diff --git a/doc/manual/rl-next/flakes-eval-system.md b/doc/manual/rl-next/flakes-eval-system.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7899afb49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/rl-next/flakes-eval-system.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+synopsis: 'Flakes follow `--eval-system` where it makes sense'
+issues: [fj#673, fj#692, gh#11359]
+cls: [2657]
+category: Fixes
+credits: [jade]
+---
+
+Most flake commands now follow `--eval-system` when choosing attributes to build/evaluate/etc.
+
+The exceptions are commands that actually run something on the local machine:
+- nix develop
+- nix run
+- nix upgrade-nix
+- nix fmt
+- nix bundle
+
+This is not a principled approach to cross compilation or anything, flakes still impede rather than support cross compilation, but this unbreaks many remote build use cases.
diff --git a/lix/libcmd/installables.cc b/lix/libcmd/installables.cc
index a46863a43..6f595b3f0 100644
--- a/lix/libcmd/installables.cc
+++ b/lix/libcmd/installables.cc
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ MixReadOnlyOption::MixReadOnlyOption()
 Strings SourceExprCommand::getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths()
 {
     return {
-        "packages." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".default",
-        "defaultPackage." + settings.thisSystem.get()
+        "packages." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem() + ".default",
+        "defaultPackage." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem()
     };
 }
 
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ Strings SourceExprCommand::getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes()
     return {
         // As a convenience, look for the attribute in
         // 'outputs.packages'.
-        "packages." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".",
+        "packages." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem() + ".",
         // As a temporary hack until Nixpkgs is properly converted
         // to provide a clean 'packages' set, look in 'legacyPackages'.
-        "legacyPackages." + settings.thisSystem.get() + "."
+        "legacyPackages." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem() + "."
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/lix/nix/bundle.cc b/lix/nix/bundle.cc
index 261cd8416..25cd89ab9 100644
--- a/lix/nix/bundle.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/bundle.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "lix/libcmd/installable-flake.hh"
 #include "lix/libcmd/command.hh"
+#include "lix/libexpr/eval-settings.hh"
 #include "lix/libmain/common-args.hh"
 #include "lix/libmain/shared.hh"
 #include "lix/libstore/store-api.hh"
@@ -54,9 +55,10 @@ struct CmdBundle : InstallableCommand
     // FIXME: cut&paste from CmdRun.
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override
     {
+        // eval-system, since the app could be remote built and then bundled locally
         Strings res{
-            "apps." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".default",
-            "defaultApp." + settings.thisSystem.get()
+            "apps." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem() + ".default",
+            "defaultApp." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem()
         };
         for (auto & s : SourceExprCommand::getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths())
             res.push_back(s);
@@ -65,7 +67,8 @@ struct CmdBundle : InstallableCommand
 
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes() override
     {
-        Strings res{"apps." + settings.thisSystem.get() + "."};
+        // eval-system, since the app could be remote built and then bundled locally
+        Strings res{"apps." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem() + "."};
         for (auto & s : SourceExprCommand::getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes())
             res.push_back(s);
         return res;
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ struct CmdBundle : InstallableCommand
 
         auto [bundlerFlakeRef, bundlerName, extendedOutputsSpec] = parseFlakeRefWithFragmentAndExtendedOutputsSpec(bundler, absPath("."));
         const flake::LockFlags lockFlags{ .writeLockFile = false };
+        // Current system, since it needs to run locally
         InstallableFlake bundler{this,
             evaluator, std::move(bundlerFlakeRef), bundlerName, std::move(extendedOutputsSpec),
             {"bundlers." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".default",
diff --git a/lix/nix/develop.cc b/lix/nix/develop.cc
index 2ea3aacce..76e0f0a98 100644
--- a/lix/nix/develop.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/develop.cc
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ struct Common : InstallableCommand, MixProfile
 
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override
     {
+        // These are current system since they have to run locally from inside the shell
         Strings paths{
             "devShells." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".default",
             "devShell." + settings.thisSystem.get(),
@@ -621,6 +622,7 @@ struct CmdDevelop : Common, MixEnvironment
                 "bashInteractive",
                 ExtendedOutputsSpec::Default(),
                 Strings{},
+                // `system` not `eval-system` since we are actually executing it on the local machine
                 Strings{"legacyPackages." + settings.thisSystem.get() + "."},
                 nixpkgsLockFlags);
 
diff --git a/lix/nix/flake.cc b/lix/nix/flake.cc
index f8419f910..aec484416 100644
--- a/lix/nix/flake.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/flake.cc
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ struct CmdFlakeCheck : FlakeCommand
 
         lockFlags.applyNixConfig = true;
         auto flake = lockFlake(*state);
-        auto localSystem = std::string(settings.thisSystem.get());
+        auto localSystem = std::string(evalSettings.getCurrentSystem());
 
