diff --git a/hosts/common/default.nix b/hosts/common/default.nix
index 81b867ea..29389d6a 100644
--- a/hosts/common/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/default.nix
@@ -71,19 +71,6 @@
   # disable non-required packages like nano, perl, rsync, strace
   environment.defaultPackages = [];
 
-  # programs.vim.defaultEditor = true;
-  environment.variables = {
-    EDITOR = "vim";
-    # git claims it should use EDITOR, but it doesn't!
-    GIT_EDITOR = "vim";
-    # TODO: these should be moved to `home.sessionVariables` (home-manager)
-    # Electron apps should use native wayland backend:
-    #   https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Slack#Wayland
-    # Discord under sway crashes with this.
-    # NIXOS_OZONE_WL = "1";
-    # LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE = "1";
-  };
-
   # dconf docs: <https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/7/html/desktop_migration_and_administration_guide/profiles>
   # find keys/values with `dconf dump /`
   programs.dconf.enable = true;
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix b/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
index ecfbbcea..b6803c2b 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/assorted.nix
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ let
       lsof
       miniupnpc
       nano
+      neovim
       netcat
       nethogs
       nmap
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ let
       lm_sensors  # for sensors-detect. TODO: what needs this? lift into the consumer
       lshw
       # memtester
-      neovim
+      neovim  # needed as a user package, for swap persistence
       # nettools
       # networkmanager
       nixpkgs-review
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/neovim.nix b/hosts/common/programs/neovim.nix
index ed4bdfdc..dfb042aa 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/neovim.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/neovim.nix
@@ -81,7 +81,12 @@ let
 in
 {
   # private because there could be sensitive things in the swap
-  sane.programs.neovim.persist.private = [ ".cache/vim-swap" ];
+  sane.programs.neovim = {
+    persist.private = [ ".cache/vim-swap" ];
+    env.EDITOR = "vim";
+    # git claims it should use EDITOR, but it doesn't!
+    env.GIT_EDITOR = "vim";
+  };
 
   programs.neovim = mkIf config.sane.programs.neovim.enabled {
     # neovim: https://github.com/neovim/neovim