diff --git a/modules/programs/neovim.nix b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
index df4b487d6..b5733a8b9 100644
--- a/modules/programs/neovim.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
@@ -394,6 +394,14 @@ in {
 
     home.sessionVariables = mkIf cfg.defaultEditor { EDITOR = "nvim"; };
 
+    # link the packpath in expected folder so that even unwrapped neovim can pick
+    # home-manager's plugins
+    xdg.dataFile = mkMerge (mapAttrsToList (name: val: {
+      "nvim/site" = {
+        source = pkgs.vimUtils.packDir neovimConfig.packpathDirs;
+      };
+    }) neovimConfig.packpathDirs);
+
     xdg.configFile =
       let hasLuaConfig = hasAttr "lua" config.programs.neovim.generatedConfigs;
       in mkMerge (