diff --git a/cerulean/home/default.nix b/cerulean/home/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ae23c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cerulean/home/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# NOTE: you can access the system configuration via the `osConfig` arg
+{
+  username,
+  lib,
+  ...
+}: {
+  # WARNING: required for home-manager to work
+  programs.home-manager.enable = true; # user must apply lib.mkForce
+  # Nicely reload systemd units when changing configs
+  systemd.user.startServices = lib.mkDefault "sd-switch";
+
+  home = {
+    username = lib.mkDefault username;
+    homeDirectory = lib.mkDefault "/home/${username}";
+
+    sessionVariables = {
+      NIX_SHELL_PRESERVE_PROMPT = lib.mkDefault 1;
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/home.nix b/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
index a63b6e8..82117d8 100644
--- a/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
@@ -12,18 +12,22 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 {
-  root,
-  config,
-  lib,
   _cerulean,
+  config,
+  root,
+  lib,
   ...
 } @ args: let
   inherit
     (builtins)
-    attrNames
-    filter
     pathExists
     ;
+
+  inherit
+    (lib)
+    filterAttrs
+    mapAttrs
+    ;
 in {
   imports = [
     _cerulean.homeManager.nixosModules.default
@@ -49,18 +53,27 @@ in {
 
   config = {
     home-manager = {
+      useUserPackages = lib.mkDefault false;
+      useGlobalPkgs = lib.mkDefault true;
+
+      overwriteBackup = lib.mkDefault false;
+      backupFileExtension = lib.mkDefault "bak";
+
       users =
         config.users.users
-        |> attrNames
-        |> filter (x: pathExists (root + "/homes/${x}"))
-        |> (x:
-          lib.genAttrs x (y:
-            import (root + "/homes/${y}")));
+        |> filterAttrs (name: value: value.manageHome && pathExists /${root}/homes/${name})
+        |> mapAttrs (name: _: {...}: {
+          imports = [/${root}/homes/${name}];
+
+          # per-user arguments
+          _module.args.username = name;
+        });
 
       extraSpecialArgs = _cerulean.specialArgs;
       sharedModules = [
-        # user configuration
-        (import (root + "/nixpkgs.nix"))
+        ../home
+
+        (import /${root}/nixpkgs.nix)
         # options declarations
         (import ./nixpkgs.nix (args // {contextName = "homes";}))
       ];
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix b/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
index 40a3d57..946748b 100644
--- a/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
@@ -73,19 +73,23 @@ in {
     _module.args = removeAttrs repos ["pkgs" "base"];
 
     nixpkgs = let
-      nixpkgConfig = {
+      nixpkgsConfig = {
         config = lib.mkForce (basePkgs.config or {});
         overlays = lib.mkForce (basePkgs.overlays or []);
       };
-    in
-      if contextName == "hosts"
-      then
-        nixpkgConfig
+
+      nixpkgsHostsConfig =
+        nixpkgsConfig
         // {
           flake.source = lib.mkForce base;
-        }
+        };
+
+      nixpkgsHomesConfig = lib.mkIf (!config.home-manager.useGlobalPkgs) nixpkgsConfig;
+    in
+      if contextName == "hosts"
+      then nixpkgsHostsConfig
       else if contextName == "homes"
-      then nixpkgConfig
+      then nixpkgsHomesConfig
       else {};
   };
 }
diff --git a/cerulean/snow/lib/nodes.nix b/cerulean/snow/lib/nodes.nix
index f9b6537..48a583d 100644
--- a/cerulean/snow/lib/nodes.nix
+++ b/cerulean/snow/lib/nodes.nix
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     # flatten recursion result
     |> concatLists
     # find import location
-    |> map (group: nt.findImport (/${root}/groups/${group._name})
+    |> map (group: nt.findImport /${root}/groups/${group._name})
     # filter by uniqueness
     |> nt.prim.unique
     # ignore missing groups