diff --git a/nix/nixos-modules/allCommon.nix b/nix/nixos-modules/allCommon.nix
index b613f0e..116a49f 100644
--- a/nix/nixos-modules/allCommon.nix
+++ b/nix/nixos-modules/allCommon.nix
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ in
       text = ''
         if [[ -e /run/current-system ]]; then
           echo "--- diff to current-system"
-          ${pkgs.nvd}/bin/nvd --nix-bin-dir=${config.nix.package}/bin diff /run/current-system "$systemConfig"
+          ${lib.getExe pkgs.nvd} --nix-bin-dir=${config.nix.package}/bin diff /run/current-system "$systemConfig"
           echo "---"
         fi
       '';
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ in
     # ensure activation scripts are fine
     # TODO upstream, probably replacing https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/149932
     system.activatableSystemBuilderCommands = lib.mkAfter ''
-      ${pkgs.shellcheck}/bin/shellcheck --check-sourced --external-sources --norc --severity=warning $out/activate $out/dry-activate
+      ${lib.getExe pkgs.shellcheck} --check-sourced --external-sources --norc --severity=warning $out/activate $out/dry-activate
     '';
 
     time = {
diff --git a/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/default.nix b/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/default.nix
index d3020e7..7a7fcbe 100644
--- a/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/default.nix
+++ b/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/default.nix
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ in
             let
               hostName = config.networking.hostName;
               figlet = pkgs.runCommandLocal "static-figlet-${hostName}" { } ''
-                echo '${hostName}' | ${pkgs.figlet}/bin/figlet -f slant > $out
+                echo '${hostName}' | ${lib.getExe pkgs.figlet} -f slant > $out
               '';
             in
             {
diff --git a/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/home.nix b/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/home.nix
index d87ffc5..37ef40f 100644
--- a/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/home.nix
+++ b/nix/nixos-modules/frontend/home.nix
@@ -144,14 +144,9 @@ in
         difftool = {
           prompt = false;
         };
-        "difftool \"vscode\"" =
-          let
-            vscode = config.programs.vscode.package;
-            main = pkg: "${pkg}/bin/${pkg.meta.mainProgram}";
-          in
-          {
-            cmd = "${main vscode} --wait --diff $LOCAL $REMOTE";
-          };
+        "difftool \"vscode\"" = {
+          cmd = "${lib.getExe config.programs.vscode.package} --wait --diff $LOCAL $REMOTE";
+        };
       };
       userName = "Felix Stupp";
       userEmail = "felix.stupp@banananet.work";
@@ -260,10 +255,10 @@ in
           "editor.defaultFormatter" = "ms-python.black-formatter";
         };
 
-        "ansible.ansibleLint.path" = "${pkgs.ansible-lint}/bin/ansible-lint";
+        "ansible.ansibleLint.path" = "${lib.getExe pkgs.ansible-lint}";
 
-        "dev.containers.dockerComposePath" = "${pkgs.podman-compose}/bin/podman-compose";
-        "dev.containers.dockerPath" = "${pkgs.podman}/bin/podman";
+        "dev.containers.dockerComposePath" = "${lib.getExe pkgs.podman-compose}";
+        "dev.containers.dockerPath" = "${lib.getExe pkgs.podman}";
 
         "diffEditor.ignoreTrimWhitespace" = false;
         "diffEditor.renderSideBySide" = false;
@@ -326,10 +321,10 @@ in
         };
 
         "nix.enableLanguageServer" = true;
-        "nix.serverPath" = "${pkgs.nil}/bin/nil";
+        "nix.serverPath" = "${lib.getExe pkgs.nil}";
         "nix.serverSettings" = {
           nil = {
-            formatting.command = [ "${pkgs.nixfmt-rfc-style}/bin/nixfmt" ];
+            formatting.command = [ (lib.getExe pkgs.nixfmt-rfc-style) ];
           };
         };
 
@@ -337,7 +332,7 @@ in
 
         "python.analysis.autoImportCompletions" = true;
         "python.analysis.stubPath" = "./typings/";
-        "python.defaultInterpreterPath" = "${pkgs.python3}/bin/python";
+        "python.defaultInterpreterPath" = lib.getExe pkgs.python3;
         "python.linting.enabled" = false;
         "python.showStartPage" = false;
 
@@ -354,7 +349,7 @@ in
         "update.mode" = "none";
         "update.showReleaseNotes" = false;
 
-        "vscode-neovim.neovimPath" = "${pkgs.neovim}/bin/nvim";
+        "vscode-neovim.neovimPath" = lib.getExe pkgs.neovim;
 
         "vsintellicode.modify.editor.suggestSelection" = "automaticallyOverrodeDefaultValue";
 
diff --git a/nix/nixos-modules/vmCommon.nix b/nix/nixos-modules/vmCommon.nix
index c340aec..6a2a0e5 100644
--- a/nix/nixos-modules/vmCommon.nix
+++ b/nix/nixos-modules/vmCommon.nix
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ let
   cfg = config.x-banananetwork.vmCommon;
   # Based on https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/16578/resizable-serial-console-window
   resize = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "resize" ''
-    export PATH="${pkgs.coreutils}/bin"
+    export PATH="${lib.getBin pkgs.coreutils}/bin"
     if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
       # not a interactive...
       exit 0
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ in
         # - NixOS test: ssh-audit
         # - networking.useNetworkd
         # - networking.tcpcrypt
-        # environment.loginShellInit = "${resize}/bin/resize"; (see https://github.com/nix-community/srvos/blob/main/nixos/common/serial.nix)
+        # environment.loginShellInit = "${lib.getExe resize}"; (see https://github.com/nix-community/srvos/blob/main/nixos/common/serial.nix)
 
       }