diff --git a/bin/nixos-deploy b/bin/nixos-deploy
index 6b8418696..d33e9a1d9 100755
--- a/bin/nixos-deploy
+++ b/bin/nixos-deploy
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 #
-# deploy
+# usage: nixos-deploy HOST [TARGET] [SYSTEM]
 #
 set -euf
 
 host=$1
-system=${2-$(nixos-build "$host")}
-
-target=root@$host
+target=${2-root@$host}
+system=${3-$(nixos-build "$host")}
 
 nix-copy-closure --gzip --to "$target" "$system"
 
diff --git a/deploy b/deploy
index 6034196e1..e99794ed0 100755
--- a/deploy
+++ b/deploy
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 #
-# usage: ./deploy HOST
+# usage: ./deploy HOST [TARGET]
 #
 set -euf
 
-host=$1
-
 export PATH="$PWD/bin:$PATH"
 #export nixpkgs=/var/nixpkgs
 export nixpkgs_root=$PWD/tmp/nixpkgs
@@ -13,4 +11,4 @@ export config_root=$PWD
 export retiolum_hosts=$PWD/hosts
 export secrets_root=$PWD/secrets
 
-exec nixos-deploy "$host"
+exec nixos-deploy "$@"