diff --git a/machines/.sops.yaml b/machines/.sops.yaml
index ece6ddf..cdcd4cb 100644
--- a/machines/.sops.yaml
+++ b/machines/.sops.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,18 @@ keys:
   - &machine_durruti age1xu6kxpf8p0r8d6sgyl0m20p5hmw35nserl7rejuzm66eql0ur4mq03u0vp
   - &machine_vpn age1v6uxwej4nlrpfanr9js7x6059mtvyg4fw50pzt0a2kt3ahk7edlslafeuh
   - &machine_fanny age14dpm6vaycd6u34dkndcktpamqgdyj4aqccjnl5533dsza05hxuds0tjfnf
+  #this dummy key is used for testing.
+  - &machine_dummy age18jn5mrfs4gqrnv0e2sxsgh3kq4sgxx39hwr8z7mz9kt7wlgaasjqlr88ng
 creation_rules:
+  #provide fake secrets in a dummy.yaml file for each host
+  - path_regex: '.*dummy\.yaml$'
+    key_groups:
+    - pgp:
+      - *admin_kalipso
+      - *admin_kalipso_dsktp
+      age:
+      - *machine_dummy
+      - *admin_atlan
   - path_regex: moderatio/secrets/secrets.yaml$
     key_groups:
     - pgp:
diff --git a/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519 b/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f8774d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+b3BlbnNzaC1rZXktdjEAAAAABG5vbmUAAAAEbm9uZQAAAAAAAAABAAAAMwAAAAtzc2gtZW
+QyNTUxOQAAACBpnsgZCWwvETJKoZf7QFKCLaUnj8hioci+SewK8cUUwgAAAJgdrbX3Ha21
+9wAAAAtzc2gtZWQyNTUxOQAAACBpnsgZCWwvETJKoZf7QFKCLaUnj8hioci+SewK8cUUwg
+AAAECaQfylNoG/uN8fozvq3loBLWQ3gIKPOGnZpwyHUlAMO2meyBkJbC8RMkqhl/tAUoIt
+pSePyGKhyL5J7ArxxRTCAAAADmthbGlwc29AY2VsaW5lAQIDBAUGBw==
+-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
diff --git a/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519.pub b/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519.pub
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3469bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519.pub
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGmeyBkJbC8RMkqhl/tAUoItpSePyGKhyL5J7ArxxRTC kalipso@celine
diff --git a/machines/vpn/dummy.yaml b/machines/vpn/dummy.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e053fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/machines/vpn/dummy.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+wg_private: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:4mE0dbYZfOX7RUfZAH16UYabnr7+5XDyhwR4HqpbdQMRKjfAcwz9QrmFE7M=,iv:zrY6dFa613EUlyb80bdAePXEL+aA1eEXBMbmj5lFLUE=,tag:fihRa+Bw5tzXVyMfgGsLqw==,type:str]
+sops:
+    kms: []
+    gcp_kms: []
+    azure_kv: []
+    hc_vault: []
+    age:
+        - recipient: age18jn5mrfs4gqrnv0e2sxsgh3kq4sgxx39hwr8z7mz9kt7wlgaasjqlr88ng
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSBSMFk2bzE3OG9VR0VqOTIz
+            UEQySS9SUnRmMDFqVTg1dks3WTZvbE13VGxVCitHVE1SVlBlYkZwejNlWWNMTVhF
+            M2EzSFRmS3lFd1VPMHRpMjhtMVgyVDQKLS0tIGJObk1kcWlaeUhveHdrY1BEQkh4
+            WTJua1FvNFFtMDFGWE9ZaW9wWFoxcncKlYHjkzlUj+rBPmXK/jj9XCUoGrQ4vBXH
+            ZTItzrbCI30juPjy6dJ0ffZF2ILvJLUdwurz4lZFybNuUjhE2sAY+A==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+        - recipient: age1ljpdczmg5ctqyeezn739hv589fwhssjjnuqf7276fqun6kc62v3qmhkd0c
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSA5S1dhZUVpT3NMaGR4eEhV
+            dUxvUGVvMUtPbWhEQnpJd3Y1YTBYbm1QMTBVCmpQbkhvM3VWV2MvcmY2RVhVOWdy
+            MVZxK201bmcwVHlwUlFnb0p5eGFNNGsKLS0tIDlrc1ErS0NiRUJ0UFZnNHNNSk9m
+            U2xLQVhoS2NxNUVvcGZBYW9VVkZNOUEKeCpijhxpkAxCB9/iIQmek03mj7b14sqs
+            CuGKgoeq7C6eG1PK3I8MzGplQMyCpEFQ+33KMj0vGwktpv/eVzC8/w==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+    lastmodified: "2025-01-19T21:35:59Z"
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:qp4nMAEwr/nZ2FjbXHhW2A4iSPc9PKAMQIWXMkJ6Mttia2whYDVH4oRhsfxs6xR7hixwAb/Q8dVPEgQYutWfzaXCIb6cfY1t9wCdgam4PIFyTCRHWnhnMCHFyOtMjJ6v/Kd/ERuFzAjZgi1yA4p9xePB6wwg2PjO3Amwu8yfZWU=,iv:z5gk9/KOhx/NNsa0TVza8WBG6CGUvos115idt6rG83I=,tag:W9PIGkBGQvvMbDcS6gTQhQ==,type:str]
+    pgp:
+        - created_at: "2025-01-19T21:35:34Z"
+          enc: |-
+            -----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+
+            hQGMA5HdvEwzh/H7AQwAoO2gRS+Vwu+5KZ4V2ReXPcjFcEUb6aoYe8PNUhjBu0yE
