diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 72e2a6e..96d9459 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -46,12 +46,7 @@
 
       cargoArtifacts = craneLib.buildDepsOnly commonArgs;
     in {
-      demo-vm = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/demo-vm.nix {
-        nixosModule = self.nixosModules.default;
-        fc-packages = {
-          inherit (self.packages.${system}) fc-common fc-evaluator fc-migrate-cli fc-queue-runner fc-server;
-        };
-      };
+      demo-vm = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/demo-vm.nix {inherit self;};
 
       # FC Packages
       fc-common = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/packages/fc-common.nix {
@@ -77,35 +72,26 @@
 
     checks = forAllSystems (system: let
       pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
-      testArgs = {
-        nixosModule = self.nixosModules.default;
-        fc-packages = {
-          inherit (self.packages.${system}) fc-common fc-evaluator fc-migrate-cli fc-queue-runner fc-server;
-        };
-      };
     in {
       # Split VM integration tests
-      service-startup = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/service-startup.nix testArgs;
-      basic-api = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/basic-api.nix testArgs;
-      auth-rbac = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix testArgs;
-      api-crud = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/api-crud.nix testArgs;
-      features = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/features.nix testArgs;
-      e2e = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/e2e.nix testArgs;
-
-      # Legacy monolithic test (for reference, can be removed after split tests pass)
-      vm-test = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/vm-test.nix testArgs;
+      service-startup = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/startup.nix {inherit self;};
+      basic-api = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/basic-api.nix {inherit self;};
+      auth-rbac = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix {inherit self;};
+      api-crud = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/api-crud.nix {inherit self;};
+      features = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/features.nix {inherit self;};
+      webhooks = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/webhooks.nix {inherit self;};
+      e2e = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/tests/e2e.nix {inherit self;};
     });
 
     devShells = forAllSystems (system: let
       pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
     in {
       default = pkgs.mkShell {
-        name = "fc";
+        name = "fc-dev";
         inputsFrom = [self.packages.${system}.fc-server];
 
         strictDeps = true;
         packages = with pkgs; [
-          postgresql
           pkg-config
           openssl
 
@@ -116,5 +102,7 @@
         ];
       };
     });
+
+    formatter = forAllSystems (system: nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system}.alejandra);
   };
 }
diff --git a/nix/demo-vm.nix b/nix/demo-vm.nix
index e994cae..2c1f034 100644
--- a/nix/demo-vm.nix
+++ b/nix/demo-vm.nix
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 {
   pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
+  self,
 }: let
+  fc-packages = self.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system};
   nixos = pkgs.nixos ({
     modulesPath,
     pkgs,
     ...
   }: {
     imports = [
-      nixosModule
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
       (modulesPath + "/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix")
     ];
 
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
       evaluatorPackage = fc-packages.fc-evaluator;
       queueRunnerPackage = fc-packages.fc-queue-runner;
       migratePackage = fc-packages.fc-migrate-cli;
+
       server.enable = true;
       evaluator.enable = true;
       queueRunner.enable = true;
diff --git a/nix/modules/nixos.nix b/nix/modules/nixos.nix
index b394e3c..c5dcf63 100644
--- a/nix/modules/nixos.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/nixos.nix
@@ -4,60 +4,73 @@
   lib,
   ...
 }: let
+  inherit (lib.modules) mkIf mkDefault;
   inherit (lib.options) mkOption mkEnableOption;
   inherit (lib.types) bool str int package listOf submodule nullOr;
+  inherit (lib.attrsets) recursiveUpdate optionalAttrs;
+  inherit (lib.lists) optional map;
+
   cfg = config.services.fc;
 
   settingsFormat = pkgs.formats.toml {};
   settingsType = settingsFormat.type;
 
   # Build the final settings by merging declarative config into settings
-  finalSettings = lib.recursiveUpdate cfg.settings (lib.optionalAttrs (cfg.declarative.projects != [] || cfg.declarative.apiKeys != []) {
+  finalSettings = recursiveUpdate cfg.settings (optionalAttrs (cfg.declarative.projects != [] || cfg.declarative.apiKeys != []) {
     declarative = {
-      projects = map (p: {
-        name = p.name;
-        repository_url = p.repositoryUrl;
-        description = p.description or null;
-        jobsets = map (j: {
-          name = j.name;
-          nix_expression = j.nixExpression;
-          enabled = j.enabled;
-          flake_mode = j.flakeMode;
-          check_interval = j.checkInterval;
-        }) p.jobsets;
-      }) cfg.declarative.projects;
-      api_keys = map (k: {
-        name = k.name;
-        key = k.key;
-        role = k.role;
-      }) cfg.declarative.apiKeys;
+      projects =
+        map (p: {
+          name = p.name;
+          repository_url = p.repositoryUrl;
+          description = p.description or null;
+          jobsets =
+            map (j: {
+              name = j.name;
+              nix_expression = j.nixExpression;
+              enabled = j.enabled;
+              flake_mode = j.flakeMode;
+              check_interval = j.checkInterval;
+            })
+            p.jobsets;
+        })
+        cfg.declarative.projects;
+
+      api_keys =
+        map (k: {
+          name = k.name;
+          key = k.key;
+          role = k.role;
+        })
+        cfg.declarative.apiKeys;
     };
   });
 
   settingsFile = settingsFormat.generate "fc.toml" finalSettings;
 
