diff --git a/hosts/common/core/system.nix b/hosts/common/core/system.nix
index c2be5b7..23fd536 100644
--- a/hosts/common/core/system.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/core/system.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   lib,
   nodeName,
   nodePath,
+  options,
   ...
 }: {
   # IP address math library
@@ -198,10 +199,12 @@
     # current system due to yubikey availability.
     forceRekeyOnSystem = builtins.extraBuiltins.unsafeCurrentSystem;
     hostPubkey = let
-      pubkeyPath = nodePath + "/secrets/host.pub";
+      pubkeyPath =
+        if nodePath == null
+        then null
+        else nodePath + "/secrets/host.pub";
     in
-      lib.mkIf (lib.pathExists pubkeyPath || lib.trace "Missing pubkey for ${nodeName}: ${toString pubkeyPath} not found, using dummy replacement key for now." false)
-      pubkeyPath;
+      lib.mkIf (pubkeyPath != null && lib.pathExists pubkeyPath) pubkeyPath;
   };
 
   boot = {
diff --git a/hosts/ward/default.nix b/hosts/ward/default.nix
index 0a35b4a..885eccc 100644
--- a/hosts/ward/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/ward/default.nix
@@ -39,4 +39,14 @@
     test = defineVm 11;
     #hi = defineVm 12;
   };
+
+  microvm.vms.test.config = {
+    imports = [
+      ../common/core
+      ../../users/root
+    ];
+
+    home-manager.users.root.home.minimal = true;
+    rekey.hostPubkey = "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIBXXjI6uB26xOF0DPy/QyLladoGIKfAtofyqPgIkCH/g";
+  };
 }
diff --git a/hosts/ward/microvms/test/default.nix b/hosts/ward/microvms/test/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 4888501..0000000
--- a/hosts/ward/microvms/test/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-{
-  imports = [
-    ../../../common/core
-
-    ../../../../users/root
-  ];
-
-  home-manager.users.root.home.minimal = true;
-}
diff --git a/hosts/ward/microvms/test/secrets/host.pub b/hosts/ward/microvms/test/secrets/host.pub
deleted file mode 100644
index e8bb16b..0000000
--- a/hosts/ward/microvms/test/secrets/host.pub
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIBXXjI6uB26xOF0DPy/QyLladoGIKfAtofyqPgIkCH/g