diff --git a/nixos/modules/deployment.nix b/nixos/modules/deployment.nix
index 2615659519469c9c1c2712382b178bc4fd1c323b..4c3a9dd0b8fa16e204495269616e09a1e715ad6b 100755
--- a/nixos/modules/deployment.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/deployment.nix
@@ -104,13 +104,11 @@ in {
 
     # Configure the deployment user.
     users.users.deployment = {
-      # Without some shell no login is possible at all, even to execute our
-      # single non-restricted command.
-      useDefaultShell = true;
-
-      # Without a home directory, lots of tools break.
-      createHome = true;
-      home = "/home/deployment";
+      # A user must be either normal or system.  A normal user uses the
+      # default shell, has a home directory created for it at the usual
+      # location, and is in the "users" group.  That's pretty much what we
+      # want for the deployment user.
+      isNormalUser = true;
 
       packages = [
         # update-deployment dependencies