs.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 {
   config = {
     # default pkgs for use in VMs
-    _module.args.pkgs = hostPkgs;
+    _module.args.pkgs = lib.mkDefault hostPkgs;
 
     defaults = {
       # TODO: a module to set a shared pkgs, if options.nixpkgs.* is untouched by user (highestPrio) */
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing/run.nix b/nixos/lib/testing/run.nix
index 0cd07d8afd21d..c0dd8c0735c4e 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing/run.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing/run.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 { config, hostPkgs, lib, ... }:
 let
   inherit (lib) types mkOption mdDoc;
+
+  vmHostPlatform = hostPkgs.stdenv.buildPlatform;
+
+  virtualisationFeature =
+    if vmHostPlatform.isLinux then [ "kvm" ]
+    else if vmHostPlatform.isDarwin then [ "hvf" ]
+    else throw "Don't know how to require virtualisation on platform ${vmHostPlatform.system}";
 in
 {
   options = {
@@ -33,7 +40,7 @@ in
       derivation = hostPkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
         name = "vm-test-run-${config.name}";
 
-        requiredSystemFeatures = [ "kvm" "nixos-test" ];
+        requiredSystemFeatures = virtualisationFeature ++ [ "nixos-test" ];
 
         buildCommand = ''
           mkdir -p $out
diff --git a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
index 8ec73cc05c86a..a2fdcee024856 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 { system,
   pkgs,
+  hostPkgs ? pkgs,
 
   # Projects the test configuration into a the desired value; usually
   # the test runner: `config: config.test`.
@@ -28,10 +29,10 @@ let
         # in that file, which are then forwarded to the test definition
         # following the `import make-test-python.nix` expression
         # (if it is a function).
-        discoverTests (val { inherit system pkgs; })
+        discoverTests (val { inherit system pkgs hostPkgs; })
       else val;
   handleTest = path: args:
-    discoverTests (import path ({ inherit system pkgs; } // args));
+    discoverTests (lazyFunction (import path) ({ inherit system pkgs hostPkgs; } // args));
   handleTestOn = systems: path: args:
     if elem system systems then handleTest path args
     else {};
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ let
 
   inherit
     (rec {
-      doRunTest = arg: ((import ../lib/testing-python.nix { inherit system pkgs; }).evalTest {
+      doRunTest = arg: ((import ../lib/testing-python.nix { inherit system pkgs hostPkgs; }).evalTest {
         imports = [ arg ];
       }).config.result;
       findTests = tree:
diff --git a/nixos/tests/make-test-python.nix b/nixos/tests/make-test-python.nix
index c3bbd67423726..e0787c34bbbce 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/make-test-python.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/make-test-python.nix
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 f: {
   system ? builtins.currentSystem,
   pkgs ? import ../.. { inherit system; },
+  hostPkgs ? pkgs,
   ...
 } @ args:
 
-with import ../lib/testing-python.nix { inherit system pkgs; };
+with import ../lib/testing-python.nix { inherit system pkgs hostPkgs; };
 
 let testConfig = makeTest (if pkgs.lib.isFunction f then f (args // { inherit pkgs; inherit (pkgs) lib; }) else f);
 in testConfig.test   # For nix-build
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 2d629a1966cc2..ce57b4f2dd1ff 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -139,16 +139,35 @@ with pkgs;
   ### Push NixOS tests inside the fixed point
 
   # See also allTestsForSystem in nixos/release.nix
-  nixosTests = import ../../nixos/tests/all-tests.nix {
-    inherit pkgs;
-    system = stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
+  nixosTests = let
+    systemArgs =
+      if stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux && (stdenv.buildPlatform.isLinux || stdenv.buildPlatform.isDarwin)
+      then {
+        hostPkgs = pkgs.buildPackages;
+        pkgs = pkgs;
+        system = stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
+      }
+      else if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin && stdenv.buildPlatform.isDarwin
+      then
+        # In the context of a normal darwin compile, repurpose nixosTests as a
+        # non-cross build. This requires a "remote" builder such as a local
+        # Linux VM, but all VM hosting happens on darwin.
+        let linuxSystem = "${stdenv.buildPlatform.parsed.cpu.name}-linux";
+        in {
+          hostPkgs = pkgs;
+          pkgs = import ../.. { inherit config overlays; system = linuxSystem; };
+          system = linuxSystem;
+        }
+      else throw "Don't know how to configure NixOS for VM host ${stdenv.buildPlatform.system} and/or VM guest ${stdenv.hostPlatform.system} built on ${stdenv.buildPlatform.system}";
+  in
+  import ../../nixos/tests/all-tests.nix {
+    inherit (systemArgs) hostPkgs pkgs system;
     callTest = config: config.test;
   } // {
     # for typechecking of the scripts and evaluation of
     # the nodes, without running VMs.
     allDrivers = import ../../nixos/tests/all-tests.nix {
-      inherit pkgs;
-      system = stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
+      inherit (systemArgs) hostPkgs pkgs system;
       callTest = config: config.test.driver;
     };
   };