-  inherit (builtins) map;
-
   jobsetOpts = {
     options = {
-      name = mkOption {
-        type = str;
-        description = "Jobset name.";
-      };
-      nixExpression = mkOption {
-        type = str;
-        description = "Nix expression to evaluate (e.g. 'packages', 'checks', 'hydraJobs').";
-      };
       enabled = mkOption {
         type = bool;
         default = true;
         description = "Whether this jobset is enabled for evaluation.";
       };
+
+      name = mkOption {
+        type = str;
+        description = "Jobset name.";
+      };
+
+      nixExpression = mkOption {
+        type = str;
+        description = "Nix expression to evaluate (e.g. 'packages', 'checks', 'hydraJobs').";
+      };
+
       flakeMode = mkOption {
         type = bool;
         default = true;
         description = "Whether to evaluate as a flake.";
       };
+
       checkInterval = mkOption {
         type = int;
         default = 60;
@@ -72,15 +85,18 @@
         type = str;
         description = "Project name (unique identifier).";
       };
+
       repositoryUrl = mkOption {
         type = str;
         description = "Git repository URL.";
       };
+
       description = mkOption {
         type = nullOr str;
         default = null;
         description = "Optional project description.";
       };
+
       jobsets = mkOption {
         type = listOf (submodule jobsetOpts);
         default = [];
@@ -95,6 +111,7 @@
         type = str;
         description = "Human-readable name for this API key.";
       };
+
       key = mkOption {
         type = str;
         description = ''
@@ -102,10 +119,21 @@
           Will be hashed before storage. Consider using a secrets manager.
         '';
       };
+
       role = mkOption {
         type = str;
         default = "admin";
-        description = "Role: admin, read-only, create-projects, eval-jobset, cancel-build, restart-jobs, bump-to-front.";
+        description = ''
+          Role:
+
+          * admin,
+          * read-only,
+          * create-projects,
+          * eval-jobset,
+          * cancel-build,
+          * restart-jobs,
+          * bump-to-front.
+        '';
       };
     };
   };
@@ -121,13 +149,15 @@ in {
     evaluatorPackage = mkOption {
       type = package;
       default = cfg.package;
-      description = "The FC evaluator package. Defaults to cfg.package.";
+      defaultText = "cfg.package";
+      description = "The FC evaluator package.";
     };
 
     queueRunnerPackage = mkOption {
       type = package;
       default = cfg.package;
-      description = "The FC queue runner package. Defaults to cfg.package.";
+      defaultText = "cfg.package";
+      description = "The FC queue runner package.";
     };
 
     migratePackage = mkOption {
@@ -139,8 +169,8 @@ in {
       type = settingsType;
       default = {};
       description = ''
-        FC configuration as a Nix attribute set.
-        Will be converted to TOML and written to fc.toml.
+        FC configuration as a Nix attribute set. Will be converted to TOML
+        and written to {file}`fc.toml`.
       '';
     };
 
@@ -152,19 +182,23 @@ in {
           Declarative project definitions. These are upserted on every
           server startup, ensuring the database matches this configuration.
         '';
-        example = lib.literalExpression ''
-          [
-            {
-              name = "my-project";
-              repositoryUrl = "https://github.com/user/repo";
-              description = "My Nix project";
-              jobsets = [
-                { name = "packages"; nixExpression = "packages"; }
-                { name = "checks"; nixExpression = "checks"; }
-              ];
-            }
-          ]
-        '';
+        example = [
+          {
+            name = "my-project";
+            repositoryUrl = "https://github.com/user/repo";
+            description = "My Nix project";
+            jobsets = [
+              {
+                name = "packages";
+                nixExpression = "packages";
+              }
+              {
+                name = "checks";
+                nixExpression = "checks";
+              }
+            ];
+          }
+        ];
       };
 
       apiKeys = mkOption {
@@ -174,12 +208,18 @@ in {
           Declarative API key definitions. Keys are upserted on every
           server startup. Use a secrets manager for production deployments.
         '';
-        example = lib.literalExpression ''
-          [
-            { name = "admin"; key = "fc_admin_secret"; role = "admin"; }
-            { name = "ci-bot"; key = "fc_ci_bot_key"; role = "eval-jobset"; }
-          ]
-        '';
+        example = [
+          {
+            name = "admin";
+            key = "fc_admin_secret";
+            role = "admin";
+          }
+          {
+            name = "ci-bot";
+            key = "fc_ci_bot_key";
+            role = "eval-jobset";
+          }
+        ];
       };
     };
 
@@ -204,7 +244,7 @@ in {
     };
   };
 
-  config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+  config = mkIf cfg.enable {
     users.users.fc = {
       isSystemUser = true;
       group = "fc";
@@ -214,7 +254,7 @@ in {
 
     users.groups.fc = {};
 
-    services.postgresql = lib.mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
+    services.postgresql = mkIf cfg.database.createLocally {
       enable = true;
       ensureDatabases = ["fc"];
       ensureUsers = [
@@ -225,14 +265,18 @@ in {
       ];
     };
 
-    services.fc.settings = lib.mkDefault {
+    services.fc.settings = mkDefault {
       database.url = "postgresql:///fc?host=/run/postgresql";
       server.host = "127.0.0.1";
       server.port = 3000;
-      gc.gc_roots_dir = "/nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc/fc-roots";
-      gc.enabled = true;
-      gc.max_age_days = 30;
-      gc.cleanup_interval = 3600;
+
+      gc = {
+        gc_roots_dir = "/nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc/fc-roots";
+        enabled = true;
+        max_age_days = 30;
+        cleanup_interval = 3600;
+      };
+
       logs.log_dir = "/var/lib/fc/logs";
       cache.enabled = true;
       evaluator.restrict_eval = true;
@@ -240,125 +284,129 @@ in {
       signing.enabled = false;
     };
 
