diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
index 62b8dc39c..12475cf0b 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 from sipyco import common_args
 
 from artiq import __version__ as artiq_version
-from artiq import __artiq_dir__ as artiq_dir
 from artiq.remoting import SSHClient, LocalClient
 from artiq.frontend.bit2bin import bit2bin
 
@@ -63,13 +62,11 @@ Prerequisites:
     parser.add_argument("-t", "--target", default="kasli",
                         help="target board, default: %(default)s, one of: "
                              "kasli sayma metlino kc705")
-    parser.add_argument("-V", "--variant", default=None,
-                        help="board variant. Autodetected if only one is installed.")
     parser.add_argument("-I", "--preinit-command", default=[], action="append",
                         help="add a pre-initialization OpenOCD command. "
                              "Useful for selecting a board when several are connected.")
     parser.add_argument("-f", "--storage", help="write file to storage area")
-    parser.add_argument("-d", "--dir", help="look for board binaries in this directory")
+    parser.add_argument("-d", "--dir", default=None, help="look for board binaries in this directory")
     parser.add_argument("--srcbuild", help="board binaries directory is laid out as a source build tree",
                         default=False, action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--no-rtm-jtag", help="do not attempt JTAG to the RTM",
@@ -338,56 +335,19 @@ def main():
         },
     }[args.target]
 
-    bin_dir = args.dir
-    if bin_dir is None:
-        bin_dir = os.path.join(artiq_dir, "board-support")
-
-    needs_artifacts = not args.action or any(
-        action in args.action
-        for action in ["gateware", "rtm_gateware", "bootloader", "firmware", "load", "rtm_load"])
-    variant = args.variant
-    if needs_artifacts and variant is None:
-        variants = []
-        if args.srcbuild:
-            for entry in os.scandir(bin_dir):
-                if entry.is_dir():
-                    variants.append(entry.name)
-        else:
-            prefix = args.target + "-"
-            for entry in os.scandir(bin_dir):
-                if entry.is_dir() and entry.name.startswith(prefix):
-                    variants.append(entry.name[len(prefix):])
-        if args.target == "sayma":
-            try:
-                variants.remove("rtm")
-            except ValueError:
-                pass
-        if all(action in ["rtm_gateware", "storage", "rtm_load", "erase", "start"]
-            for action in args.action) and args.action:
-            pass
-        elif len(variants) == 0:
-            raise FileNotFoundError("no variants found, did you install a board binary package?")
-        elif len(variants) == 1:
-            variant = variants[0]
-        else:
-            raise ValueError("more than one variant found for selected board, specify -V. "
-                "Found variants: {}".format(" ".join(sorted(variants))))
-    if needs_artifacts:
-        if args.srcbuild:
-            variant_dir = variant
-        else:
-            variant_dir = args.target + "-" + variant
-        if args.target == "sayma":
-            if args.srcbuild:
-                rtm_variant_dir = "rtm"
-            else:
-                rtm_variant_dir = "sayma-rtm"
-
     if not args.action:
-        if args.target == "sayma" and variant != "simplesatellite" and variant != "master":
+        if args.target == "sayma":
             args.action = "gateware rtm_gateware bootloader firmware start".split()
         else:
             args.action = "gateware bootloader firmware start".split()
+    needs_artifacts = any(
+        action in args.action
+        for action in ["gateware", "rtm_gateware", "bootloader", "firmware", "load", "rtm_load"])
+    if needs_artifacts and args.dir is None:
+        raise ValueError("the directory containing the binaries need to be specified using -d.")
+
+    binary_dir = args.dir
+    rtm_binary_dir = os.path.join(binary_dir, "rtm")
 
     if args.host is None:
         client = LocalClient()
@@ -400,14 +360,14 @@ def main():
         programmer_cls = config["programmer"]
     programmer = programmer_cls(client, preinit_script=args.preinit_command)
 
