diff --git a/profiles/develop/default.nix b/profiles/develop/default.nix
index 48694f1b..7cc089c5 100644
--- a/profiles/develop/default.nix
+++ b/profiles/develop/default.nix
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@
 {
   imports = [
     ./zsh
+    ./kakoune
   ];
 
+  environment.shellAliases = {
+    v = "XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/etc/xdg $EDITOR";
+  };
+
   environment.sessionVariables = {
     LESS = "-iFJMRWX -z-4 -x4";
     LESSOPEN = "|${pkgs.lesspipe}/bin/lesspipe.sh %s";
+    EDITOR = "kak";
+    VISUAL = "kak";
   };
 
   environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/default.nix b/profiles/develop/kakoune/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52b9b44c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{ pkgs, ... }:
+{
+  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
+    cquery
+    kak-lsp
+    kakoune
+    kakoune-unwrapped
+    nixpkgs-fmt
+    python3Packages.python-language-server
+    rustup
+  ];
+
+  environment.etc = {
+    "xdg/kak/kakrc".source = ./kakrc;
+    "xdg/kak/autoload/plugins".source = ./plugins;
+    "xdg/kak/autoload/lint".source = ./lint;
+    "xdg/kak/autoload/lsp".source = ./lsp;
+    "xdg/kak/autoload/default".source = "${pkgs.kakoune-unwrapped}/share/kak/rc";
+  };
+
+  nixpkgs.overlays = let
+    kak = self: super: {
+      kakoune = super.kakoune.override {
+        configure.plugins = with super.kakounePlugins; [
+          (kak-fzf.override { fzf = super.skim; })
+          kak-auto-pairs
+          kak-buffers
+          kak-powerline
+        ];
+      };
+
+      kakoune-unwrapped = super.kakoune-unwrapped.overrideAttrs (
+        o: rec {
+          version = "2019.12.10";
+          src = super.fetchFromGitHub {
+            repo = "kakoune";
+            owner = "mawww";
+            rev = "v${version}";
+            hash = "sha256-TnRQ73bIQGavXNp+wrKtYHgGem+R6JDWt333z2izYzE=";
+          };
+        }
+      );
+    };
+  in
+    [ kak ];
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/kakrc b/profiles/develop/kakoune/kakrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22626b08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/kakrc
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+hook global WinCreate ^[^*]+$ %{ add-highlighter window/ number-lines  }
+
+# colorscheme
+face global Information yellow,default
+face global MenuBackground black,white
+face global MenuForeground white,black
+face global comment white+d
+face global meta blue
+addhl global/ column 80 SecondaryCursor
+
+# convert tabs to spaces and cleanup trailing whitespace on save
+hook global BufWritePre ^[^*]+$ %{
+  try %{ execute-keys -draft \%@s\h+$<ret>d }
+}
+
+# useful mappings
+map global normal <a-q> ': delete-buffer<ret>'
+map global normal <c-s> ': write<ret>'
+map global normal <c-q> ': quit<ret>'
+map global normal <c-a-n> ': buffer-next<ret>'
+map global normal <c-a-p> ': buffer-previous<ret>'
+map global -docstring "comment line" user c ': comment-line<ret>'
+map global -docstring "comment block" user C ': comment-block<ret>'
+map -docstring "format buffer" global user f ': format<ret>'
+
+# splits just like vim using tmux
+define-command -params 0.. -file-completion \
+  -docstring "split tmux pane vertically" split \
+  %{ tmux-terminal-vertical kak -c %val{session} -e edit! %arg{@} }
+
+define-command -params 0.. -file-completion \
+  -docstring "split tmux pane horizontally" vsplit \
+  %{ tmux-terminal-horizontal kak -c %val{session} -e edit! %arg{@} }
+
+alias global sp split
+alias global vs vsplit
+
+# jj to leave insert mode
+hook global InsertChar j %{ try %{
+  exec -draft hH <a-k>jj<ret> d
+  exec <esc>
+}}
+
+set global ui_options ncurses_assistant=none
+set global tabstop 2
+set global indentwidth 2
+
+hook global InsertCompletionShow .* %{
+    try %{
+        # this command temporarily removes cursors preceded by whitespace;
+        # if there are no cursors left, it raises an error, does not
+        # continue to execute the mapping commands, and the error is eaten
+        # by the `try` command so no warning appears.
