diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 99a862f5..a9c463ac 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ Some key advantages include:
 * Defined [packages](./pkgs/default.nix) and
   [modules](./modules/list.nix), are automatically wired and available from
   anywhere. They are _also_ sharable via their respective flake outputs.
-* Easily [override](./pkgs/override.nix) packages from different nixpkgs versions.
+* Easily [override](./unstable/default.nix) packages from different nixpkgs
+  versions.
 * Keep [user](./users) configuration isolated and easily reusable by taking
   advantage of [user profiles](./users/profiles) and [home-manager][home-manager].
 * [Overlay](./overlays) files are automatically available and sharable.
diff --git a/extern/default.nix b/extern/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b3fcb5e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extern/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{ inputs }: with inputs;
+{
+  modules = [
+    home.nixosModules.home-manager
+    ci-agent.nixosModules.agent-profile
+  ];
+
+  overlays = [
+    nur.overlay
+    devshell.overlay
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index cbd4e9b2..7775366c 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -26,37 +26,28 @@
     , nixos-hardware
     }:
     let
-      inherit (builtins) attrValues;
       inherit (flake-utils.lib) eachDefaultSystem flattenTreeSystem;
       inherit (nixos.lib) recursiveUpdate;
-      inherit (self.lib) overlays nixosModules genPackages pkgImport
+      inherit (self.lib) overlays nixosModules genPackages genPkgs
         genHomeActivationPackages;
 
-      externOverlays = [ nur.overlay devshell.overlay ];
-      externModules = [
-        home.nixosModules.home-manager
-        ci-agent.nixosModules.agent-profile
-      ];
+      extern = import ./extern { inherit inputs; };
+
+      pkgs' = genPkgs { inherit self; };
 
       outputs =
         let
           system = "x86_64-linux";
-          pkgs = self.legacyPackages.${system};
+          pkgs = pkgs'.${system};
         in
         {
           inherit nixosModules overlays;
 
           nixosConfigurations =
-            import ./hosts
-              (recursiveUpdate inputs {
-                inherit pkgs externModules system;
-                inherit (pkgs) lib;
-              });
-
-          homeConfigurations =
-            builtins.mapAttrs
-              (_: config: config.config.home-manager.users)
-              self.nixosConfigurations;
+            import ./hosts (recursiveUpdate inputs {
+              inherit pkgs system extern;
+              inherit (pkgs) lib;
+            });
 
           overlay = import ./pkgs;
 
@@ -68,50 +59,23 @@
 
           defaultTemplate = self.templates.flk;
         };
-    in
-    recursiveUpdate
-      (eachDefaultSystem
-        (system:
-        let
-          unstable = pkgImport master [ ] system;
 
-          pkgs =
-            let
-              override = import ./pkgs/override.nix;
-              overlays = [
-                (override unstable)
-                self.overlay
-                (final: prev: {
-                  lib = (prev.lib or { }) // {
-                    inherit (nixos.lib) nixosSystem;
-                    flk = self.lib;
-                    utils = flake-utils.lib;
-                  };
-                })
-              ]
-              ++ (attrValues self.overlays)
-              ++ externOverlays;
-            in
-            pkgImport nixos overlays system;
-
-          packages =
-            flattenTreeSystem system
-              (genPackages {
-                inherit self pkgs;
-              });
-
-        in
+      systemOutputs = eachDefaultSystem (system:
+        let pkgs = pkgs'.${system}; in
         {
-          inherit packages;
-          hmActivationPackages = genHomeActivationPackages
-            self.homeConfigurations;
+          packages = flattenTreeSystem system
+            (genPackages {
+              inherit self pkgs;
+            });
 
           devShell = import ./shell {
             inherit pkgs nixos;
           };
 
