diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix b/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
index c114359d..55cbc95e 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
         # "gocryptfs"
         # "gopass"
         # "gopass-jsonapi"
+        "helix"  # text editor
         "kitty"  # TODO: move to GUI, but `ssh servo` from kitty sets `TERM=xterm-kitty` in the remove and breaks things
         "libsecret"  # for managing user keyrings. TODO: what needs this? lift into the consumer
         "lm_sensors"  # for sensors-detect. TODO: what needs this? lift into the consumer
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/default.nix b/hosts/common/programs/default.nix
index 3000f3c3..faddcb0c 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/default.nix
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     ./gnome-feeds.nix
     ./gpodder.nix
     ./gthumb.nix
+    ./helix.nix
     ./imagemagick.nix
     ./jellyfin-media-player.nix
     ./kitty
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/helix.nix b/hosts/common/programs/helix.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0238d2a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/helix.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Helix text editor
+# debug log: `~/.cache/helix/helix.log`
+# binary name is `hx`
+{ ... }:
+{
+  sane.programs.helix = {
+    persist.plaintext = [ ".config/helix/runtime/grammars" ];
+  };
+}