diff --git a/doc/start/iso.md b/doc/start/iso.md
index 76af1c6ef..3aa5e55b7 100644
--- a/doc/start/iso.md
+++ b/doc/start/iso.md
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 # ISO
 
-Making and writing an installable iso for `hosts/bootstrap.nix` is as simple as:
+Making and writing an installable iso for a host is as simple as
+entering the devshell and running `boostrap-iso burn <host>`.  For instance, to
+burn an iso for the host defined in `hosts/bootstrap.nix`, run:
+
 ```sh
-bud build bootstrap bootstrapIso
-sudo -E $(which bud) burn
+nix develop
+bootstrap-iso burn bootstrap # note: uses sudo
 ```
 
 This works for any host.
diff --git a/examples/devos/flake.nix b/examples/devos/flake.nix
index 82de770b6..f259544f6 100644
--- a/examples/devos/flake.nix
+++ b/examples/devos/flake.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
       nixos.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-21.11";
       latest.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
 
-      digga.url = "github:divnix/digga";
+      #digga.url = "github:divnix/digga";
+      digga.url = "path:/home/matt/git/packaging/nix/digga";
       digga.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixos";
       digga.inputs.nixlib.follows = "nixos";
       digga.inputs.home-manager.follows = "home";
diff --git a/examples/devos/hosts/bootstrap.nix b/examples/devos/hosts/bootstrap.nix
index d491855d6..0d413f8f5 100644
--- a/examples/devos/hosts/bootstrap.nix
+++ b/examples/devos/hosts/bootstrap.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 { profiles, ... }:
 {
-  # build with: `bud build bootstrap bootstrapIso`
+  # build (from within a devshell) with:
+  #
+  #   nixos-generate --format bootstrap-iso --flake '.#bootstrap'
+  #
+  # or:
+  #
+  #   bootstrap-iso build bootstrap
+  #
+  # which does the same thing.
+  #
   # reachable on the local link via ssh root@fe80::47%eno1
   # where 'eno1' is replaced by your own machine's network
   # interface that has the local link to the target machine
@@ -13,6 +22,7 @@
 
   boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
 
-  # will be overridden by the bootstrapIso instrumentation
+  # will be overridden by the bootstrap-iso `nixos-generate` format profile
+  # defined by the digga "nixos-generators" devshell module
   fileSystems."/" = { device = "/dev/disk/by-label/nixos"; };
 }
diff --git a/examples/devos/shell/default.nix b/examples/devos/shell/default.nix
index d22b3af43..35a4d8f37 100644
--- a/examples/devos/shell/default.nix
+++ b/examples/devos/shell/default.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 {
   modules = with inputs; [
     bud.devshellModules.bud
+    digga.devshellModules.nixos-generators
   ];
   exportedModules = [
     ./devos.nix
diff --git a/examples/devos/shell/devos.nix b/examples/devos/shell/devos.nix
index 581aee9a7..6b74e5fda 100644
--- a/examples/devos/shell/devos.nix
+++ b/examples/devos/shell/devos.nix
@@ -48,8 +48,14 @@ in
   ++ lib.optional
     (system != "i686-linux")
     (devos cachix)
-  ++ lib.optional
-    (system != "aarch64-darwin")
-    (devos inputs.nixos-generators.defaultPackage.${pkgs.system})
   ;
+
+  # digga-supplied extensions to nixos-generators.  Provides the
+  # "bootstrap-iso" nixos-generators format, plus the "bootstrap-iso" wrapper
+  # command.
+  digga.nixos-generators = {
+    enable = pkgs.system != "aarch64-darwin";
+    category = "devos";
+    package = inputs.nixos-generators.defaultPackage.${pkgs.system};
+  };
 }
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index f3c32b947..e7389ee1d 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@
 
       # a little extra service ...
       overlays = import ./overlays { inherit inputs; };
-      nixosModules = import ./modules;
+      nixosModules = import ./modules/nixos;
+      devshellModules = import ./modules/devShell;
 