-    def artifact_path(this_variant_dir, *path_filename):
+    def artifact_path(this_binary_dir, *path_filename):
         if args.srcbuild:
             # source tree - use path elements to locate file
-            return os.path.join(bin_dir, this_variant_dir, *path_filename)
+            return os.path.join(this_binary_dir, *path_filename)
         else:
             # flat tree - all files in the same directory, discard path elements
             *_, filename = path_filename
-            return os.path.join(bin_dir, this_variant_dir, filename)
+            return os.path.join(this_binary_dir, filename)
 
     def convert_gateware(bit_filename, header=False):
         bin_handle, bin_filename = tempfile.mkstemp(
@@ -429,15 +389,15 @@ def main():
     for action in args.action:
         if action == "gateware":
             gateware_bin = convert_gateware(
-                artifact_path(variant_dir, "gateware", "top.bit"))
+                artifact_path(binary_dir, "gateware", "top.bit"))
             programmer.write_binary(*config["gateware"], gateware_bin)
         elif action == "rtm_gateware":
             rtm_gateware_bin = convert_gateware(
-                artifact_path(rtm_variant_dir, "gateware", "top.bit"), header=True)
+                artifact_path(rtm_binary_dir, "gateware", "top.bit"), header=True)
             programmer.write_binary(*config["rtm_gateware"],
                                     rtm_gateware_bin)
         elif action == "bootloader":
-            bootloader_bin = artifact_path(variant_dir, "software", "bootloader", "bootloader.bin")
+            bootloader_bin = artifact_path(binary_dir, "software", "bootloader", "bootloader.bin")
             programmer.write_binary(*config["bootloader"], bootloader_bin)
         elif action == "storage":
             storage_img = args.storage
@@ -445,7 +405,7 @@ def main():
         elif action == "firmware":
             firmware_fbis = []
             for firmware in "satman", "runtime":
-                filename = artifact_path(variant_dir, "software", firmware, firmware + ".fbi")
+                filename = artifact_path(binary_dir, "software", firmware, firmware + ".fbi")
                 if os.path.exists(filename):
                     firmware_fbis.append(filename)
             if not firmware_fbis:
@@ -456,13 +416,13 @@ def main():
             programmer.write_binary(*config["firmware"], firmware_fbis[0])
         elif action == "load":
             if args.target == "sayma":
-                gateware_bit = artifact_path(variant_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
+                gateware_bit = artifact_path(binary_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
                 programmer.load(gateware_bit, 1)
             else:
-                gateware_bit = artifact_path(variant_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
+                gateware_bit = artifact_path(binary_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
                 programmer.load(gateware_bit, 0)
         elif action == "rtm_load":
-            rtm_gateware_bit = artifact_path(rtm_variant_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
+            rtm_gateware_bit = artifact_path(rtm_binary_dir, "gateware", "top.bit")
             programmer.load(rtm_gateware_bit, 0)
         elif action == "start":
             programmer.start()
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index dd9c23457..502b8ecbe 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@
       };
 
       makeArtiqBoardPackage = { target, variant, buildCommand ? "python -m artiq.gateware.targets.${target} -V ${variant}" }:
-        pkgs.python3Packages.toPythonModule (pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
+        pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
           name = "artiq-board-${target}-${variant}";
           phases = [ "buildPhase" "checkPhase" "installPhase" ];
           cargoDeps = rustPlatform.fetchCargoTarball {
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@
             '';
           installPhase =
             ''
-            TARGET_DIR=$out/${pkgs.python3Packages.python.sitePackages}/artiq/board-support/${target}-${variant}
+            TARGET_DIR=$out
             mkdir -p $TARGET_DIR
             cp artiq_${target}/${variant}/gateware/top.bit $TARGET_DIR
             if [ -e artiq_${target}/${variant}/software/bootloader/bootloader.bin ]
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@
             '';
           # don't mangle ELF files as they are not for NixOS
           dontFixup = true;
-        });
+        };
 
       openocd-bscanspi = let
         bscan_spi_bitstreams-pkg = pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@
           __networked = true;
 
           buildInputs = [
-            (pkgs.python3.withPackages(ps: with packages.x86_64-linux; [ artiq artiq-board-kc705-nist_clock ps.paramiko ]))
+            (pkgs.python3.withPackages(ps: with packages.x86_64-linux; [ artiq ps.paramiko ]))
             pkgs.llvm_11
             pkgs.lld_11
             pkgs.openssh
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@
               # Read "Ok" line when remote successfully locked
               read LOCK_OK
 
-              artiq_flash -t kc705 -H rpi-1
+              artiq_flash -t kc705 -H rpi-1 -d ${packages.x86_64-linux.artiq-board-kc705-nist_clock}
               sleep 15
 
               export ARTIQ_ROOT=`python -c "import artiq; print(artiq.__path__[0])"`/examples/kc705_nist_clock