diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/build-remote.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/build-remote.cc
index 1cabd291..5b7b81b7 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/build-remote.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/build-remote.cc
@@ -21,28 +21,23 @@
 
 using namespace nix;
 
-namespace nix::build_remote {
-
-static Strings extraStoreArgs(std::string & machine)
+bool ::Machine::isLocalhost() const
 {
-    Strings result;
-    try {
-        auto parsed = parseURL(machine);
-        if (parsed.scheme != "ssh") {
-            throw SysError("Currently, only (legacy-)ssh stores are supported!");
-        }
-        machine = parsed.authority.value_or("");
-        auto remoteStore = parsed.query.find("remote-store");
-        if (remoteStore != parsed.query.end()) {
-            result = {"--store", shellEscape(remoteStore->second)};
-        }
-    } catch (BadURL &) {
-        // We just try to continue with `machine->sshName` here for backwards compat.
-    }
-
-    return result;
+    return storeUri.params.empty() && std::visit(overloaded {
+        [](const StoreReference::Auto &) {
+            return true;
+        },
+        [](const StoreReference::Specified & s) {
+            return
+               (s.scheme == "local" || s.scheme == "unix") ||
+               ((s.scheme == "ssh" || s.scheme == "ssh-ng") &&
+                s.authority == "localhost");
+        },
+    }, storeUri.variant);
 }
 
+namespace nix::build_remote {
+
 static std::unique_ptr<SSHMaster::Connection> openConnection(
     ::Machine::ptr machine, SSHMaster & master)
 {
@@ -51,7 +46,11 @@ static std::unique_ptr<SSHMaster::Connection> openConnection(
         command.push_back("--builders");
         command.push_back("");
     } else {
-        command.splice(command.end(), extraStoreArgs(machine->sshName));
+        auto remoteStore = machine->storeUri.params.find("remote-store");
+        if (remoteStore != machine->storeUri.params.end()) {
+            command.push_back("--store");
+            command.push_back(shellEscape(remoteStore->second));
+        }
     }
 
     auto ret = master.startCommand(std::move(command), {
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ static BasicDerivation sendInputs(
         MaintainCount<counter> mc2(nrStepsCopyingTo);
 
         printMsg(lvlDebug, "sending closure of ‘%s’ to ‘%s’",
-            localStore.printStorePath(step.drvPath), conn.machine->sshName);
+            localStore.printStorePath(step.drvPath), conn.machine->storeUri.render());
 
         auto now1 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 
@@ -278,32 +277,6 @@ static BuildResult performBuild(
     return result;
 }
 
-static std::map<StorePath, UnkeyedValidPathInfo> queryPathInfos(
-    ::Machine::Connection & conn,
-    Store & localStore,
-    StorePathSet & outputs,
-    size_t & totalNarSize
-)
-{
-
-    /* Get info about each output path. */
-    std::map<StorePath, UnkeyedValidPathInfo> infos;
-    conn.to << ServeProto::Command::QueryPathInfos;
-    ServeProto::write(localStore, conn, outputs);
-    conn.to.flush();
-    while (true) {
-        auto storePathS = readString(conn.from);
-        if (storePathS == "") break;
-
-        auto storePath = localStore.parseStorePath(storePathS);
-        auto info = ServeProto::Serialise<UnkeyedValidPathInfo>::read(localStore, conn);
-        totalNarSize += info.narSize;
-        infos.insert_or_assign(std::move(storePath), std::move(info));
-    }
-
-    return infos;
-}
-
 static void copyPathFromRemote(
     ::Machine::Connection & conn,
     NarMemberDatas & narMembers,
@@ -430,8 +403,13 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
 
         updateStep(ssConnecting);
 
+        auto * pSpecified = std::get_if<StoreReference::Specified>(&machine->storeUri.variant);
+        if (!pSpecified || pSpecified->scheme != "ssh") {
+            throw Error("Currently, only (legacy-)ssh stores are supported!");
+        }
+
         SSHMaster master {
-            machine->sshName,
+            pSpecified->authority,
             machine->sshKey,
             machine->sshPublicHostKey,
             false, // no SSH master yet
@@ -482,19 +460,13 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
                 conn.to,
                 conn.from,
                 our_version,
-                machine->sshName);
+                machine->storeUri.render());
         } catch (EndOfFile & e) {
             child->sshPid.wait();
             std::string s = chomp(readFile(result.logFile));
-            throw Error("cannot connect to ‘%1%’: %2%", machine->sshName, s);
+            throw Error("cannot connect to ‘%1%’: %2%", machine->storeUri.render(), s);
         }
 
-        // Do not attempt to speak a newer version of the protocol.
-        //
-        // Per https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/9584 should be handled as
-        // part of `handshake` in upstream nix.
-        conn.remoteVersion = std::min(conn.remoteVersion, our_version);
-
         {
             auto info(machine->state->connectInfo.lock());
             info->consecutiveFailures = 0;
@@ -523,7 +495,7 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
         /* Do the build. */
         printMsg(lvlDebug, "building ‘%s’ on ‘%s’",
             localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath),
-            machine->sshName);
+            machine->storeUri.render());
 
         updateStep(ssBuilding);
 