         bool hasErrors = false;
         auto reportError = [&](const Error & e) {
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ struct CmdFlakeCheck : FlakeCommand
                                         auto drvPath = checkDerivation(
                                             fmt("%s.%s.%s", name, attr_name, evaluator->symbols[attr2.name]),
                                             *attr2.value, attr2.pos);
-                                        if (drvPath && attr_name == settings.thisSystem.get()) {
+                                        if (drvPath && attr_name == evalSettings.getCurrentSystem()) {
                                             drvPaths.push_back(DerivedPath::Built {
                                                 .drvPath = makeConstantStorePathRef(*drvPath),
                                                 .outputs = OutputsSpec::All { },
@@ -1129,7 +1129,7 @@ struct CmdFlakeShow : FlakeCommand, MixJSON
         auto evaluator = getEvaluator();
         auto state = evaluator->begin(aio());
         auto flake = std::make_shared<LockedFlake>(lockFlake(*state));
-        auto localSystem = std::string(settings.thisSystem.get());
+        auto localSystem = std::string(evalSettings.getCurrentSystem());
 
         std::function<bool(
             eval_cache::AttrCursor & visitor,
diff --git a/lix/nix/fmt.cc b/lix/nix/fmt.cc
index d560c30ab..31759edd3 100644
--- a/lix/nix/fmt.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/fmt.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct CmdFmt : SourceExprCommand {
     Category category() override { return catSecondary; }
 
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override {
+        // We are running it locally so it should be the actual system
         return Strings{"formatter." + settings.thisSystem.get()};
     }
 
diff --git a/lix/nix/run.cc b/lix/nix/run.cc
index 21b6e08a3..dcd81037b 100644
--- a/lix/nix/run.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/run.cc
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ struct CmdRun : InstallableCommand
 
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override
     {
+        // We are running it locally so it should be the actual system
         Strings res{
             "apps." + settings.thisSystem.get() + ".default",
             "defaultApp." + settings.thisSystem.get(),
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ struct CmdRun : InstallableCommand
 
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes() override
     {
+        // We are running it locally so it should be the actual system
         Strings res{"apps." + settings.thisSystem.get() + "."};
         for (auto & s : SourceExprCommand::getDefaultFlakeAttrPathPrefixes())
             res.push_back(s);
diff --git a/lix/nix/search.cc b/lix/nix/search.cc
index b0233ac21..1c84692f7 100644
--- a/lix/nix/search.cc
+++ b/lix/nix/search.cc
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ struct CmdSearch : InstallableCommand, MixJSON
     Strings getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths() override
     {
         return {
-            "packages." + settings.thisSystem.get(),
-            "legacyPackages." + settings.thisSystem.get()
+            "packages." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem(),
+            "legacyPackages." + evalSettings.getCurrentSystem()
         };
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/check.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/check.sh
index fefaae9dd..009a74ea4 100644
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/check.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/check.sh
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ cat > $flakeDir/flake.nix <<EOF
 EOF
 
 nix flake check $flakeDir
+# --eval-system should be considered for which the local system is for flake
+# purposes, and thus it should fail checking that attr
+(! nix flake check --eval-system system-1 $flakeDir)
+# likewise with --system
+(! nix flake check --system system-1 $flakeDir)
 
 checkRes=$(nix flake check --all-systems --keep-going $flakeDir 2>&1 && fail "nix flake check --all-systems should have failed" || true)
 echo "$checkRes" | grepQuiet "packages.system-1.default"
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
index 85ffacf70..5f102e183 100644
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result git+file://$flake1Dir
 nix build -o $flake1Dir/result git+file://$flake1Dir
 nix path-info $flake1Dir/result
 
+# Ensure that eval-system affects the chosen attribute
+cp -r "$flake1Dir" "$flake1Dir.kittified"
+sed -i "s#$system#kitty-kitty#" "$flake1Dir.kittified/flake.nix"
+nix build --eval-system kitty-kitty "$flake1Dir.kittified"
+
 # 'getFlake' on an unlocked flakeref should fail in pure mode, but
 # succeed in impure mode.
 (! nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --expr "(builtins.getFlake \"$flake1Dir\").packages.$system.default")
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/show.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/show.sh
index 3461597ee..53e849a40 100644
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/show.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/show.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ writeSimpleFlake "$flakeDir"
 cd "$flakeDir"
 
 
+# FIXME(jade): the following is rather absurd. we have jq!
+
 # By default: Only show the packages content for the current system and no
 # legacyPackages at all
 nix flake show --json > show-output.json
@@ -19,6 +21,11 @@ assert show_output.legacyPackages.${builtins.currentSystem} == {};
 true
 '
 
+# Follow --eval-system for determining the system for flakes
+nix flake show --eval-system someOtherSystem --json > show-output.json
+drvTitle=$(jq -r '.packages.someOtherSystem.default.name' show-output.json)
+[[ $drvTitle == 'simple' ]]
+
 # With `--all-systems`, show the packages for all systems
 nix flake show --json --all-systems > show-output.json
 nix eval --impure --expr '