diff --git a/demo/alice/credentials.json b/demo/alice/credentials.json
deleted file mode 100644
index fb3a62c..0000000
--- a/demo/alice/credentials.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "username": "alice",
-  "secret": "alpha"
-}
diff --git a/demo/bob/credentials.json b/demo/bob/credentials.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 04fd3e7..0000000
--- a/demo/bob/credentials.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "username": "bob",
-  "secret": "beta"
-}
diff --git a/demo/default.nix b/demo/default.nix
index 1f842db..70cb86a 100644
--- a/demo/default.nix
+++ b/demo/default.nix
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ flake: { pkgs, ... }:
   users.users.alice = {
     isNormalUser = true;
     password = "alpha";
+    uid = 1000;
   };
 
   users.users.bob = {
     isNormalUser = true;
     password = "beta";
+    uid  = 1001;
   };
 
   # Put intake on both users' PATH
@@ -46,16 +48,39 @@ flake: { pkgs, ... }:
 
   # Create an activation script that copies and chowns the demo content
   # chmod 777 because the users may not exist when the activation script runs
-  system.activationScripts.demoSetup = ''
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/mkdir -p /home/alice/.local/share/intake
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/cp -r /mnt/alice/* /home/alice/.local/share/intake/
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod -R 777 /home/alice/.local
-
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/mkdir -p /home/bob/.local/share/intake
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/cp -r /mnt/bob/* /home/bob/.local/share/intake/
-    ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod -R 777 /home/bob/.local
-  '';
+  system.activationScripts = 
+  let
+    userSetup = name: uid: ''
+      ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/mkdir -p /home/${name}/.local/share/intake
+      ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/cp -r /mnt/${name}/* /home/${name}/.local/share/intake/
+      ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chown -R ${uid} /home/${name}
+      ${pkgs.findutils}/bin/find /home/${name} -type d -exec ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod 755 {} \;
+      ${pkgs.findutils}/bin/find /home/${name} -type f -exec ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod 644 {} \;
+    '';
+  in
+  {
+    aliceSetup = userSetup "alice" "1000";
+    bobSetup = userSetup "bob" "1001";
+  };
 
   # Put the demo sources on the global PATH
   environment.variables.PATH = "/mnt/sources";
+
+  # Include some demo instructions
+  environment.etc.issue.text = ''
+    # Welcome to the intake demo! Log in as `alice` with password `alpha` to begin.
+
+    # Exit the VM with ctrl+a x, or switch to the qemu console with ctrl+a c and `quit`.
+
+  '';
+  users.motd = ''
+
+    # To set a password for the web interface, run `intake passwd` and set a password.
+
+    # Within this demo VM, the main intake entry point can be found at localhost:8080. This is also exposed on the host machine at localhost:5234. After you set a password, navigate to localhost:5234 on your host machine and log in to see the web interface.
+
+    # Try updating the currenttime source by running `intake update -s currenttime`. You should see a new item after refreshing the source's feed.
+
+    # The `echo` source demonstrates the use of `env` source configuration. Try changing the message in the web interface or via `intake edit -s echo`, then updating the source.
+  '';
 }
diff --git a/demo/sources/currenttime.sh b/demo/sources/currenttime.sh
index 06a3366..4110517 100755
--- a/demo/sources/currenttime.sh
+++ b/demo/sources/currenttime.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/sh
 echo {\"id\": \"$(date +%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M)\"}
diff --git a/demo/sources/echo.py b/demo/sources/echo.py
index a30b021..296359e 100755
--- a/demo/sources/echo.py
+++ b/demo/sources/echo.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 import hashlib, json, os, sys