diff --git a/Propellor/Property/SiteSpecific/GitAnnexBuilder.hs b/Propellor/Property/SiteSpecific/GitAnnexBuilder.hs
index f4e1314..149c8e6 100644
--- a/Propellor/Property/SiteSpecific/GitAnnexBuilder.hs
+++ b/Propellor/Property/SiteSpecific/GitAnnexBuilder.hs
@@ -9,8 +9,14 @@ import Propellor.Property.Cron (CronTimes)
 builduser :: UserName
 builduser = "builder"
 
+homedir :: FilePath
+homedir = "/home/builder"
+
+gitbuilderdir :: FilePath
+gitbuilderdir = homedir </> "gitbuilder"
+
 builddir :: FilePath
-builddir = "gitbuilder"
+builddir = gitbuilderdir </> "build"
 
 builder :: Architecture -> CronTimes -> Bool -> Property
 builder arch crontimes rsyncupload = combineProperties "gitannexbuilder"
@@ -20,26 +26,22 @@ builder arch crontimes rsyncupload = combineProperties "gitannexbuilder"
 		"liblockfile-simple-perl", "cabal-install", "vim", "less"]
 	, serviceRunning "cron" `requires` Apt.installed ["cron"]
 	, User.accountFor builduser
-	, check (lacksdir builddir) $ userScriptProperty builduser
-		[ "git clone git://git.kitenet.net/gitannexbuilder " ++ builddir
-		, "cd " ++ builddir
+	, check (not <$> doesDirectoryExist gitbuilderdir) $ userScriptProperty builduser
+		[ "git clone git://git.kitenet.net/gitannexbuilder " ++ gitbuilderdir
+		, "cd " ++ gitbuilderdir
 		, "git checkout " ++ arch
 		]
 		`describe` "gitbuilder setup"
-	, check (lacksdir $ builddir </> "build") $ userScriptProperty builduser
-		[ "cd " ++ builddir
-		, "git clone git://git-annex.branchable.com/ build"
+	, check (not <$> doesDirectoryExist builddir) $ userScriptProperty builduser
+		[ "git clone git://git-annex.branchable.com/ " ++ builddir
 		]
-	, Property "git-annex source build deps installed" $ do
-		d <- homedir
-		ensureProperty $ Apt.buildDepIn (d </> builddir </> "build")
-	, Cron.niceJob "gitannexbuilder" crontimes builduser ("~/" ++ builddir) "git pull ; ./autobuild"
+	, "git-annex source build deps installed" ==> Apt.buildDepIn builddir
+	, Cron.niceJob "gitannexbuilder" crontimes builduser gitbuilderdir "git pull ; ./autobuild"
 	-- The builduser account does not have a password set,
 	-- instead use the password privdata to hold the rsync server
 	-- password used to upload the built image.
 	, Property "rsync password" $ do
-		d <- homedir
-		let f = d </> "rsyncpassword"
+		let f = homedir </> "rsyncpassword"
 		if rsyncupload 
 			then withPrivData (Password builduser) $ \p -> do
 				oldp <- catchDefaultIO "" $ readFileStrict f
@@ -52,8 +54,3 @@ builder arch crontimes rsyncupload = combineProperties "gitannexbuilder"
 					, makeChange $ writeFile f "no password configured"
 					)
 	]
-  where
-  	homedir = fromMaybe ("/home/" ++ builduser) <$> User.homedir builduser
-	lacksdir d = do
-		h <- homedir
-		not <$> doesDirectoryExist (h </> d)
diff --git a/config-joey.hs b/config-joey.hs
index 0bc948b..f2cc5e7 100644
--- a/config-joey.hs
+++ b/config-joey.hs
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ host hostname@"orca.kitenet.net" = standardSystem Unstable $ props
 	& Apt.buildDep ["git-annex"]
 	& Docker.docked container hostname "amd64-git-annex-builder"
 	& Docker.docked container hostname "i386-git-annex-builder"
-	-- ! Docker.docked container hostname "armel-git-annex-builder"
+	& Docker.docked container hostname "armel-git-annex-builder-companion"
+	& Docker.docked container hostname "armel-git-annex-builder"
 	& Docker.garbageCollected
 -- My laptop
 host _hostname@"darkstar.kitenet.net" = Just $ props
@@ -67,11 +68,29 @@ container _host name
 			& serviceRunning "apache2"
 				`requires` Apt.installed ["apache2"]
 		]
+	
+	-- armel builder has a companion container that run amd64 and
+	-- runs the build first to get TH splices. They share a home
+	-- directory, and need to have the same versions of all haskell
+	-- libraries installed.
+	| name == "armel-git-annex-builder-companion" = Just $ Docker.containerFrom
+		(image $ System (Debian Unstable) "amd64")
+		[ Docker.volume GitAnnexBuilder.homedir
+		]
+	| name == "armel-git-annex-builder" = Just $ Docker.containerFrom
+		(image $ System (Debian Unstable) "armel")
+		[ Docker.link (name ++ "-companion") "companion"
+		, Docker.volumes_from (name ++ "-companion")
+		, Docker.inside $ props
+--			& GitAnnexBuilder.builder "armel" "15 * * * *" True
+		]
+	
 	| "-git-annex-builder" `isSuffixOf` name =
 		let arch = takeWhile (/= '-') name
 		in Just $ Docker.containerFrom
 			(image $ System (Debian Unstable) arch)
 			[ Docker.inside $ props & GitAnnexBuilder.builder arch "15 * * * *" True ]
+	
 	| otherwise = Nothing
 
 -- | Docker images I prefer to use.