-    systemd.tmpfiles.rules = [
-      (lib.mkIf cfg.server.enable "d /var/lib/fc/logs 0750 fc fc -")
-      (lib.mkIf cfg.queueRunner.enable "d /nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc 0755 fc fc -")
-    ];
-
-    systemd.services.fc-server = lib.mkIf cfg.server.enable {
-      description = "FC CI Server";
-      wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
-      after = ["network.target"] ++ lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-      requires = lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-
-      path = with pkgs; [nix zstd];
-
-      serviceConfig = {
-        ExecStartPre = "${cfg.migratePackage}/bin/fc-migrate up ${finalSettings.database.url or "postgresql:///fc?host=/run/postgresql"}";
-        ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/fc-server";
-        Restart = "on-failure";
-        RestartSec = 5;
-        User = "fc";
-        Group = "fc";
-        StateDirectory = "fc";
-        LogsDirectory = "fc";
-        WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
-        ReadWritePaths = ["/var/lib/fc"];
-
-        # Hardening
-        ProtectSystem = "strict";
-        ProtectHome = true;
-        NoNewPrivileges = true;
-        PrivateTmp = true;
-        ProtectKernelTunables = true;
-        ProtectKernelModules = true;
-        ProtectControlGroups = true;
-        RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
-      };
-
-      environment = {
-        FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
-      };
-    };
-
-    systemd.services.fc-evaluator = lib.mkIf cfg.evaluator.enable {
-      description = "FC CI Evaluator";
-      wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
-      after = ["network.target" "fc-server.service"] ++ lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-      requires = ["fc-server.service"] ++ lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-
-      path = with pkgs; [
-        nix
-        git
-        nix-eval-jobs
+    systemd = {
+      tmpfiles.rules = [
+        (mkIf cfg.server.enable "d /var/lib/fc/logs 0750 fc fc -")
+        (mkIf cfg.queueRunner.enable "d /nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc 0755 fc fc -")
       ];
 
-      serviceConfig = {
-        ExecStart = "${cfg.evaluatorPackage}/bin/fc-evaluator";
-        Restart = "on-failure";
-        RestartSec = 10;
-        User = "fc";
-        Group = "fc";
-        StateDirectory = "fc";
-        WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
-        ReadWritePaths = ["/var/lib/fc"];
+      services = {
+        fc-server = mkIf cfg.server.enable {
+          description = "FC CI Server";
+          wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
+          after = ["network.target"] ++ optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
+          requires = optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
 
-        # Hardening
-        ProtectSystem = "strict";
-        ProtectHome = true;
-        NoNewPrivileges = true;
-        PrivateTmp = true;
-        ProtectKernelTunables = true;
-        ProtectKernelModules = true;
-        ProtectControlGroups = true;
-        RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
-      };
+          path = with pkgs; [nix zstd];
 
-      environment = {
-        FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
-        FC_EVALUATOR__WORK_DIR = "/var/lib/fc/evaluator";
-        FC_EVALUATOR__RESTRICT_EVAL = "true";
-      };
-    };
+          serviceConfig = {
+            ExecStartPre = "${cfg.migratePackage}/bin/fc-migrate up ${finalSettings.database.url or "postgresql:///fc?host=/run/postgresql"}";
+            ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/fc-server";
+            Restart = "on-failure";
+            RestartSec = 5;
+            User = "fc";
+            Group = "fc";
+            StateDirectory = "fc";
+            LogsDirectory = "fc";
+            WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
+            ReadWritePaths = ["/var/lib/fc"];
 
-    systemd.services.fc-queue-runner = lib.mkIf cfg.queueRunner.enable {
-      description = "FC CI Queue Runner";
-      wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
-      after = ["network.target" "fc-server.service"] ++ lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
-      requires = ["fc-server.service"] ++ lib.optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
+            # Hardening
+            ProtectSystem = "strict";
+            ProtectHome = true;
+            NoNewPrivileges = true;
+            PrivateTmp = true;
+            ProtectKernelTunables = true;
+            ProtectKernelModules = true;
+            ProtectControlGroups = true;
+            RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
+          };
 
-      path = with pkgs; [
-        nix
-      ];
+          environment = {
+            FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
+          };
+        };
 
-      serviceConfig = {
-        ExecStart = "${cfg.queueRunnerPackage}/bin/fc-queue-runner";
-        Restart = "on-failure";
-        RestartSec = 10;
-        User = "fc";
-        Group = "fc";
-        StateDirectory = "fc";
-        LogsDirectory = "fc";
-        WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
-        ReadWritePaths = [
-          "/var/lib/fc"
-          "/nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc"
-        ];
+        fc-evaluator = mkIf cfg.evaluator.enable {
+          description = "FC CI Evaluator";
+          wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
+          after = ["network.target" "fc-server.service"] ++ optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
+          requires = ["fc-server.service"] ++ optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
 
-        # Hardening
-        ProtectSystem = "strict";
-        ProtectHome = true;
-        NoNewPrivileges = true;
-        PrivateTmp = true;
-        ProtectKernelTunables = true;
-        ProtectKernelModules = true;
-        ProtectControlGroups = true;
-        RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
-      };
+          path = with pkgs; [
+            nix
+            git
+            nix-eval-jobs
+          ];
 
-      environment = {
-        FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
-        FC_QUEUE_RUNNER__WORK_DIR = "/var/lib/fc/queue-runner";
+          serviceConfig = {
+            ExecStart = "${cfg.evaluatorPackage}/bin/fc-evaluator";
+            Restart = "on-failure";
+            RestartSec = 10;
+            User = "fc";
+            Group = "fc";
+            StateDirectory = "fc";
+            WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
+            ReadWritePaths = ["/var/lib/fc"];
+
+            # Hardening
+            ProtectSystem = "strict";
+            ProtectHome = true;
+            NoNewPrivileges = true;
+            PrivateTmp = true;
+            ProtectKernelTunables = true;
+            ProtectKernelModules = true;
+            ProtectControlGroups = true;
+            RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
+          };
+
+          environment = {
+            FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
+            FC_EVALUATOR__WORK_DIR = "/var/lib/fc/evaluator";
+            FC_EVALUATOR__RESTRICT_EVAL = "true";
+          };
+        };
+
+        fc-queue-runner = mkIf cfg.queueRunner.enable {
+          description = "FC CI Queue Runner";
+          wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
+          after = ["network.target" "fc-server.service"] ++ optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
+          requires = ["fc-server.service"] ++ optional cfg.database.createLocally "postgresql.target";
+
+          path = with pkgs; [
+            nix
+          ];
+
+          serviceConfig = {
+            ExecStart = "${cfg.queueRunnerPackage}/bin/fc-queue-runner";
+            Restart = "on-failure";
+            RestartSec = 10;
+            User = "fc";
+            Group = "fc";
+            StateDirectory = "fc";
+            LogsDirectory = "fc";
+            WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/fc";
+            ReadWritePaths = [
+              "/var/lib/fc"
+              "/nix/var/nix/gcroots/per-user/fc"
+            ];
+
+            # Hardening
+            ProtectSystem = "strict";
+            ProtectHome = true;
+            NoNewPrivileges = true;
+            PrivateTmp = true;
+            ProtectKernelTunables = true;
+            ProtectKernelModules = true;
+            ProtectControlGroups = true;
+            RestrictSUIDSGID = true;
+          };
+
+          environment = {
+            FC_CONFIG_FILE = "${settingsFile}";
+            FC_QUEUE_RUNNER__WORK_DIR = "/var/lib/fc/queue-runner";
+          };
+        };
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nix/tests/api-crud.nix b/nix/tests/api-crud.nix
index f6a197e..4f9ab59 100644
--- a/nix/tests/api-crud.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/api-crud.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
-# API CRUD tests: dashboard content, project/jobset/evaluation/build/channel/builder CRUD, admin endpoints, pagination, search
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-api-crud";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
+  # API CRUD tests: dashboard content, project/jobset/evaluation/build/channel/builder
+  # CRUD, admin endpoints, pagination, search
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
     import json
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     # Wait for the server to start listening
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=30)
 
