diff --git a/kernel.spec b/kernel.spec
index 425e3b2..ee5c0a5 100644
--- a/kernel.spec
+++ b/kernel.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 
 #%define _unpackaged_files_terminate_build 0
 %define variant %{build_flavor}.qubes
-%define rel %(cat rel-%{build_flavor}).%{variant}
+%define plainrel %(cat rel-%{build_flavor})
+%define rel %{plainrel}.%{variant}
 %define version %(cat version-%{build_flavor})
 
 %define _buildshell /bin/bash
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@
 %define build_src_dir %my_builddir/linux-%version
 %define src_install_dir /usr/src/kernels/%kernelrelease
 %define kernel_build_dir %my_builddir/linux-obj
-%define vm_install_dir /var/lib/qubes/vm-kernels/%version-%rel
+%define vm_install_dir /var/lib/qubes/vm-kernels/%version-%{plainrel}
 
 %(chmod +x %_sourcedir/{guards,apply-patches,check-for-config-changes})
 
@@ -436,7 +437,7 @@ umount /tmp/qubes-modules-%kernelrelease
 rmdir /tmp/qubes-modules-%kernelrelease
 mv /tmp/qubes-modules-%kernelrelease.img %vm_install_dir/modules.img
 
-qubes-prefs --set default-kernel %version
+qubes-prefs --set default-kernel %version-%plainrel
 
 %files qubes-vm
 %defattr(-, root, root)
diff --git a/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot b/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot
deleted file mode 120000
index 8460cde..0000000
--- a/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-lib/dracut/hooks/pre-pivot
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot/50_mount_modules.sh b/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot/50_mount_modules.sh
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..968f123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vm-initramfs/pre-pivot/50_mount_modules.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../lib/dracut/hooks/pre-pivot/50_mount_modules.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vm-initramfs/pre-udev b/vm-initramfs/pre-udev
deleted file mode 120000
index f8c9b04..0000000
--- a/vm-initramfs/pre-udev
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-lib/dracut/hooks/pre-udev
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vm-initramfs/pre-udev/90_qubes_cow_setup.sh b/vm-initramfs/pre-udev/90_qubes_cow_setup.sh
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..7c3643c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vm-initramfs/pre-udev/90_qubes_cow_setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../lib/dracut/hooks/pre-udev/90_qubes_cow_setup.sh
\ No newline at end of file