diff --git a/nixos/lib/test-driver/test-driver.py b/nixos/lib/test-driver/test-driver.py
index 5be741395a08..7f4dd5963c92 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/test-driver/test-driver.py
+++ b/nixos/lib/test-driver/test-driver.py
@@ -462,9 +462,10 @@ class Machine:
         Should only be used during test development, not in the production test."""
         self.connect()
         self.log("Terminal is ready (there is no prompt):")
-        telnet = telnetlib.Telnet()
-        telnet.sock = self.shell  # type: ignore
-        telnet.interact()
+        subprocess.run(
+            ["socat", "READLINE", f"FD:{self.shell.fileno()}"],
+            pass_fds=[self.shell.fileno()],
+        )
 
     def succeed(self, *commands: str) -> str:
         """Execute each command and check that it succeeds."""
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
index dbff6b98f0d6..768f1dc2a170 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ rec {
 
           wrapProgram $out/bin/nixos-test-driver \
             --argv0 ${name} \
-            --prefix PATH : "${lib.makeBinPath [ qemu_pkg vde2 netpbm coreutils ]}" \
+            --prefix PATH : "${lib.makeBinPath [ qemu_pkg vde2 netpbm coreutils socat ]}" \
             ${lib.optionalString enableOCR
               "--prefix PATH : '${ocrProg}/bin:${imagemagick_tiff}/bin'"} \