-    # ---- Seed an API key for write operations ----
+    # Seed an API key for write operations
     # Token: fc_testkey123 -> SHA-256 hash inserted into api_keys table
     api_token = "fc_testkey123"
     api_hash = hashlib.sha256(api_token.encode()).hexdigest()
@@ -51,11 +54,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     )
     project_id = result.strip()
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase 4: Dashboard Content & Deep Functional Tests
-    # ========================================================================
-
-    # ---- 4A: Dashboard content verification ----
+    #  Dashboard content verification
     with subtest("Home page contains Dashboard heading"):
         body = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/")
         assert "Dashboard" in body, "Home page missing 'Dashboard' heading"
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "api_key" in body or "API" in body, "Login page missing API key input"
         assert "<form" in body.lower(), "Login page missing form element"
 
-    # ---- 4B: Dashboard page for specific entities ----
+    # Dashboard page for specific entities
     with subtest("Project detail page renders for existing project"):
         body = machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/project/{project_id}"
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         # Should return 200 with "not found" message or similar, not crash
         assert code.strip() == "200", f"Expected 200 for missing project detail, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4C: Project update via PUT ----
+    # Project update via PUT
     with subtest("Update project description via PUT"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "403", f"Expected 403 for read-only PUT, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4D: Jobset CRUD ----
+    # Jobset CRUD
     with subtest("Create jobset for test-project"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects/{project_id}/jobsets "
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert "main" in body, "Jobset detail page should show jobset name"
 
-    # ---- 4E: Evaluation trigger and lifecycle ----
+    # Evaluation trigger and lifecycle
     with subtest("Trigger evaluation via API"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/evaluations/trigger "
@@ -217,7 +216,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "403", f"Expected 403 for read-only eval trigger, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4E2: Build lifecycle (restart, bump) ----
+    # Build lifecycle (restart, bump)
     # Create a build via SQL since builds are normally created by the evaluator
     with subtest("Create test build via SQL"):
         machine.succeed(
@@ -284,7 +283,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert "cancelled" in result.strip().lower(), f"Expected cancelled, got: {result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4E3: Evaluation comparison ----
+    # Evaluation comparison ----
     with subtest("Trigger second evaluation for comparison"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/evaluations/trigger "
@@ -318,7 +317,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert len(data["new_jobs"]) >= 1, f"Expected at least 1 new job, got {data['new_jobs']}"
         assert any(j["job_name"] == "new-pkg" for j in data["new_jobs"]), "new-pkg should be in new_jobs"
 
-    # ---- 4F: Channel CRUD lifecycle ----
+    # Channel CRUD lifecycle ----
     with subtest("Create channel via API"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/channels "
@@ -382,7 +381,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "200", f"Expected 200 for channel delete, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4G: Remote builder CRUD lifecycle ----
+    # Remote builder CRUD lifecycle
     with subtest("List remote builders"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/admin/builders | jq 'length'"
@@ -456,7 +455,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "200", f"Expected 200 for builder delete, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4H: Admin system status endpoint ----
+    # Admin system status endpoint
     with subtest("System status endpoint requires admin"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -473,7 +472,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert int(result.strip()) >= 1, f"Expected at least 1 project in system status, got {result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4I: API key listing ----
+    # API key listing
     with subtest("List API keys requires admin"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -490,7 +489,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert int(result.strip()) >= 1, f"Expected at least 1 API key, got {result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4J: Badge endpoints ----
+    # Badge endpoints
     with subtest("Badge endpoint returns SVG for unknown project"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -523,7 +522,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() in ("404", "500"), f"Expected 404/500 for latest build, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4K: Pagination tests ----
+    # Pagination tests
     # Re-verify server is healthy before pagination tests
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=15)
 
@@ -555,7 +554,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "limit" in data, f"Expected paginated response with 'limit' field, got: {result[:300]}"
         assert data["limit"] == 2, f"Expected limit=2, got {data['limit']}"
 
-    # ---- 4L: Build sub-resources ----
+    # Build sub-resources
     with subtest("Build steps endpoint returns empty array for nonexistent build"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf "
@@ -579,7 +578,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "404", f"Expected 404 for nonexistent build log, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4M: Search functionality ----
+    # Search functionality
     with subtest("Search returns matching projects"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/search?q=test-project' | jq '.projects | length'"
@@ -592,7 +591,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert result.strip() == "0", f"Expected 0, got {result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4N: Content-Type verification for API endpoints ----
+    # Content-Type verification for API endpoints
     with subtest("API endpoints return application/json"):
         ct = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -D - -o /dev/null http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects | grep -i content-type"
@@ -611,7 +610,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert "text/plain" in ct.lower() or "text/" in ct.lower(), f"Expected text content type for metrics, got: {ct}"
 