@@ -546,7 +518,7 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
            get a build log. */
         if (result.isCached) {
             printMsg(lvlInfo, "outputs of ‘%s’ substituted or already valid on ‘%s’",
-                localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->sshName);
+                localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->storeUri.render());
             unlink(result.logFile.c_str());
             result.logFile = "";
         }
@@ -563,8 +535,10 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
 
             auto now1 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 
+            auto infos = conn.queryPathInfos(*localStore, outputs);
+
             size_t totalNarSize = 0;
-            auto infos = build_remote::queryPathInfos(conn, *localStore, outputs, totalNarSize);
+            for (auto & [_, info] : infos) totalNarSize += info.narSize;
 
             if (totalNarSize > maxOutputSize) {
                 result.stepStatus = bsNarSizeLimitExceeded;
@@ -573,7 +547,7 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
 
             /* Copy each path. */
             printMsg(lvlDebug, "copying outputs of ‘%s’ from ‘%s’ (%d bytes)",
-                localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->sshName, totalNarSize);
+                localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->storeUri.render(), totalNarSize);
 
             build_remote::copyPathsFromRemote(conn, narMembers, *localStore, *destStore, infos);
             auto now2 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
@@ -612,7 +586,7 @@ void State::buildRemote(ref<Store> destStore,
             info->consecutiveFailures = std::min(info->consecutiveFailures + 1, (unsigned int) 4);
             info->lastFailure = now;
             int delta = retryInterval * std::pow(retryBackoff, info->consecutiveFailures - 1) + (rand() % 30);
-            printMsg(lvlInfo, "will disable machine ‘%1%’ for %2%s", machine->sshName, delta);
+            printMsg(lvlInfo, "will disable machine ‘%1%’ for %2%s", machine->storeUri.render(), delta);
             info->disabledUntil = now + std::chrono::seconds(delta);
         }
         throw;
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
index 5269febd..a0773511 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ void State::builder(MachineReservation::ptr reservation)
         } catch (std::exception & e) {
             printMsg(lvlError, "uncaught exception building ‘%s’ on ‘%s’: %s",
                 localStore->printStorePath(reservation->step->drvPath),
-                reservation->machine->sshName,
+                reservation->machine->storeUri.render(),
                 e.what());
         }
     }
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore,
         buildOptions.buildTimeout = build->buildTimeout;
 
         printInfo("performing step ‘%s’ %d times on ‘%s’ (needed by build %d and %d others)",
-            localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), buildOptions.nrRepeats + 1, machine->sshName, buildId, (dependents.size() - 1));
+            localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), buildOptions.nrRepeats + 1, machine->storeUri.render(), buildId, (dependents.size() - 1));
     }
 
     if (!buildOneDone)
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore,
         {
             auto mc = startDbUpdate();
             pqxx::work txn(*conn);
-            stepNr = createBuildStep(txn, result.startTime, buildId, step, machine->sshName, bsBusy);
+            stepNr = createBuildStep(txn, result.startTime, buildId, step, machine->storeUri.render(), bsBusy);
             txn.commit();
         }
 
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore,
     /* Finish the step in the database. */
     if (stepNr) {
         pqxx::work txn(*conn);
-        finishBuildStep(txn, result, buildId, stepNr, machine->sshName);
+        finishBuildStep(txn, result, buildId, stepNr, machine->storeUri.render());
         txn.commit();
     }
 
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore,
        issue). Retry a number of times. */
     if (result.canRetry) {
         printMsg(lvlError, "possibly transient failure building ‘%s’ on ‘%s’: %s",
-            localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->sshName, result.errorMsg);
+            localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), machine->storeUri.render(), result.errorMsg);
         assert(stepNr);
         bool retry;
         {
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ void State::failStep(
                     build->finishedInDB)
                     continue;
                 createBuildStep(txn,
-                    0, build->id, step, machine ? machine->sshName : "",
+                    0, build->id, step, machine ? machine->storeUri.render() : "",
                     result.stepStatus, result.errorMsg, buildId == build->id ? 0 : buildId);
             }
 
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/dispatcher.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/dispatcher.cc
index a4c84252..cbf982bf 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/dispatcher.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/dispatcher.cc
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ system_time State::doDispatch()
                 /* Can this machine do this step? */
                 if (!mi.machine->supportsStep(step)) {
                     debug("machine '%s' does not support step '%s' (system type '%s')",
-                        mi.machine->sshName, localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), step->drv->platform);
+                        mi.machine->storeUri.render(), localStore->printStorePath(step->drvPath), step->drv->platform);
                     continue;
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
index 28ed6deb..99411f9f 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
@@ -135,65 +135,26 @@ void State::parseMachines(const std::string & contents)
         oldMachines = *machines_;
     }
 