+        execute-keys -draft 'h<a-K>\h<ret>'
+        map window insert <tab> <c-n>
+        map window insert <s-tab> <c-p>
+    }
+}
+hook global InsertCompletionHide .* %{
+    unmap window insert <tab> <c-n>
+    unmap window insert <s-tab> <c-p>
+}
+
+try %{ require-module kak }
+add-highlighter shared/kakrc/code/if_else regex \b(if|else)\b 0:keyword
+
+# create an if for conditional parsing
+define-command -docstring "if <condition> <expression> [else [if <condition>] <expression>]: if statement that accepts shell-valid condition string" \
+if -params 2.. %{ evaluate-commands %sh{
+    while [ true ]; do
+        condition="[ $1 ]"
+        if [ -n "$3" ] && [ "$3" != "else" ]; then
+            printf "%s\n" "fail %{if: unknown operator '$3'}"
+        elif [ $# -eq 3 ]; then
+            printf "%s\n" "fail %{if: wrong argument count}"
+        elif eval $condition; then
+            [ -n "${2##*&*}" ] && arg="$2" || arg="$(printf '%s' "$2" | sed 's/&/&&/g')"
+            printf "%s\n" "evaluate-commands %& $arg &"
+        elif [ $# -eq 4 ]; then
+            [ -n "${4##*&*}" ] && arg="$4" || arg="$(printf '%s' "$4" | sed 's/&/&&/g')"
+            printf "%s\n" "evaluate-commands %& $arg &"
+        elif [ $# -gt 4 ]; then
+            if [ "$4" = "if" ]; then
+                shift 4
+                continue
+            else
+                printf "%s\n" "fail %{if: wrong argument count}"
+            fi
+        fi
+        exit
+    done
+}}
+
+# show git diff on sidebar if it git repository
+if %[ "$(command git status 2>/dev/null)" ] %{
+  hook global WinCreate .* %{ git show-diff }
+  hook global BufWritePost .* %{ git show-diff }
+  hook global ModeChange insert:normal %{ git show-diff }
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lint/nix.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lint/nix.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59407b3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lint/nix.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+hook -group lint global WinSetOption filetype=nix %{
+  # remove '' for nix, annoying for string literals
+  set buffer auto_pairs ( ) { } [ ] '"' '"' ` `
+
+  set buffer lintcmd '
+    run () {
+      nix-instantiate --parse $1 2>&1 >&- > /dev/null |
+      awk ''
+        {printf $NF ":" " "}
+        !($NF="") !($(NF-1)="") {sub(/,  $/, "")}1
+      ''
+    } && run \
+  '
+  lint-enable
+  set buffer formatcmd "nixpkgs-fmt"
+  hook buffer BufWritePre .* %{
+    format
+    lint
+  }
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/c.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/c.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d080b63d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/c.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hook -group lsp global WinSetOption filetype=(c|cpp) %{
+  lsp-enable-window
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/common.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/common.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..79e1e126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/common.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+eval %sh{kak-lsp --kakoune -s $kak_session}
+hook -group lsp global WinSetOption filetype=(elm|rust|c|cpp|python) %{
+  lsp-auto-hover-enable
+
+  # easily enter lsp mode
+  map -docstring "language-server mode" buffer user l ': enter-user-mode lsp<ret>'
+
+  set buffer lsp_hover_anchor true
+  set buffer lsp_auto_highlight_references true
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/elm.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/elm.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43dad302
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/elm.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# elm formating is currently broken in els so use formatcmd as workaround
+hook -group lsp global WinSetOption filetype=elm %{
+  set buffer formatcmd "elm-format --stdin --yes --elm-version 0.19"
+  lsp-enable-window
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/python.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/python.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26b4e3b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/python.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hook -group lsp global WinSetOption filetype=python %{
+  lsp-enable-window
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/rust.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/rust.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c095bd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/lsp/rust.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+hook -group lsp global WinSetOption filetype=rust %{
+# racer.kak conflicts with rls completion; keep before lsp-enable
+  racer-disable-autocomplete
+# remove apostrophe from auto closing pairs; annoying for rust lifetimes
+  set buffer auto_pairs ( ) { } [ ] '"' '"' ` `
+
+  lsp-enable-window
+
+  set buffer lsp_server_configuration rust.clippy_preference="on"
+}
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/auto-pairs.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/auto-pairs.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0a5d6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/auto-pairs.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+hook global WinCreate .* %{
+  auto-pairs-enable
+}
+
+map global user s -docstring 'Surround' ': auto-pairs-surround <lt> <gt><ret>'
+map global user S -docstring 'Surround++' ': auto-pairs-surround <lt> <gt> _ _ * *<ret>'
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/buffer.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/buffer.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fe1b4383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/buffer.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+hook global WinDisplay .* info-buffers
+
+map global user b ':enter-buffers-mode<ret>'              -docstring 'buffers…'
+map global user B ':enter-user-mode -lock buffers<ret>'   -docstring 'buffers (lock)…'
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/fzf.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/fzf.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa2be846
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/fzf.kak
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+map -docstring "fzf-mode" global normal <c-p> ': fzf-mode<ret>'
diff --git a/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/vertical-selection.kak b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/vertical-selection.kak
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eeb68b3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/develop/kakoune/plugins/vertical-selection.kak
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+map -docstring "vertical selection down" global user v     ': vertical-selection-down<ret>'
+map -docstring "vertical selection up" global user <a-v> ': vertical-selection-up<ret>'
+map -docstring "vertical selection both" global user V     ': vertical-selection-up-and-down<ret>'