-    # ---- 4O: Session/Cookie auth for dashboard ----
+    # Session/Cookie auth for dashboard
     with subtest("Login with valid API key sets session cookie"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -D - -o /dev/null "
@@ -661,7 +660,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "Max-Age=0" in result or "max-age=0" in result.lower(), \
             "Logout should set Max-Age=0 to clear cookie"
 
-    # ---- 4P: RBAC with create-projects role ----
+    # RBAC with create-projects role
     cp_token = "fc_createprojects_key"
     cp_hash = hashlib.sha256(cp_token.encode()).hexdigest()
     machine.succeed(
@@ -709,7 +708,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert code.strip() == "403", f"Expected 403 for create-projects system status, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 4Q: Additional security tests ----
+    # Additional security tests
     with subtest("DELETE project without auth returns 401"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
diff --git a/nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix b/nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix
index 9e8b8aa..ade5f2e 100644
--- a/nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/auth-rbac.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
-# Authentication and RBAC tests
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-auth-rbac";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
+  # Authentication and RBAC tests
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
     import json
diff --git a/nix/tests/basic-api.nix b/nix/tests/basic-api.nix
index ea2a070..8ad8d3a 100644
--- a/nix/tests/basic-api.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/basic-api.nix
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-basic-api";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     # Wait for the server to start listening
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=30)
 
-    # ---- Seed an API key for write operations ----
+    ## Seed an API key for write operations
     # Token: fc_testkey123 -> SHA-256 hash inserted into api_keys table
     api_token = "fc_testkey123"
     api_hash = hashlib.sha256(api_token.encode()).hexdigest()
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     )
     auth_header = f"-H 'Authorization: Bearer {api_token}'"
 
-    # ---- Health endpoint ----
+    # Health endpoint
     with subtest("Health endpoint returns OK"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health | jq -r .status")
         assert result.strip() == "ok", f"Expected 'ok', got '{result.strip()}'"
@@ -40,13 +42,13 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health | jq -r .database")
         assert result.strip() == "true", f"Expected 'true', got '{result.strip()}'"
 
-    # ---- Cache endpoint: nix-cache-info ----
+    # Cache endpoint: nix-cache-info
     with subtest("Cache info endpoint returns correct data"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/nix-cache/nix-cache-info")
         assert "StoreDir: /nix/store" in result, f"Missing StoreDir in: {result}"
         assert "WantMassQuery: 1" in result, f"Missing WantMassQuery in: {result}"
 
-    # ---- Cache endpoint: invalid hash rejection ----
+    # Cache endpoint: invalid hash rejection
     with subtest("Cache rejects short hash"):
         machine.succeed("curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/nix-cache/tooshort.narinfo | grep -q 404")
 
@@ -59,14 +61,14 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     with subtest("Cache returns 404 for valid but nonexistent hash"):
         machine.succeed("curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/nix-cache/abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz012345.narinfo | grep -q 404")
 
-    # ---- NAR endpoints: invalid hash rejection ----
+    #  NAR endpoints: invalid hash rejection
     with subtest("NAR zst rejects invalid hash"):
         machine.succeed("curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/nix-cache/nar/INVALID.nar.zst | grep -q 404")
 
     with subtest("NAR plain rejects invalid hash"):
         machine.succeed("curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/nix-cache/nar/INVALID.nar | grep -q 404")
 
-    # ---- Search endpoint: length validation ----
+    # Search endpoint: length validation
     with subtest("Search rejects empty query"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/search?q=' | jq '.projects | length'")
         assert result.strip() == "0", f"Expected 0 projects, got {result.strip()}"
@@ -76,12 +78,12 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         result = machine.succeed(f"curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/search?q={long_q}' | jq '.projects | length'")
         assert result.strip() == "0", f"Expected 0 projects for long query, got {result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- Error response format ----
+    # Error response format
     with subtest("404 error response includes error_code field"):
         json_result = machine.succeed("curl -s http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 | jq -r .error_code")
         assert json_result.strip() == "NOT_FOUND", f"Expected NOT_FOUND, got {json_result.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- Empty page states (before any data is created) ----
+    # Empty page states (before any data is created)
     with subtest("Empty evaluations page has proper empty state"):
         body = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/evaluations")
         assert "Page 1 of 0" not in body, \
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "table-wrap" in body, \
             "Projects page should wrap tables in .table-wrap class"
 
-    # ---- API CRUD: create and list projects ----
+    # API CRUD: create and list projects
     with subtest("Create a project via API"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects "
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects | jq '.items[0].name'")
         assert "test-project" in result, f"Expected test-project in: {result}"
 
-    # ---- Builds list with filters ----
+    # Builds list with filters
     with subtest("Builds list with system filter returns 200"):
         machine.succeed("curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/builds?system=x86_64-linux' | jq '.items'")
 
@@ -133,14 +135,14 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     with subtest("Builds list with combined filters returns 200"):
         machine.succeed("curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/builds?system=x86_64-linux&status=pending&job_name=test' | jq '.items'")
 
-    # ---- Metrics endpoint ----
+    # Metrics endpoint
     with subtest("Metrics endpoint returns prometheus format"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/metrics")
         assert "fc_builds_total" in result, "Missing fc_builds_total in metrics"
         assert "fc_projects_total" in result, "Missing fc_projects_total in metrics"
         assert "fc_evaluations_total" in result, "Missing fc_evaluations_total in metrics"
 
-    # ---- CORS: default restrictive (no Access-Control-Allow-Origin for cross-origin) ----
+    # CORS: default restrictive (no Access-Control-Allow-Origin for cross-origin)
     with subtest("Default CORS does not allow arbitrary origins"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -D - "
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "access-control-allow-origin: http://evil.example.com" not in result.lower(), \
             f"CORS should not allow arbitrary origins: {result}"
 
-    # ---- Systemd hardening ----
+    # Systemd hardening
     with subtest("fc-server runs as fc user"):
         result = machine.succeed("systemctl show fc-server --property=User --value")
         assert result.strip() == "fc", f"Expected fc user, got '{result.strip()}'"
@@ -168,7 +170,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     with subtest("Log directory exists"):
         machine.succeed("test -d /var/lib/fc/logs || mkdir -p /var/lib/fc/logs")
 
