diff --git a/lib/microvms.nix b/lib/microvms.nix
index a16f8dd..cef59e7 100644
--- a/lib/microvms.nix
+++ b/lib/microvms.nix
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ rec {
       host:
       {
         ipv4,
+        machine-id,
         server ? false,
       }:
-      genMicroVM host ipv4 "x86_64-linux" (if server then server-config else agent-config)
+      genMicroVM host ipv4 "x86_64-linux" machine-id (if server then server-config else agent-config)
     ) vms;
 
   genMicroVM =
-    hostName: ipv4: _system: vm-config:
+    hostName: ipv4: _system: machine-id: vm-config:
     # microvm refers to microvm.nixosModules
 
     # {
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ rec {
         imports = [ vm-config ];
         # It is highly recommended to share the host's nix-store
         # with the VMs to prevent building huge images.
+
+        environment.etc."machine-id" = {
+          mode = "0644";
+          text = machine-id + "\n";
+        };
+
         microvm.shares = [
           {
             source = "/nix/store";
@@ -42,6 +49,15 @@ rec {
             tag = "ro-store";
             proto = "virtiofs";
           }
+          {
+            # On the host
+            source = "/var/lib/microvms/${hostName}/journal";
+            # In the MicroVM
+            mountPoint = "/var/log/journal";
+            tag = "journal";
+            proto = "virtiofs";
+            socket = "journal.sock";
+          }
         ];
 
         networking = {
@@ -54,6 +70,22 @@ rec {
           ];
         };
 
+        services.openssh.enable = true;
+        users.users.alice = {
+          openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [
+            # photon
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIOGcqhLaKsjwAnb6plDavAhEyQHNvFS9Uh5lMTuwMhGF alice@parthenon-7588"
+            # gh
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGoaEmzaS9vANckvBmqrYSHdFR0sPL4Xgeonbh9KcgFe gitlab keypair"
+            # janus
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIAfcO9p5opG8Tym6tcLkat6YGCcE6vwg0+V4MTC5WKop alice@parthenon-7588"
+            # palatine
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIP59pDsx34k2ikrKa0eVacj0APSGivaij3lP9L0Zd9au alice@parthenon-7588"
+            # jeeves
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIJDgkUndkfns6f779T5ckHOVhyOKP8GttQ9RfaO9uJdx alice@parthenon-7588"
+          ];
+          isNormalUser = true;
+        };
         # Any other configuration for your MicroVM
         # [...]
       };
diff --git a/modules/opt/microvm-host.nix b/modules/opt/microvm-host.nix
index 3673018..07605bd 100644
--- a/modules/opt/microvm-host.nix
+++ b/modules/opt/microvm-host.nix
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ in
     microvm.vms = cfg.vms;
 
     # TODO: deprecate this once we have syslog forwarders
-    # systemd.tmpfiles.rules = map (
-    #   vmHost:
-    #   let
-    #     machineId = lib.addresses.machineId.${vmHost};
-    #   in
-    #   # creates a symlink of each MicroVM's journal under the host's /var/log/journal
-    #   "L+ /var/log/journal/${machineId} - - - - /var/lib/microvms/${vmHost}/journal/${machineId}"
-    # ) (builtins.attrNames lib.addresses.machineId);
+    systemd.tmpfiles.rules = map (
+      vmHost:
+      let
+        machineId = cfg.vms.${vmHost}.config.environment.etc."machine-id".text;
+      in
+      # creates a symlink of each MicroVM's journal under the host's /var/log/journal
+      "L+ /var/log/journal/${machineId} - - - - /var/lib/microvms/${vmHost}/journal/${machineId}"
+    ) (builtins.attrNames cfg.vms);
   };
 }
diff --git a/systems/palatine-hill/microvms.nix b/systems/palatine-hill/microvms.nix
index 44abf16..a1ad488 100644
--- a/systems/palatine-hill/microvms.nix
+++ b/systems/palatine-hill/microvms.nix
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ in
       {
         "ph-server-1" = {
           ipv4 = "192.168.69.10";
+          machine-id = "d694ad1e88b356887bb204ac665263f7";
           server = true;
         };
         # "ph-agent-1" = {