diff --git a/src/mkFlake/default.nix b/src/mkFlake/default.nix
index 20af0185c..547023a09 100644
--- a/src/mkFlake/default.nix
+++ b/src/mkFlake/default.nix
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ lib.systemFlake (lib.mergeAny
                     };
                   };
 
-                  profilesTests = 
+                  profilesTests =
                     # only for hosts that also are the same system as the current check attribute
                     if (hostConfigsOnThisSystem != [ ])
                     then lib.mapAttrs' createProfilesTestOp hostConfigsOnThisSystemWithSuites
diff --git a/src/mkFlake/evalArgs.nix b/src/mkFlake/evalArgs.nix
index cbf9bb68d..37e09afbd 100644
--- a/src/mkFlake/evalArgs.nix
+++ b/src/mkFlake/evalArgs.nix
@@ -110,14 +110,21 @@ let
         };
       };
 
-      channelNameOpt = {
+      channelNameOpt = required: {
         channelName = mkOption {
-          type = with types; nullOr channelType;
-          default = null;
           description = ''
             Channel this host should follow
           '';
-        };
+        }
+        //
+        (
+          if required then {
+            type = with types; channelType;
+          } else {
+            type = with types; nullOr channelType;
+            default = null;
+          }
+        );
       };
 
       modulesOpt = {
@@ -286,13 +293,13 @@ let
       hostType = with types; attrsOf (submoduleWith {
         modules = [
           # per-host modules not exported, no external modules
-          { options = systemOpt // channelNameOpt // modulesOpt; }
+          { options = systemOpt // (channelNameOpt false) // modulesOpt; }
         ];
       });
 
       hostDefaultsType = name: with types; submoduleWith {
         modules = [
-          { options = systemOpt // channelNameOpt // externalModulesOpt // (exportedModulesOpt name); }
+          { options = systemOpt // (channelNameOpt true) // externalModulesOpt // (exportedModulesOpt name); }
         ];
       };