diff --git a/configuration.nix b/configuration.nix
index 22e2739..10b8535 100644
--- a/configuration.nix
+++ b/configuration.nix
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@ with lib;
 
 let
   fn = import ./fn.nix { inherit lib; };
-  # hostName can be set with -I hostName=$HOSTNAME, defaults to the contents of /secret/hostName
-  hostName = let
-    hostVal = (tryEval <hostName>).value;
-  in fn.ifelse (hostVal != false)
-    hostVal
-    (fileContents /secret/hostName);
+  # Cannot use <hostName> here as those evaluations only work with existing paths >.<
+  # hostName and secretPtah can be set with -I hostName=$HOSTNAME and -I secretPath=$SECRETPATH respectively
+  # , defaults to the contents of /secret/hostName
+  secretPath = fn.ifelse ((tryEval <secretPath>).value != false)
+    <secretPath>
+    /secret;
+  hostName = (findFirst
+    (elem: elem.prefix == "hostName")
+    { path = (fileContents "${secretPath}/hostName"); }
+    nixPath
+  ).path;
   machinePath = (builtins.toPath ( ./machines + ("/" + hostName)));
   machineFiles = fn.lst { p = machinePath; b = true; };
   configFiles = fn.lst { p = (toString ./config); b = true; };