diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/docker/default.nix b/hosts/common/configs/system/docker/default.nix
index dfd8fb2..0a819f3 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/docker/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/docker/default.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   };
 
   environment = {
-    persistence."/persist/state"."/var/lib/docker" = { };
+    persistence."/persist/state"."/var/lib/docker".create = "directory";
     systemPackages = with pkgs; [ docker-compose ];
   };
 
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/default.nix b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/default.nix
index fc8d7d2..7075569 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-{
-  config,
-  lib,
-  pkgs,
-  ...
-}:
+{ config, pkgs, ... }:
 {
   imports = [ ./options.nix ];
 
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/options.nix b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/options.nix
index 05e161d..a5399a5 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/options.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/options.nix
@@ -121,6 +121,16 @@ in
                         type = str;
                         readOnly = true;
                       };
+
+                      create = mkOption {
+                        type = enum [
+                          "none"
+                          "file"
+                          "directory"
+                        ];
+                        default = "none";
+                        description = "Whether to create the file or directory in persistence if it does not exist.";
+                      };
                     };
                   }
                 )
@@ -257,6 +267,7 @@ in
                 source=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c._sourceRoot}
                 target=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c._targetRoot}
                 path=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c.path}
+                create=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c.create}
 
                 ${builtins.readFile ./scripts/start.sh}
               '';
@@ -264,6 +275,7 @@ in
                 source=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c._sourceRoot}
                 target=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c._targetRoot}
                 path=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c.path}
+                create=${lib.strings.escapeShellArg c.create}
 
                 ${builtins.readFile ./scripts/stop.sh}
               '';
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/start.sh b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/start.sh
index 37186e5..f693901 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/start.sh
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/start.sh
@@ -1,22 +1,49 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-echo "Starting impermanence mount with source: $source, target: $target, path: $path."
+echo "Starting impermanence mount with source: $source, target: $target, path: $path, create: $create"
 
 source_current="$source"
 target_current="$target"
 
-IFS='/' read -ra path_parts <<< "$path"
-unset "path_parts[-1]"
+IFS='/' read -ra parts <<< "$path"
+leaf="${parts[-1]}"
 
-for part in "${path_parts[@]}"; do
-  source_current="$source_current/$part"
-  target_current="$target_current/$part"
+for part in "${parts[@]}"; do
+  source_current+="/$part"
+  target_current+="/$part"
 
-  if [[ ! -d "$source_current" ]]; then
+  if [[ -e "$source_current" ]]; then
+    read -r mode owner group <<< "$(stat -c '%a %u %g' "$source_current")"
+
+    if [[ -d "$source_current" ]]; then
+      install -d -m "$mode" -o "$owner" -g "$group" "$target_current"
+      continue
+    fi
+
+    if [[ "$part" != "$leaf" ]]; then
+      echo "Error: $source_current is not a directory, persistence for $path can not be applied."
+      exit 1
+    fi
+
+    install -m "$mode" -o "$owner" -g "$group" /dev/null "$target_current"
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$create" == "none" ]]; then
     break
   fi
 
-  read -r mode owner group <<< "$(stat -c '%a %u %g' "$source_current")"
-  install -d -m "$mode" -o "$owner" -g "$group" "$target_current"
+  if [[ -e "$target_current" ]]; then
+    template="$target_current"
+  else
+    template="${source_current%/*}"
+  fi
+
+  read -r mode owner group <<< "$(stat -c '%a %u %g' "$template")"
+
+  if [[ "$part" == "$leaf" && "$create" == "file" ]]; then
+    install -m "$mode" -o "$owner" -g "$group" /dev/null "$source_current"
+  else
+    install -d -m "$mode" -o "$owner" -g "$group" "$source_current"
+  fi
 done
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/stop.sh b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/stop.sh
index b053f05..e8ab2ea 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/stop.sh
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/impermanence/scripts/stop.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-echo "Stopping impermanence mount with source: $source, target: $target, path: $path."
+echo "Stopping impermanence mount with source: $source, target: $target, path: $path, create: $create"
 
 source_current="$source"
 target_current="$target"
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/nix-install/install.sh b/hosts/common/configs/system/nix-install/install.sh
index 095cd19..3b60da8 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/nix-install/install.sh
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/nix-install/install.sh
@@ -73,16 +73,17 @@ copy_keys() {
 
     local user
     user=$(basename "$path")
+
     mkdir -p "$root/persist/state/home/$user/.config/sops-nix"
     cp -f "$flake/secrets/$key/key.txt" "$root/persist/state/home/$user/.config/sops-nix/key.txt"
-  done
-}
 
