diff --git a/modules/programs/neovim.nix b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
index af7a1a1f0..3bbb36400 100644
--- a/modules/programs/neovim.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/neovim.nix
@@ -391,20 +391,19 @@ in {
     suppressNotVimlConfig = p:
       if p.type != "viml" then p // { config = null; } else p;
 
-    neovimConfig = pkgs.neovimUtils.makeNeovimConfig {
+    neovimConfig = pkgs.wrapNeovimUnstable cfg.package {
       inherit (cfg) extraPython3Packages withPython3 withRuby viAlias vimAlias;
       withNodeJs = cfg.withNodeJs || cfg.coc.enable;
       plugins = map suppressNotVimlConfig pluginsNormalized;
-      customRC = cfg.extraConfig;
-    };
-
-    wrappedNeovim' = pkgs.wrapNeovimUnstable cfg.package (neovimConfig // {
-      wrapperArgs =
-        (lib.escapeShellArgs (neovimConfig.wrapperArgs ++ cfg.extraWrapperArgs))
-        + " " + extraMakeWrapperArgs + " " + extraMakeWrapperLuaCArgs + " "
+      # it gets ignored
+      neovimRcContent = cfg.extraConfig;
+      wrapperArgs = (lib.escapeShellArgs (cfg.extraWrapperArgs)) + " "
+        + extraMakeWrapperArgs + " " + extraMakeWrapperLuaCArgs + " "
         + extraMakeWrapperLuaArgs;
       wrapRc = false;
-    });
+    };
+
+    wrappedNeovim' = neovimConfig;
   in mkIf cfg.enable {
 
     programs.neovim.generatedConfigViml = neovimConfig.neovimRcContent;
@@ -423,6 +422,14 @@ in {
 
     home.shellAliases = mkIf cfg.vimdiffAlias { vimdiff = "nvim -d"; };
 
+    # 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 = neovimConfig.vimPackage;
+    in {
+      source = "${pkgs.neovimUtils.packDir packpathDirs}/pack/hm";
+    };
+
     xdg.configFile = let
       hasLuaConfig = lib.hasAttr "lua" config.programs.neovim.generatedConfigs;
     in lib.mkMerge (
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/neovim/plugin-config.nix b/tests/modules/programs/neovim/plugin-config.nix
index 4b8c3abdc..1508cdf09 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/neovim/plugin-config.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/neovim/plugin-config.nix
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@ lib.mkIf config.test.enableBig {
   _module.args.pkgs = lib.mkForce realPkgs;
 
   nmt.script = ''
-    vimout=$(mktemp)
-    echo "redir >> /dev/stdout | echo g:hmExtraConfig | echo g:hmPlugins | redir END" \
-      | ${pkgs.neovim}/bin/nvim -es -u "$TESTED/home-files/.config/nvim/init.lua" \
-      > "$vimout" || true
+    vimout=$out/nvim-output
+    export HOME=$TESTED/home-files
+    ${pkgs.neovim-unwrapped}/bin/nvim -i NONE -V3$out/log.txt +"redir >> $vimout | echo g:hmExtraConfig | echo g:hmPlugins | redir END" +'exit'
     assertFileContains "$vimout" "HM_EXTRA_CONFIG"
     assertFileContains "$vimout" "HM_PLUGINS_CONFIG"
   '';