diff --git a/nixos/tests/test_privatestorage.py b/nixos/tests/test_privatestorage.py
index c0f45d3c564eb2c810dc568c66ddca6e2cf306a8..e125573fb248cc46e38ce75c9fd3ffe16b4ffe8c 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/test_privatestorage.py
+++ b/nixos/tests/test_privatestorage.py
@@ -41,8 +41,21 @@ def test(
 ):
     """
     """
-    # Boot the VMs.
-    start_all()
+    # Boot the VMs.  We used to do them all in parallel but the boot
+    # sequence got flaky at some point for some reason I don't
+    # understand. :/ It might be related to this:
+    #
+    # https://discourse.nixos.org/t/nixos-ppc64le-vm-does-not-have-dev-vda-device/11548/9
+    #
+    # See <nixpkgs/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix> for the Nix
+    # that constructs the QEMU command that gets run.
+    #
+    # Boot them one at a time for now.
+    issuer.connect()
+    introducer.connect()
+    storage.connect()
+    client.connect()
+    api_stripe_com.connect()
 
     # The issuer and the storage server should accept SSH connections.  This
     # doesn't prove it is so but if it fails it's a pretty good indication