-    # ---- Stats endpoint ----
+    # Stats endpoint
     with subtest("Build stats endpoint returns data"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/builds/stats | jq '.total_builds'")
         # Should be a number (possibly 0)
diff --git a/nix/tests/common.nix b/nix/tests/common.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index f209b4e..0000000
--- a/nix/tests/common.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,80 +0,0 @@
-# Common machine configuration for all FC integration tests
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}: {
-  imports = [nixosModule];
-
-  programs.git.enable = true;
-  security.sudo.enable = true;
-
-  # Ensure nix and zstd are available for cache endpoints
-  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [nix nix-eval-jobs zstd curl jq openssl];
-
-  services.fc = {
-    enable = true;
-    package = fc-packages.fc-server;
-    evaluatorPackage = fc-packages.fc-evaluator;
-    queueRunnerPackage = fc-packages.fc-queue-runner;
-    migratePackage = fc-packages.fc-migrate-cli;
-
-    server.enable = true;
-    evaluator.enable = true;
-    queueRunner.enable = true;
-
-    settings = {
-      database.url = "postgresql:///fc?host=/run/postgresql";
-      server = {
-        host = "127.0.0.1";
-        port = 3000;
-        cors_permissive = false;
-      };
-
-      gc.enabled = false;
-      logs.log_dir = "/var/lib/fc/logs";
-      cache.enabled = true;
-      signing.enabled = false;
-
-      tracing = {
-        level = "info";
-        format = "compact";
-        show_targets = true;
-        show_timestamps = true;
-      };
-
-      evaluator.poll_interval = 5;
-      evaluator.work_dir = "/var/lib/fc/evaluator";
-      queue_runner.poll_interval = 3;
-      queue_runner.work_dir = "/var/lib/fc/queue-runner";
-
-      # Declarative bootstrap: project + API key created on startup
-      declarative = {
-        projects = [
-          {
-            name = "declarative-project";
-            repository_url = "https://github.com/test/declarative";
-            description = "Bootstrap test project";
-            jobsets = [
-              {
-                name = "packages";
-                nix_expression = "packages";
-                enabled = true;
-                flake_mode = true;
-                check_interval = 300;
-              }
-            ];
-          }
-        ];
-
-        api_keys = [
-          {
-            name = "bootstrap-admin";
-            key = "fc_bootstrap_key";
-            role = "admin";
-          }
-        ];
-      };
-    };
-  };
-}
diff --git a/nix/tests/e2e.nix b/nix/tests/e2e.nix
index aab719e..9674f4d 100644
--- a/nix/tests/e2e.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/e2e.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
-# End-to-end tests: flake creation, evaluation, queue runner, notification, signing, GC, declarative, webhooks
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-e2e";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
+  # End-to-end tests: flake creation, evaluation, queue runner, notification,
+  # signing, GC, declarative, webhooks
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
     import json
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     # Wait for the server to start listening
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=30)
 
-    # ---- Seed an API key for write operations ----
+    # Seed an API key for write operations
     # Token: fc_testkey123 -> SHA-256 hash inserted into api_keys table
     api_token = "fc_testkey123"
     api_hash = hashlib.sha256(api_token.encode()).hexdigest()
@@ -41,11 +44,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     )
     ro_header = f"-H 'Authorization: Bearer {ro_token}'"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-1: End-to-End Evaluator Integration Test
-    # ========================================================================
-
-    # ---- Create a test flake inside the VM ----
+    # Create a test flake inside the VM
     with subtest("Create bare git repo with test flake"):
         machine.succeed("mkdir -p /var/lib/fc/test-repos")
         machine.succeed("git init --bare /var/lib/fc/test-repos/test-flake.git")
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         # Set ownership for fc user
         machine.succeed("chown -R fc:fc /var/lib/fc/test-repos")
 
-    # ---- Create project + jobset pointing to the local repo via API ----
+    # Create project + jobset pointing to the local repo via API
     with subtest("Create E2E project and jobset via API"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects "
@@ -100,10 +99,10 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         e2e_jobset_id = result.strip()
         assert len(e2e_jobset_id) == 36, f"Expected UUID for jobset, got '{e2e_jobset_id}'"
 
-    # ---- Wait for evaluator to pick it up and create an evaluation ----
+    # Wait for evaluator to pick it up and create an evaluation
     with subtest("Evaluator discovers and evaluates the flake"):
-        # The evaluator is already running (started in Phase 1)
-        # Poll for evaluation to appear with status "completed"
+        # The evaluator is already running, poll for evaluation to appear
+        # with status "completed"
         machine.wait_until_succeeds(
             f"curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/evaluations?jobset_id={e2e_jobset_id}' "
             "| jq -e '.items[] | select(.status==\"completed\")'",
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             f"curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/builds?evaluation_id={e2e_eval_id}' | jq -r '.items[0].id'"
         ).strip()
 
-    # ---- Test evaluation caching ----
+    # Test evaluation caching
     with subtest("Same commit does not trigger a new evaluation"):
         # Get current evaluation count
         before_count = machine.succeed(
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert before_count == after_count, f"Evaluation count changed from {before_count} to {after_count} (should be cached)"
 
