diff --git a/cerulean/flake-config/nexus.nix b/cerulean/flake-config/nexus.nix
index a9d0b02..2e02119 100644
--- a/cerulean/flake-config/nexus.nix
+++ b/cerulean/flake-config/nexus.nix
@@ -23,17 +23,12 @@
     mapNodes
     ;
 
-  inherit
-    (lib)
-    nixosSystem
-    ;
-
   mkNexus' = config: rec {
     nixosConfigurations = mapNodes (
       nodeName: node:
-        nixosSystem {
+        lib.nixosSystem {
           system = node.system;
-          modules = node.modules;
+          modules = [./hosts/${nodeName}] ++ node.extraModules;
 
           # nix passes these to every single module
           specialArgs =
diff --git a/cerulean/flake-config/nodes.nix b/cerulean/flake-config/nodes.nix
index f6f95fc..fdc32a4 100644
--- a/cerulean/flake-config/nodes.nix
+++ b/cerulean/flake-config/nodes.nix
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@
         Ensure `cerulean.nexus.nodes.${name}.${path}` exists under your call to `cerulean.mkNexus`.
       '');
   in {
-    system = missing "its system type" "system"; # intentionally left missing!! (to raise errors)
-    modules = missing "its required modules" "modules";
+    # system = missing "its system type" "system"; # intentionally left missing!! (to raise errors)
+    system = "x86_64-linux"; # sane default (i hope...)
+    extraModules = [];
     specialArgs = Terminal {};
 
     deploy = {
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@
 
       ssh = {
         host = missing "an SSH hostname (domain name or ip address) for deployment" "deploy.ssh.host";
-        user = missing "an SSH username for deployment" "deploy.ssh.user";
+        user = "ceru-build"; # ceru-build is the default connection user
         port = 22;
         opts = [];
       };