diff --git a/tests/functional/nix_path.sh b/tests/functional/nix_path.sh
index 5557ab7d5..51d22967f 100755
--- a/tests/functional/nix_path.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/nix_path.sh
@@ -42,11 +42,18 @@ done
 # finding something that's not in any of the default paths fails
 ( ! $(nix-instantiate --find-file test) )
 
-# setting anything overrides the default paths
-# this ensures we can force an empty search path
-[[ $(NIX_PATH= nix-instantiate --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 0 ]]
-[[ $(nix-instantiate --nix-path "" --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 0 ]]
-[[ $(nix-instantiate -I "" --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 1 ]]
+# XXX: we can't manipulate $NIX_STATE_DIR contents on NixOS
+# TODO: port to NixOS somehow; ideally we'd run the test suite in a non-NixOS VM
+if [[ ! isTestOnNixOS ]]; then
+    mkdir -p $NIX_STATE_DIR/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixpkgs
+    # check that the default values are set
+    [[ $(nix-instantiate --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 2 ]]
+    # setting anything overrides the default paths
+    # this ensures we can force an empty search path
+    [[ $(NIX_PATH= nix-instantiate --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 0 ]]
+    [[ $(nix-instantiate --nix-path "" --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 0 ]]
+    [[ $(nix-instantiate -I "" --eval -E 'with builtins; length nixPath') = 1 ]]
+fi
 
 echo "nix-path = test=$TEST_ROOT/from-nix-path-file" >> "$test_nix_conf"