-    # ---- Test new commit triggers new evaluation ----
+    # Test new commit triggers new evaluation
     with subtest("New commit triggers new evaluation"):
         before_count_int = int(machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/evaluations?jobset_id={e2e_jobset_id}' | jq '.items | length'"
@@ -181,10 +180,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             timeout=60
         )
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-2: End-to-End Queue Runner Integration Test
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Queue runner builds pending derivation"):
         # Poll the E2E build until completed (queue-runner is already running)
         machine.wait_until_succeeds(
@@ -230,10 +225,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert code == "200", f"Expected 200 for build log, got {code}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-3: Jobset Input Management API
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Create jobset input via API"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects/{e2e_project_id}/jobsets/{e2e_jobset_id}/inputs "
@@ -285,10 +276,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert code == "403", f"Expected 403 for read-only input delete, got {code}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-4: Notification Dispatch
-    # ========================================================================
-
     # Notifications are dispatched after builds complete (already tested above).
     # Verify run_command notifications work:
     with subtest("Notification run_command is invoked on build completion"):
@@ -300,10 +287,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert result == "completed", f"Expected completed after notification, got {result}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-5: Channel Auto-Promotion
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Channel auto-promotion after all builds complete"):
         # Create a channel tracking the E2E jobset
         result = machine.succeed(
@@ -324,10 +307,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             timeout=30
         )
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-6: Binary Cache NARinfo Test
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Binary cache serves NARinfo for built output"):
         # Get the build output path
         output_path = machine.succeed(
@@ -353,10 +332,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "StorePath:" in narinfo, f"NARinfo missing StorePath: {narinfo}"
         assert "NarHash:" in narinfo, f"NARinfo missing NarHash: {narinfo}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-7: Build Retry on Failure
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Build with invalid drv_path fails and retries"):
         # Insert a build with an invalid drv_path via SQL
         machine.succeed(
@@ -378,10 +353,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert result == "failed", f"Expected failed for bad build, got '{result}'"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-8: Notification Dispatch (run_command)
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Notification run_command invoked on build completion"):
         # Write a notification script
         machine.succeed("mkdir -p /var/lib/fc")
@@ -458,10 +429,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             f"Expected BUILD_STATUS in notification output, got: {output}"
         assert notify_build_id in output, f"Expected build ID {notify_build_id} in output, got: {output}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-9: Nix Signing
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Generate signing key and configure signing"):
         # Generate a Nix signing key
         machine.succeed("mkdir -p /var/lib/fc/keys")
@@ -537,10 +504,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         # The verify command should succeed (exit 0) if signatures are valid
         machine.succeed(f"nix store verify --sigs-needed 1 {output_path}")
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-10: GC Roots
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("GC roots are created for build products"):
         # Enable GC in config
         machine.succeed("""
@@ -607,18 +570,14 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
                         found_root = True
                         break
 
-            # We might have GC roots - this is expected behavior
-            # The key is that the build output exists and is protected from GC
+            # We might have GC roots, this is expected behavior
+            # The key thing is that the build output exists and is protected from GC
             machine.succeed(f"test -e {gc_build_output}")
         else:
             # If no GC roots yet, at least verify the build output exists
             # GC roots might be created asynchronously
             machine.succeed(f"test -e {gc_build_output}")
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-11: Declarative In-Repo Config
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Declarative .fc.toml in repo auto-creates jobset"):
         # Add .fc.toml to the test repo with a new jobset definition
         machine.succeed("""
@@ -641,10 +600,6 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             timeout=60
         )
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase E2E-12: Webhook Endpoint
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Webhook endpoint accepts valid GitHub push"):
         # Create a webhook config via SQL (no REST endpoint for creation)
         machine.succeed(
@@ -697,7 +652,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         ).strip()
         assert code == "401", f"Expected 401 for invalid webhook signature, got {code}"
 
-    # ---- Cleanup: Delete project ----
+    # Cleanup: Delete project
     with subtest("Delete E2E project"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
diff --git a/nix/tests/features.nix b/nix/tests/features.nix
index 80bdcbe..cc6a920 100644
--- a/nix/tests/features.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/features.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
-# Feature tests: logging, CSS, setup wizard, probe, metrics improvements
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-features";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
+  # Feature tests: logging, CSS, setup wizard, probe, metrics improvements
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
 
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     # Wait for the server to start listening
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=30)
 
-    # ---- Seed an API key for write operations ----
+    # Seed an API key for write operations
     # Token: fc_testkey123 -> SHA-256 hash inserted into api_keys table
     api_token = "fc_testkey123"
     api_hash = hashlib.sha256(api_token.encode()).hexdigest()
@@ -40,11 +42,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     )
     ro_header = f"-H 'Authorization: Bearer {ro_token}'"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # Phase 5: New Feature Tests (Structured Logging, Flake Probe, Setup Wizard, Dashboard)
-    # ========================================================================
-
-    # ---- 5A: Structured logging ----
+    # Structured logging ----
     with subtest("Server produces structured log output"):
         # The server should log via tracing with the configured format
         result = machine.succeed("journalctl -u fc-server --no-pager -n 50 2>&1")
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "INFO" in result or "info" in result, \
             "Expected structured log lines with INFO level in journalctl output"
 
-    # ---- 5B: Static CSS serving ----
+    # Static CSS serving ----
     with subtest("Static CSS endpoint returns 200 with correct content type"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/static/style.css"
@@ -63,7 +61,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert "text/css" in ct.lower(), f"Expected text/css, got: {ct}"
 
-    # ---- 5C: Setup wizard page ----
+    # Setup wizard page
     with subtest("Setup wizard page returns 200"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://127.0.0.1:3000/projects/new"
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             )
             assert '/projects/new' in body, "Projects page should link to /projects/new wizard"
 
-    # ---- 5D: Flake probe endpoint ----
+    # Flake probe endpoint
     with subtest("Probe endpoint exists and requires POST"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -116,7 +114,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert code.strip() in ("200", "408", "422", "500"), \
             f"Expected 200/408/422/500 for probe of unreachable repo, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ---- 5E: Setup endpoint ----
+    # Setup endpoint
     with subtest("Setup endpoint exists and requires POST"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -157,7 +155,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         f"{auth_header}"
     )
 
-    # ---- 5F: Dashboard improvements ----
+    # Dashboard improvements
     with subtest("Home page has dashboard-grid two-column layout"):
         body = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/")
         assert "dashboard-grid" in body, "Home page should have dashboard-grid class"
@@ -179,7 +177,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
             )
             assert "escapeHtml" in body, "Admin page JS should use escapeHtml"
 
