diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index f3f52aa1..6c5993af 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 
       overlays = rec {
         default = pkgs;
-        pkgs = import ./pkgs/overlay.nix;
+        pkgs = import ./overlays/pkgs.nix;
         passthru =
           let
             stable = next: prev: {
diff --git a/hosts/common/default.nix b/hosts/common/default.nix
index 66bfc2cc..5fe93266 100644
--- a/hosts/common/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/default.nix
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
   nix.extraOptions = ''
     experimental-features = nix-command flakes
   '';
+  # allow `nix-shell` (and probably nix-index?) to locate our patched and custom packages
+  nix.nixPath = [
+    "nixpkgs=${pkgs.path}"
+    "nixpkgs-overlays=${../..}/overlays"
+  ];
 
   # TODO: move this into home-manager?
   fonts = {
diff --git a/overlays/pkgs.nix b/overlays/pkgs.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e0c92d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/overlays/pkgs.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+(next: prev:
+  let
+    sane = rec {
+      #### my own, non-upstreamable packages:
+      sane-scripts = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/sane-scripts { };
+      feeds = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/feeds { };
+      tow-boot-pinephone = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/tow-boot-pinephone { };
+      tow-boot-rpi4 = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/tow-boot-rpi4 { };
+      bootpart-uefi-x86_64 = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/bootpart-uefi-x86_64 { };
+      bootpart-tow-boot-rpi-aarch64 = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/bootpart-tow-boot-rpi-aarch64 {
+        # not sure why i can't just do `next.callPackage` instead
+        inherit tow-boot-rpi4;
+      };
+      bootpart-u-boot-rpi-aarch64 = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/bootpart-u-boot-rpi-aarch64 {
+        # not sure why i can't just do `next.callPackage` instead
+        inherit ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit;
+      };
+      rtl8723cs-firmware = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/rtl8723cs-firmware { };
+      linux-megous = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/linux-megous {
+        kernelPatches = [
+          prev.kernelPatches.bridge_stp_helper
+          prev.kernelPatches.request_key_helper
+        ];
+      };
+
+      sublime-music-mobile = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/sublime-music-mobile { };
+
+      #### customized packages
+      fluffychat-moby = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/fluffychat-moby { };
+      gpodder-configured = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/gpodder-configured { };
+      # nixos-unstable pleroma is too far out-of-date for our db
+      pleroma = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/pleroma { };
+      # jackett doesn't allow customization of the bind address: this will probably always be here.
+      jackett = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/jackett { inherit (prev) jackett; };
+      # mozilla keeps nerfing itself and removing configuration options
+      firefox-unwrapped = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/firefox-unwrapped { };
+
+      # patch rpi uboot with something that fixes USB HDD boot
+      ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit { };
+
+      gocryptfs = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/gocryptfs { inherit (prev) gocryptfs; };
+
+      browserpass = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/browserpass { inherit (prev) browserpass; inherit sane-scripts; };
+
+      fractal-latest = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/fractal-latest { };
+
+      #### TEMPORARY: PACKAGES WAITING TO BE UPSTREAMED
+      kaiteki = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/kaiteki { };
+      feedsearch-crawler = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/feedsearch-crawler { };
+      lightdm-mobile-greeter = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/lightdm-mobile-greeter { };
+      browserpass-extension = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/browserpass-extension { };
+      gopass-native-messaging-host = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/gopass-native-messaging-host { };
+      tokodon = prev.libsForQt5.callPackage ../pkgs/tokodon { };
+      signaldctl = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/signaldctl { };
+      splatmoji = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/splatmoji { };
+      # trust-dns = prev.callPackage ../pkgs/trust-dns { };
+      # kaiteki = prev.kaiteki;
+    };
+  in sane // { inherit sane; }
+)
+
diff --git a/pkgs/overlay.nix b/pkgs/overlay.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index d98690d1..00000000
--- a/pkgs/overlay.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-(next: prev:
-  let
-    sane = rec {
-      #### my own, non-upstreamable packages:
-      sane-scripts = prev.callPackage ./sane-scripts { };
-      feeds = prev.callPackage ./feeds { };
-      tow-boot-pinephone = prev.callPackage ./tow-boot-pinephone { };
-      tow-boot-rpi4 = prev.callPackage ./tow-boot-rpi4 { };
-      bootpart-uefi-x86_64 = prev.callPackage ./bootpart-uefi-x86_64 { };
-      bootpart-tow-boot-rpi-aarch64 = prev.callPackage ./bootpart-tow-boot-rpi-aarch64 {
-        # not sure why i can't just do `next.callPackage` instead
-        inherit tow-boot-rpi4;
-      };
-      bootpart-u-boot-rpi-aarch64 = prev.callPackage ./bootpart-u-boot-rpi-aarch64 {
-        # not sure why i can't just do `next.callPackage` instead
-        inherit ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit;
-      };
-      rtl8723cs-firmware = prev.callPackage ./rtl8723cs-firmware { };
-      linux-megous = prev.callPackage ./linux-megous {
-        kernelPatches = [
-          prev.kernelPatches.bridge_stp_helper
-          prev.kernelPatches.request_key_helper
-        ];
-      };
-
-      sublime-music-mobile = prev.callPackage ./sublime-music-mobile { };
-
-      #### customized packages
-      fluffychat-moby = prev.callPackage ./fluffychat-moby { };
-      gpodder-configured = prev.callPackage ./gpodder-configured { };
-      # nixos-unstable pleroma is too far out-of-date for our db
-      pleroma = prev.callPackage ./pleroma { };
-      # jackett doesn't allow customization of the bind address: this will probably always be here.
-      jackett = prev.callPackage ./jackett { inherit (prev) jackett; };
-      # mozilla keeps nerfing itself and removing configuration options
-      firefox-unwrapped = prev.callPackage ./firefox-unwrapped { };
-
-      # patch rpi uboot with something that fixes USB HDD boot
-      ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit = prev.callPackage ./ubootRaspberryPi4_64bit { };
-
-      gocryptfs = prev.callPackage ./gocryptfs { inherit (prev) gocryptfs; };
-
-      browserpass = prev.callPackage ./browserpass { inherit (prev) browserpass; inherit sane-scripts; };
-
-      fractal-latest = prev.callPackage ./fractal-latest { };
-
-      #### TEMPORARY: PACKAGES WAITING TO BE UPSTREAMED
-      kaiteki = prev.callPackage ./kaiteki { };
-      feedsearch-crawler = prev.callPackage ./feedsearch-crawler { };
-      lightdm-mobile-greeter = prev.callPackage ./lightdm-mobile-greeter { };
-      browserpass-extension = prev.callPackage ./browserpass-extension { };
-      gopass-native-messaging-host = prev.callPackage ./gopass-native-messaging-host { };
-      tokodon = prev.libsForQt5.callPackage ./tokodon { };
-      signaldctl = prev.callPackage ./signaldctl { };
-      splatmoji = prev.callPackage ./splatmoji { };
-      # trust-dns = prev.callPackage ./trust-dns { };
-      # kaiteki = prev.kaiteki;
-    };
-  in sane // { inherit sane; }
-)
-