       defaultTemplate = self.templates.devos;
       templates.devos.path = ./examples/devos;
diff --git a/modules/bootstrap-iso.nix b/modules/bootstrap-iso.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index d7a11ca38..000000000
--- a/modules/bootstrap-iso.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,74 +0,0 @@
-let
-  getFqdn = config:
-    let
-      net = config.networking;
-      fqdn =
-        if net.domain != null
-        then "${net.hostName}.${net.domain}"
-        else net.hostName;
-    in
-    fqdn;
-
-  protoModule = fullHostConfig: { config, lib, modulesPath, suites, self, inputs, ... }@args: {
-
-    imports = [ "${modulesPath}/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-minimal.nix" ];
-
-    isoImage.isoBaseName = "bootstrap-" + (getFqdn config);
-    isoImage.contents = [{
-      source = self;
-      target = "/devos/";
-    }];
-    isoImage.storeContents = [
-      self.devShell.${config.nixpkgs.system}
-      # include also closures that are "switched off" by the
-      # above profile filter on the local config attribute
-      fullHostConfig.system.build.toplevel
-    ] ++ builtins.attrValues inputs;
-    # still pull in tools of deactivated profiles
-    environment.systemPackages = fullHostConfig.environment.systemPackages;
-
-    # confilcts with networking.wireless which might be slightly
-    # more useful on a stick
-    networking.networkmanager.enable = lib.mkForce false;
-    # confilcts with networking.wireless
-    networking.wireless.iwd.enable = lib.mkForce false;
-
-    # Set up a link-local boostrap network
-    # See also: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/75515#issuecomment-571661659
-    networking.usePredictableInterfaceNames = lib.mkForce true; # so prefix matching works
-    networking.useNetworkd = lib.mkForce true;
-    networking.useDHCP = lib.mkForce false;
-    networking.dhcpcd.enable = lib.mkForce false;
-    systemd.network = {
-      # https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.network.html
-      networks."boostrap-link-local" = {
-        matchConfig = {
-          Name = "en* wl* ww*";
-        };
-        networkConfig = {
-          Description = "Link-local host bootstrap network";
-          MulticastDNS = true;
-          LinkLocalAddressing = "ipv6";
-          DHCP = "yes";
-        };
-        address = [
-          # fall back well-known link-local for situations where MulticastDNS is not available
-          "fe80::47" # 47: n=14 i=9 x=24; n+i+x
-        ];
-        extraConfig = ''
-          # Unique, yet stable. Based off the MAC address.
-          IPv6LinkLocalAddressGenerationMode = "eui64"
-        '';
-      };
-    };
-  };
-in
-{ config, ... }:
-{
-  system.build = {
-    bootstrapIso = (config.lib.digga.mkBuild
-      (protoModule config)
-    ).config.system.build.isoImage;
-  };
-}
-
diff --git a/modules/default.nix b/modules/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 33403434a..000000000
--- a/modules/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  nixConfig = import ./nix-config.nix;
-  bootstrapIso = import ./bootstrap-iso.nix;
-}
diff --git a/modules/devShell/default.nix b/modules/devShell/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4e716a1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/devShell/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  nixos-generators = import ./nixos-generators;
+}
diff --git a/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/bootstrap-iso b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/bootstrap-iso
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..edeb2daf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/bootstrap-iso
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -eu
+
+if [ -z "${PRJ_ROOT:-}" ]; then
+  if ! PRJ_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)"; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2016
+    printf 1>&2 -- '%s: %s. %s. %s.\n' \
+      "${0##*/}" 'unable to locate your project root ($PRJ_ROOT)' \
+      'bud relies on the project root for locating the bootstrap ISO' \
+      'Aborting'
+
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+boostrapIsoRequireHost() {
+  if [ "$#" -lt 1 ]; then
+    printf 1>&2 -- 'Error: missing required <host> argument.\n' "${0##*/}"
+    bootstrapIsoHelp 1
+  fi
+}
+
+bootstrapIsoBuild() {
+  boostrapIsoRequireHost "$@" || return
+
+  local host="$1"
+  shift
+
+  # XXX the way nixos-generate handles flake specifications requires that we do
+  # not quote the host as we would with, e.g.:
+  #   nix build ".#nixosConfigurations.\"my.host.name\".config.system.build.toplevel"
+  nixos-generate "$@" --format bootstrap-iso --flake "${PRJ_ROOT}#${host}"
+}
+
+bootstrapIsoBurn() {
+  boostrapIsoRequireHost "$@" || return
+  bud="$(command -v bud)" || return
+  bootstrapIsoBuild "$@" --out-link "${PRJ_ROOT?}/result" || return