+            hs4lhWGy53BdupQ+cyxk0U+L6UhOjTfIAYE9emqTDlF5OImN/379j9NfiPe/K0/8
+            ylSOuzNgVmTpsXlHGaXE2wk0ADp1P9mZUwbJ5vHCtm+ZFe5HCuTrB61drIU0fEYw
+            NVCaARK/IRn5eAlPCjPuW1mhKP+3HNGMQszqCRKMU5kLZPzjqsHmEITSFJ5bVtAu
+            fLRtF8SyJpHgvyw1AH1IX6I+/lrDRQro0oD/0LcC1Nay9n86WIWhA/VbotyFCkI2
+            gZtV0IQq05mxO11DycgxlDLQk6nqiqDDjWv/8kj23HnQ3BAO6SXLKhHWq9rH8EOX
+            wkee7RHc09GWNcGL93YMkjIHWJyitphpU/NtTmEpTptzry5vPfittPaZ+zU+MF8G
+            REyft2X9Aj7UWcL1w3kbX9BDWuxImcirWWCShHakSrzAlpuIoXVQA6MCl6/Jr2Ve
+            lLx3lDX+BiSpU01zY32q0lgBOGcSEcRVXTiYO00EoJbIiEMwqm1aAXQzaCvhCCpP
+            54NsNzZ4eoGL0DmioKwzLbv1CpIJs3w0k6StfOtTCPKdlL99k24Z8GyJ44UnkhCe
+            V32jGc/yCong
+            =OZSD
+            -----END PGP MESSAGE-----
+          fp: c4639370c41133a738f643a591ddbc4c3387f1fb
+        - created_at: "2025-01-19T21:35:34Z"
+          enc: |-
+            -----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+
+            hQIMA98TrrsQEbXUARAAhnd9Z1gekp4XWw+gcWK5j9mXWP7XS/FGNXmmCUBKec1j
+            zXzMJjG1YZyCYmqj3XGFMFwg2Ex6pBPoOTzOL2VOGd9mZvHjh0MGtuUopg1GprE7
+            NoyrYlV2UikyBSzVlsvykyNCYWfEt0uDotnGIK0NXYzfWfqgw+ImAH/PvNRY4nIB
+            wxI/Ze100ITAN7Dop9d6MFUZbrYKZTMsO8w5Z7TWHRPzFWH//XZjY7UpxvNVP1oJ
+            RXqqo2I97P0c6H7s17+xw6ZjyE0Qoin1gq4XSMHc4l8o+3D7fWecoTLxcjma5gvY
+            SMVCYeSrI2kc8DJ2RVeXdDlEP7SS3bwPNaE4Tklxv1rE+CUuYQ1X6dkPVKnKLfRS
+            Lwy614LDAarZmvXc3jPgFkpG+grE80PAStzOze0eWyZA/oCAI3/CS+yaeBAI4viz
+            UEkNmCMTZu1eXyIurC/suTOdq4nehGlD/2F8EKU+Y/6f6J2wHUJdvLjNxOuAOHd0
+            lGSu61gt/b2PFy/aHqFgQaZCPUMJ8UfK8JQ66zOIUW3HzsXOsvVqo/8DMQRIw7/z
+            3tZ43LPjmIeCRFwPfbIbeThoZmq1SPejkzadxDEwD3U0YAiblBJ2E+AyEDiKqP/N
+            D+NRN5Ta0ySAmGOyYgDES8QDDBQGA4cSZak7pMidCrSbAagNyYNg3Qrowc0aG93S
+            WAFD/Q4EtOdM6kveLdbDkPX/bAiCFwhzSCtDVkLAPxfrkw/a+az6emPWmImML5FT
+            to3vvXendrd9+u6uSNK5acuwzW2cW8GM4gLC90+p/kRFJukiGJbl400=
+            =6Gw4
+            -----END PGP MESSAGE-----
+          fp: aef8d6c7e4761fc297cda833df13aebb1011b5d4
+    unencrypted_suffix: _unencrypted
+    version: 3.9.2
diff --git a/outputs.nix b/outputs.nix
index ba0dd47..8bc2d11 100644
--- a/outputs.nix
+++ b/outputs.nix
@@ -110,8 +110,19 @@ in (utils.lib.eachSystem (builtins.filter filter_system utils.lib.defaultSystems
       in
       result // {
         # boot any machine in a microvm
-        "${host}-vm-withssh" = (self.nixosConfigurations.${host}.extendModules {
+        "${host}-vm-withsops" = (self.nixosConfigurations.${host}.extendModules {
           modules = [{
+            sops.defaultSopsFile = pkgs.lib.mkForce ./machines/${host}/dummy.yaml;
+
+            environment.etc = {
+                devHostKey.source = ./machines/secrets/devkey_ed25519;
+            };
+
+            services.openssh.hostKeys = [{
+              path = "/etc/devHostKey";
+              type = "ed25519";
+            }];
+
             microvm = {
               mem = pkgs.lib.mkForce 4096;
               hypervisor = pkgs.lib.mkForce "qemu";
@@ -122,20 +133,11 @@ in (utils.lib.eachSystem (builtins.filter filter_system utils.lib.defaultSystems
                   source = "/nix/store";
                   mountPoint = "/nix/.ro-store";
                 }
-                {
-                  source = "/etc/ssh";
-                  mountPoint = "/etc/ssh";
-                  tag = "etcssh";
-                }
               ];
             };
             boot.isContainer = pkgs.lib.mkForce false;
             users.users.root.password = "";
             fileSystems."/".fsType = pkgs.lib.mkForce "tmpfs";
-            fileSystems."/etc/ssh" = {
-              depends = [ "/etc" ];
-              neededForBoot = true;
-            };
             services.getty.helpLine = ''
               Log in as "root" with an empty password.
               Use "reboot" to shut qemu down.