diff --git a/modules/misc/news/2026/01/2026-01-19_02-17-02.nix b/modules/misc/news/2026/01/2026-01-19_02-17-02.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8bc5830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/news/2026/01/2026-01-19_02-17-02.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+{
+  time = "2026-01-19T01:17:02+00:00";
+  condition = config.programs.neovim.enable;
+  message = ''
+    The neovim module now symlinks its plugins into xdg.dataFile."nvim/site/pack/hm" ( ~/.local/share/nvim) instead of modifying the runtimepath via wrapper arguments.
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/modules/programs/neovim.nix b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
index a745c254..086390fd 100644
--- a/modules/programs/neovim.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
@@ -437,16 +437,6 @@ in
 
       vimPackageInfo = neovimUtils.makeVimPackageInfo (map suppressNotVimlConfig pluginsNormalized);
 
-      packpathDirs.hm = vimPackageInfo.vimPackage;
-      finalPackdir = neovimUtils.packDir packpathDirs;
-
-      packpathWrapperArgs = lib.optionals (packpathDirs.hm.start != [ ] || packpathDirs.hm.opt != [ ]) [
-        "--add-flags"
-        ''--cmd "set packpath^=${finalPackdir}"''
-        "--add-flags"
-        ''--cmd "set rtp^=${finalPackdir}"''
-      ];
-
       wrappedNeovim' = pkgs.wrapNeovimUnstable cfg.package {
         withNodeJs = cfg.withNodeJs || cfg.coc.enable;
         plugins = [ ];
@@ -466,11 +456,7 @@ in
           ps: (cfg.extraPython3Packages ps) ++ (lib.concatMap (f: f ps) vimPackageInfo.pluginPython3Packages);
         neovimRcContent = cfg.extraConfig;
         wrapperArgs =
-          cfg.extraWrapperArgs
-          ++ extraMakeWrapperArgs
-          ++ extraMakeWrapperLuaCArgs
-          ++ extraMakeWrapperLuaArgs
-          ++ packpathWrapperArgs;
+          cfg.extraWrapperArgs ++ extraMakeWrapperArgs ++ extraMakeWrapperLuaCArgs ++ extraMakeWrapperLuaArgs;
         wrapRc = false;
       };
     in
@@ -531,6 +517,17 @@ in
           ))
         ];
 
+      # link the packpath in expected folder so that even unwrapped neovim can pick
+      # home-manager's plugins
+      xdg.dataFile."nvim/site/pack/hm" =
+        let
+          packpathDirs.hm = vimPackageInfo.vimPackage;
+        in
+        {
+          enable = allPlugins != [ ];
+          source = "${pkgs.neovimUtils.packDir packpathDirs}/pack/hm";
+        };
+
       xdg.configFile = lib.mkMerge (
         # writes runtime
         (map (x: x.runtime) pluginsNormalized)