+  sudo -E "$bud" burn
+}
+
+bootstrapIsoHelp() {
+  printf 1>&2 -- 'Usage: %s {build,burn,help} <host> [<nixos-generate-arg> ...]\n' "${0##*/}"
+  return "${1:-0}"
+}
+
+cmd="${1:-}"
+shift 2>/dev/null || :
+
+case "$cmd" in
+  build)
+    bootstrapIsoBuild "$@"
+    ;;
+  burn)
+    bootstrapIsoBurn "$@"
+    ;;
+  help)
+    bootstrapIsoHelp
+    ;;
+  *)
+    bootstrapIsoHelp 1
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/default.nix b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..200c64ce3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+let
+  cfg = config.digga.nixos-generators;
+
+  searchPathVar = "NIXOS_GENERATORS_FORMAT_SEARCH_PATH";
+
+  bootstrap-iso = {
+    category = "devos";
+    name = "bootstrap-iso";
+    help = "Create and burn a bootstrap ISO for the specified NixOS configuration";
+    command = builtins.readFile ./bootstrap-iso;
+  };
+in
+{
+  options.digga.nixos-generators =
+    let
+      inherit (lib) mkOption mkEnableOption types;
+    in
+    {
+      enable = mkEnableOption "nixos-generators extensions";
+
+      category = mkOption {
+        type = types.str;
+        default = "generators";
+        description = "category for the nixos-generate and bootstrap-iso commands";
+      };
+
+      package = mkOption {
+        type = types.package;
+        default = pkgs.nixos-generators;
+        description = "package providing nixos-generators";
+      };
+    };
+
+  config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+    commands = [
+      { inherit (cfg) category package; }
+      bootstrap-iso
+    ];
+
+    env = [
+      {
+        name = searchPathVar;
+
+        # prepend our formats directory to the nixos-generate search path
+        eval = ''
+          ''${${searchPathVar}:+''${${searchPathVar}}:}${toString ./formats}
+        '';
+      }
+    ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/formats/bootstrap-iso.nix b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/formats/bootstrap-iso.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f62b222be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/devShell/nixos-generators/formats/bootstrap-iso.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+let
+  getFqdn = config:
+    let
+      net = config.networking;
+      fqdn =
+        if net.domain != null
+        then "${net.hostName}.${net.domain}"
+        else net.hostName;
+    in
+    fqdn;
+in
+
+{ config, lib, modulesPath, suites, self, inputs, ... }@args: {
+
+  imports = [ "${modulesPath}/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-minimal.nix" ];
+
+  isoImage.isoBaseName = "bootstrap-" + (getFqdn config);
+  isoImage.contents = [{
+    source = self;
+    target = "/devos/";
+  }];
+  isoImage.storeContents = [
+    self.devShell.${config.nixpkgs.system}
+    # include also closures that are "switched off" by the
+    # above profile filter on the local config attribute
+    config.system.build.toplevel
+  ] ++ builtins.attrValues inputs;
+
+  # confilcts with networking.wireless which might be slightly
+  # more useful on a stick
+  networking.networkmanager.enable = lib.mkForce false;
+  # confilcts with networking.wireless
+  networking.wireless.iwd.enable = lib.mkForce false;
+
+  # Set up a link-local boostrap network
+  # See also: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/75515#issuecomment-571661659
+  networking.usePredictableInterfaceNames = lib.mkForce true; # so prefix matching works
+  networking.useNetworkd = lib.mkForce true;
+  networking.useDHCP = lib.mkForce false;
+  networking.dhcpcd.enable = lib.mkForce false;
+  systemd.network = {
+    # https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.network.html
+    networks."boostrap-link-local" = {
+      matchConfig = {
+        Name = "en* wl* ww*";
+      };
+      networkConfig = {
+        Description = "Link-local host bootstrap network";
+        MulticastDNS = true;
+        LinkLocalAddressing = "ipv6";
+        DHCP = "yes";
+      };
+      address = [
+        # fall back well-known link-local for situations where MulticastDNS is not available
+        "fe80::47" # 47: n=14 i=9 x=24; n+i+x
+      ];
+      extraConfig = ''
+        # Unique, yet stable. Based off the MAC address.
+        IPv6LinkLocalAddressGenerationMode = "eui64"
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+
+  # Required by nixos-generate
+  formatAttr = "isoImage";
+  filename = "*.iso";
+}
+
diff --git a/modules/nixos/default.nix b/modules/nixos/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c779276c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/nixos/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  nixConfig = import ./nix-config.nix;
+}
diff --git a/modules/nix-config.nix b/modules/nixos/nix-config.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/nix-config.nix
rename to modules/nixos/nix-config.nix