diff --git a/modules/programs/helix.nix b/modules/programs/helix.nix
index bec6428cf..763a9b655 100644
--- a/modules/programs/helix.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/helix.nix
@@ -46,12 +46,31 @@ in {
     };
 
     languages = mkOption {
-      type = types.listOf tomlFormat.type;
-      default = [ ];
-      example = [{
-        name = "rust";
-        auto-format = false;
-      }];
+      type = with types;
+        coercedTo (listOf tomlFormat.type) (language:
+          lib.warn ''
+            The syntax of programs.helix.languages has changed.
+            It now generates the whole languages.toml file instead of just the language array in that file.
+
+            Use
+            { language = <languages list>; }
+            instead.
+          '' { inherit language; }) (addCheck tomlFormat.type builtins.isAttrs);
+      default = { };
+      example = literalExpression ''
+        {
+          # the language-server option currently requires helix from the master branch at https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/
+          language-server.typescript-language-server = with pkgs.nodePackages; {
+            command = "''${typescript-language-server}/bin/typescript-language-server";
+            args = [ "--stdio" "--tsserver-path=''${typescript}/lib/node_modules/typescript/lib" ];
+          };
+
+          language = [{
+            name = "rust";
+            auto-format = false;
+          }];
+        }
+      '';
       description = ''
         Language specific configuration at
         <filename>$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/helix/languages.toml</filename>.
@@ -140,9 +159,8 @@ in {
         "helix/config.toml" = mkIf (cfg.settings != { }) {
           source = tomlFormat.generate "helix-config" cfg.settings;
         };
-        "helix/languages.toml" = mkIf (cfg.languages != [ ]) {
-          source =
-            tomlFormat.generate "helix-config" { language = cfg.languages; };
+        "helix/languages.toml" = mkIf (cfg.languages != { }) {
+          source = tomlFormat.generate "helix-languages-config" cfg.languages;
         };
       };
 
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/helix/example-settings.nix b/tests/modules/programs/helix/example-settings.nix
index 6a26c75eb..86c6766a8 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/helix/example-settings.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/helix/example-settings.nix
@@ -21,10 +21,27 @@ with lib;
         };
       };
 
-      languages = [{
-        name = "rust";
-        auto-format = false;
-      }];
+      languages = {
+        language-server.typescript-language-server = let
+          typescript-language-server = config.lib.test.mkStubPackage {
+            outPath = "@typescript-language-server@";
+          };
+          typescript =
+            config.lib.test.mkStubPackage { outPath = "@typescript@"; };
+        in {
+          command =
+            "${typescript-language-server}/bin/typescript-language-server";
+          args = [
+            "--stdio"
+            "--tsserver-path=${typescript}/lib/node_modules/typescript/lib"
+          ];
+        };
+
+        language = [{
+          name = "rust";
+          auto-format = false;
+        }];
+      };
 
       themes = {
         base16 = let
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/helix/languages-expected.toml b/tests/modules/programs/helix/languages-expected.toml
index d3404397b..cb77ed2b9 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/helix/languages-expected.toml
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/helix/languages-expected.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 [[language]]
 auto-format = false
 name = "rust"
+
+[language-server.typescript-language-server]
+args = ["--stdio", "--tsserver-path=@typescript@/lib/node_modules/typescript/lib"]
+command = "@typescript-language-server@/bin/typescript-language-server"