diff --git a/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages b/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
index e60cf5f8..d452b177 100755
--- a/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
+++ b/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
@@ -58,12 +58,14 @@ function unfix_shm {
 
 function install_gentoo_packages {
     RUN_ONCE_SHM='1'
-    if ! grep -q /dev/shm /proc/mounts; then
+    if grep -q /dev/shm /proc/mounts; then
+        emerge $@
+    elif [[ -k /dev/shm ]]; then
+        emerge $@
+    else
         fix_shm
         emerge $@
         unfix_shm
-    else
-        emerge $@
     fi
 }
 
diff --git a/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image b/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
index 8a2c632e..6b221824 100755
--- a/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
+++ b/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ if ! [ 'x86_64' = "${ARCH}" ] ; then
 fi
 
 # get the element location so we can refrence things relative to it
-ELEMENT_DIR=${ELEMENT_DIR:-"${ELEMENTS_PATH}/gentoo"}
+ELEMENT_DIR=${ELEMENT_DIR:-"${ELEMENTS_PATH##*:}/gentoo"}
 # valid gentoo profiles are as follows
 # default/linux/amd64/13.0
 # default/linux/amd64/13.0/no-multilib
diff --git a/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/README.rst b/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/README.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..179516dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/README.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Test that we can successfully build a gentoo image.
diff --git a/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps b/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df967b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/gentoo/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+base
diff --git a/tests/install_test_deps.sh b/tests/install_test_deps.sh
index bbf66151..031ab196 100755
--- a/tests/install_test_deps.sh
+++ b/tests/install_test_deps.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ sudo apt-get install -y \
         debootstrap \
         inetutils-ping \
         kpartx \
-        qemu-utils || \
+        qemu-utils \
+        uuid-runtime || \
     sudo yum -y install \
         debootstrap \
         kpartx \