-set_permissions() {
-  for path in "$flake/hosts/$host/users"/*; do
-    local user
-    user=$(basename "$path")
-    chown -R "$(cat "$flake/hosts/$host/users/$user/uid"):100" "$root/persist/state/home/$user"
+    owner=$(cat "$flake/hosts/$host/users/$user/uid")
+    group=100
+    chown "$owner:$group" \
+      "$root/persist/state/home/$user" \
+      "$root/persist/state/home/$user/.config" \
+      "$root/persist/state/home/$user/.config/sops-nix" \
+      "$root/persist/state/home/$user/.config/sops-nix/key.txt"
   done
 }
 
@@ -144,26 +145,18 @@ main() {
   set_password_file
 
   case "$mode" in
-    install)
-      prepare_disk "destroy,format,mount"
-      copy_keys
-      set_permissions
-      install
-      if [[ "$copy_config_flag" == "true" ]]; then copy_config; fi
-      if [[ "$reboot_flag" == "true" ]]; then finish; fi
-      ;;
-    repair)
-      prepare_disk "mount"
-      copy_keys
-      install
-      if [[ "$copy_config_flag" == "true" ]]; then copy_config; fi
-      if [[ "$reboot_flag" == "true" ]]; then finish; fi
-      ;;
+    install) prepare_disk "destroy,format,mount";;
+    repair) prepare_disk "mount";;
     *)
       echo "Invalid mode: $mode"
       usage
       ;;
   esac
+
+  copy_keys
+  install
+  [[ "$copy_config_flag" == "true" ]] && copy_config
+  [[ "$reboot_flag" == "true" ]] && finish
 }
 
 main "$@"
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/system/podman/default.nix b/hosts/common/configs/system/podman/default.nix
index 2f9e59f..aa4108f 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/system/podman/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/system/podman/default.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   };
 
   environment = {
-    persistence."/persist/state"."/var/lib/containers" = { };
+    persistence."/persist/state"."/var/lib/containers".create = "directory";
 
     systemPackages = with pkgs; [
       podman-compose
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/user/console/docker/default.nix b/hosts/common/configs/user/console/docker/default.nix
index 03f66ff..fe1c93b 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/user/console/docker/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/user/console/docker/default.nix
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ lib.mkMerge [
     };
   }
   (lib.mkIf rootless {
-    environment.persistence."/persist/state"."${home}/.local/share/docker" = { };
+    environment.persistence."/persist/state"."${home}/.local/share/docker".create = "directory";
 
     systemd.user = {
       services.docker.after = [
diff --git a/hosts/common/configs/user/console/podman/default.nix b/hosts/common/configs/user/console/podman/default.nix
index 64b03b6..c00c619 100644
--- a/hosts/common/configs/user/console/podman/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/configs/user/console/podman/default.nix
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   ...
 }:
 {
-  environment.persistence."/persist/state"."${home}/.local/share/containers" = { };
+  environment.persistence."/persist/state"."${home}/.local/share/containers".create = "directory";
 
   home-manager.users.${user} = {
     imports = [ inputs.quadlet-nix.homeManagerModules.quadlet ];
diff --git a/hosts/installer/README.md b/hosts/installer/README.md
index 6998716..21f7e73 100644
--- a/hosts/installer/README.md
+++ b/hosts/installer/README.md
@@ -4,15 +4,9 @@ I have automated myself out of a job. How to use:
 
 1. Boot into installer
 
-2. Unlock luks partition
+2. Connect to the internet with `sudo nmcli device wifi connect "<SSID>" [--ask]`
 
-3. Connect to the internet with `nmcli`
-
-  ```bash
-  sudo nmcli device wifi connect "<SSID>" [--ask]
-  ```
-
-4. Run `sudo nix-install /etc/nixos -m install|repair -h host [-k key] [-c] [-r]"`
+3. Run `sudo nix-install /etc/nixos -m install|repair -h host [-k key] [-c] [-r]"`
 
 ## Reinstalling the Installer