-    for (auto line : tokenizeString<Strings>(contents, "\n")) {
-        line = trim(std::string(line, 0, line.find('#')));
-        auto tokens = tokenizeString<std::vector<std::string>>(line);
-        if (tokens.size() < 3) continue;
-        tokens.resize(8);
-
-        if (tokens[5] == "-") tokens[5] = "";
-        auto supportedFeatures = tokenizeString<StringSet>(tokens[5], ",");
-
-        if (tokens[6] == "-") tokens[6] = "";
-        auto mandatoryFeatures = tokenizeString<StringSet>(tokens[6], ",");
-
-        for (auto & f : mandatoryFeatures)
-            supportedFeatures.insert(f);
-
-        using MaxJobs = std::remove_const<decltype(nix::Machine::maxJobs)>::type;
-
-        auto machine = std::make_shared<::Machine>(nix::Machine {
-            // `storeUri`, not yet used
-            "",
-            // `systemTypes`
-            tokenizeString<StringSet>(tokens[1], ","),
-            // `sshKey`
-            tokens[2] == "-" ? "" : tokens[2],
-            // `maxJobs`
-            tokens[3] != ""
-                ? string2Int<MaxJobs>(tokens[3]).value()
-                : 1,
-            // `speedFactor`
-            std::stof(tokens[4].c_str()),
-            // `supportedFeatures`
-            std::move(supportedFeatures),
-            // `mandatoryFeatures`
-            std::move(mandatoryFeatures),
-            // `sshPublicHostKey`
-            tokens[7] != "" && tokens[7] != "-"
-                ? tokens[7]
-                : "",
-        });
-
-        machine->sshName = tokens[0];
+    for (auto && machine_ : nix::Machine::parseConfig({}, contents)) {
+        auto machine = std::make_shared<::Machine>(std::move(machine_));
 
         /* Re-use the State object of the previous machine with the
            same name. */
-        auto i = oldMachines.find(machine->sshName);
+        auto i = oldMachines.find(machine->storeUri.variant);
         if (i == oldMachines.end())
-            printMsg(lvlChatty, "adding new machine ‘%1%’", machine->sshName);
+            printMsg(lvlChatty, "adding new machine ‘%1%’", machine->storeUri.render());
         else
-            printMsg(lvlChatty, "updating machine ‘%1%’", machine->sshName);
+            printMsg(lvlChatty, "updating machine ‘%1%’", machine->storeUri.render());
         machine->state = i == oldMachines.end()
             ? std::make_shared<::Machine::State>()
             : i->second->state;
-        newMachines[machine->sshName] = machine;
+        newMachines[machine->storeUri.variant] = machine;
     }
 
     for (auto & m : oldMachines)
         if (newMachines.find(m.first) == newMachines.end()) {
             if (m.second->enabled)
-                printInfo("removing machine ‘%1%’", m.first);
+                printInfo("removing machine ‘%1%’", m.second->storeUri.render());
             /* Add a disabled ::Machine object to make sure stats are
                maintained. */
             auto machine = std::make_shared<::Machine>(*(m.second));
@@ -657,7 +618,7 @@ void State::dumpStatus(Connection & conn)
                     machine["avgStepTime"] = (float) s->totalStepTime / s->nrStepsDone;
                     machine["avgStepBuildTime"] = (float) s->totalStepBuildTime / s->nrStepsDone;
                 }
-                statusJson["machines"][m->sshName] = machine;
+                statusJson["machines"][m->storeUri.render()] = machine;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh b/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
index 839239fe..30e01c74 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <queue>
-#include <regex>
 
 #include <prometheus/counter.h>
 #include <prometheus/gauge.h>
@@ -241,10 +240,6 @@ struct Machine : nix::Machine
 {
     typedef std::shared_ptr<Machine> ptr;
 
-    /* TODO Get rid of: `nix::Machine::storeUri` is normalized in a way
-       we are not yet used to, but once we are, we don't need this. */
-    std::string sshName;
-
     struct State {
         typedef std::shared_ptr<State> ptr;
         counter currentJobs{0};
@@ -294,11 +289,7 @@ struct Machine : nix::Machine
         return true;
     }
 
-    bool isLocalhost()
-    {
-        std::regex r("^(ssh://|ssh-ng://)?localhost$");
-        return std::regex_search(sshName, r);
-    }
+    bool isLocalhost() const;
 
     // A connection to a machine
     struct Connection : nix::ServeProto::BasicClientConnection {
@@ -358,7 +349,7 @@ private:
 
     /* The build machines. */
     std::mutex machinesReadyLock;
-    typedef std::map<std::string, Machine::ptr> Machines;
+    typedef std::map<nix::StoreReference::Variant, Machine::ptr> Machines;
     nix::Sync<Machines> machines; // FIXME: use atomic_shared_ptr
 
     /* Various stats. */