-    # ---- 4R: Metrics reflect actual data ----
+    # Metrics reflect actual data
     with subtest("Metrics fc_projects_total reflects created projects"):
         result = machine.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/metrics")
         for line in result.split("\n"):
diff --git a/nix/tests/service-startup.nix b/nix/tests/startup.nix
similarity index 96%
rename from nix/tests/service-startup.nix
rename to nix/tests/startup.nix
index 2829af9..62fc94b 100644
--- a/nix/tests/service-startup.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/startup.nix
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-service-startup";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
   testScript = ''
     machine.start()
diff --git a/nix/tests/webhooks.nix b/nix/tests/webhooks.nix
index b640c2d..f1df1e5 100644
--- a/nix/tests/webhooks.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/webhooks.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
-# Webhook and PR integration tests
-{
-  pkgs,
-  fc-packages,
-  nixosModule,
-}:
+{pkgs, self}:
 pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
   name = "fc-webhooks";
 
-  nodes.machine = import ./common.nix {inherit pkgs fc-packages nixosModule;};
+  nodes.machine = {
+    imports = [
+      self.nixosModules.fc-ci
+      ../vm-common.nix
+    ];
+    _module.args.self = self;
+  };
 
+  # Webhook and PR integration tests
   testScript = ''
     import hashlib
     import json
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     # Wait for the server to start listening
     machine.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:3000/health", timeout=30)
 
-    # ---- Seed an API key for write operations ----
+    # Seed an API key for write operations
     api_token = "fc_testkey123"
     api_hash = hashlib.sha256(api_token.encode()).hexdigest()
     machine.succeed(
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
     )
     auth_header = f"-H 'Authorization: Bearer {api_token}'"
 
-    # ---- Create a test project for webhook tests ----
+    # Create a test project for webhook tests
     with subtest("Create test project for webhooks"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects "
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         project_id = result.strip()
         assert len(project_id) == 36, f"Expected UUID, got '{project_id}'"
 
-    # ---- Create a jobset for the project ----
+    # Create a jobset for the project
     with subtest("Create jobset for webhook project"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects/{project_id}/jobsets "
@@ -56,10 +58,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         jobset_id = result.strip()
         assert len(jobset_id) == 36, f"Expected UUID, got '{jobset_id}'"
 
-    # ========================================================================
     # GitHub Webhook Tests
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("GitHub webhook returns 404 when not configured"):
         code = machine.succeed(
             "curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "
@@ -196,10 +195,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         )
         assert "draft" in result.lower(), f"Expected draft PR to be skipped, got: {result}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
-    # GitLab Webhook Tests
-    # ========================================================================
-
+    ## GitLab Webhook Tests
     # Create a GitLab project
     with subtest("Create GitLab test project"):
         result = machine.succeed(
@@ -314,10 +310,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert "draft" in result.lower() or "wip" in result.lower(), \
             f"Expected draft MR to be skipped, got: {result}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
     # Gitea/Forgejo Webhook Tests
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Create Gitea test project"):
         result = machine.succeed(
             "curl -sf -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects "
@@ -365,10 +358,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         assert int(count_after) > int(count_before), \
             "Expected new evaluation from Gitea push"
 
-    # ========================================================================
     # OAuth Routes Existence Tests
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("GitHub OAuth login route exists"):
         # Should redirect or return 404 if not configured
         code = machine.succeed(
@@ -384,10 +374,7 @@ pkgs.testers.nixosTest {
         # Should fail gracefully (no OAuth configured)
         assert code.strip() in ("400", "404", "500"), f"Expected error code, got {code.strip()}"
 
-    # ========================================================================
     # Cleanup
-    # ========================================================================
-
     with subtest("Cleanup test projects"):
         machine.succeed(
             f"curl -sf -X DELETE http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1/projects/{project_id} {auth_header}"
diff --git a/nix/vm-common.nix b/nix/vm-common.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed582c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/vm-common.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# Common VM configuration for FC integration tests
+{
+  self,
+  pkgs,
+  ...
+}: let
+  fc-packages = self.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system};
+in {
+  # Common machine configuration for all FC integration tests
+  config = {
+    programs.git.enable = true;
+    security.sudo.enable = true;
+
+    # Ensure nix and zstd are available for cache endpoints
+    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [nix nix-eval-jobs zstd curl jq openssl];
+
+    services.fc = {
+      enable = true;
+      package = fc-packages.fc-server;
+      evaluatorPackage = fc-packages.fc-evaluator;
+      queueRunnerPackage = fc-packages.fc-queue-runner;
+      migratePackage = fc-packages.fc-migrate-cli;
+
+      server.enable = true;
+      evaluator.enable = true;
+      queueRunner.enable = true;
+
+      settings = {
+        database.url = "postgresql:///fc?host=/run/postgresql";
+        server = {
+          host = "127.0.0.1";
+          port = 3000;
+          cors_permissive = false;
+        };
+
+        gc.enabled = false;
+        logs.log_dir = "/var/lib/fc/logs";
+        cache.enabled = true;
+        signing.enabled = false;
+
+        tracing = {
+          level = "info";
+          format = "compact";
+          show_targets = true;
+          show_timestamps = true;
+        };
+
+        evaluator.poll_interval = 5;
+        evaluator.work_dir = "/var/lib/fc/evaluator";
+        queue_runner.poll_interval = 3;
+        queue_runner.work_dir = "/var/lib/fc/queue-runner";
+
+        # Declarative bootstrap: project + API key created on startup
+        declarative = {
+          projects = [
+            {
+              name = "declarative-project";
+              repository_url = "https://github.com/test/declarative";
+              description = "Bootstrap test project";
+              jobsets = [
+                {
+                  name = "packages";
+                  nix_expression = "packages";
+                  enabled = true;
+                  flake_mode = true;
+                  check_interval = 300;
+                }
+              ];
+            }
+          ];
+
+          api_keys = [
+            {
+              name = "bootstrap-admin";
+              key = "fc_bootstrap_key";
+              role = "admin";
+            }
+          ];
+        };
+      };
+    };
+  };
+}