-          legacyPackages = pkgs;
-        })
-      )
-      outputs;
+          legacyPackages.hmActivationPackages =
+            genHomeActivationPackages { inherit self; };
+        }
+      );
+    in
+    recursiveUpdate outputs systemOutputs;
 }
diff --git a/hosts/default.nix b/hosts/default.nix
index aec06e54..77535f66 100644
--- a/hosts/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/default.nix
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 , pkgs
 , self
 , system
-, externModules
+, extern
 , ...
 }:
 let
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ let
   profiles = defaultImports (toString ../profiles);
   suites = import ../profiles/suites.nix { inherit lib profiles; };
 
-  unstableModules = [ ];
-  addToDisabledModules = [ ];
-
   config = hostName:
     nixosSystemExtended {
       inherit system;
@@ -33,12 +30,17 @@ let
         let
           core = profiles.core.default;
 
-          modOverrides = { config, unstableModulesPath, ... }: {
-            disabledModules = unstableModules ++ addToDisabledModules;
-            imports = map
-              (path: "${unstableModulesPath}/${path}")
-              unstableModules;
-          };
+          modOverrides = { config, unstableModulesPath, ... }:
+            let
+              unstable = import ../unstable;
+              inherit (unstable) modules disabledModules;
+            in
+            {
+              disabledModules = modules ++ disabledModules;
+              imports = map
+                (path: "${unstableModulesPath}/${path}")
+                modules;
+            };
 
           global = {
             home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ let
           global
           local
           modOverrides
-        ] ++ externModules;
+        ] ++ extern.modules;
 
     };
 
diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index 584933ce..a90b1445 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -60,6 +60,34 @@ in
 
   overlays = pathsToImportedAttrs overlayPaths;
 
+  genPkgs = { self }:
+    let inherit (self) inputs;
+    in
+    (inputs.flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem
+      (system:
+        let
+          extern = import ../extern { inherit inputs; };
+          unstable = pkgImport inputs.master [ ] system;
+          overrides = (import ../unstable).packages;
+
+          overlays = [
+            (overrides unstable)
+            self.overlay
+            (final: prev: {
+              lib = (prev.lib or { }) // {
+                inherit (nixos.lib) nixosSystem;
+                flk = self.lib;
+                utils = inputs.flake-utils.lib;
+              };
+            })
+          ]
+          ++ (attrValues self.overlays)
+          ++ extern.overlays;
+        in
+        { pkgs = pkgImport nixos overlays system; }
+      )
+    ).pkgs;
+
   profileMap = map (profile: profile.default);
 
   recImport = { dir, _import ? base: import "${dir}/${base}.nix" }:
@@ -135,7 +163,12 @@ in
     in
     recursiveUpdate cachixAttrs modulesAttrs;
 
-  genHomeActivationPackages = hmConfigs:
+  genHomeActivationPackages = { self }:
+    let hmConfigs =
+      builtins.mapAttrs
+        (_: config: config.config.home-manager.users)
+        self.nixosConfigurations;
+    in
     mapAttrs
       (_: x: mapAttrs
         (_: cfg: cfg.home.activationPackage)
diff --git a/pkgs/override.nix b/pkgs/override.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 6dbced6c..00000000
--- a/pkgs/override.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-# Packages inherited are imported in hosts/default.nix, and are pulled from
-# nixpkgs master instead of the default nixos release. This doesn't actually
-# install them, just creates an overlay to pull them from master if they are
-# installed by the user elsewhere in the configuration.
-pkgs: final: prev:
-{
-  inherit (pkgs)
-    manix;
-
-  haskellPackages = prev.haskellPackages.override {
-    overrides = hfinal: hprev:
-      let version = prev.lib.replaceChars [ "." ] [ "" ] prev.ghc.version;
-      in
-      {
-        # same for haskell packages, matching ghc versions
-        inherit (pkgs.haskell.packages."ghc${version}")
-          haskell-language-server;
-      };
-  };
-}
diff --git a/shell/default.nix b/shell/default.nix
index 9f851245..52656e53 100644
--- a/shell/default.nix
+++ b/shell/default.nix
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@ let
   }).config.system.build;
 
   flk = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "flk" ''
-    system="$(nix eval --impure --expr builtins.currentSystem)"
-    system="${"\${system//\\\"/"}}"
-
     if [[ -z "$1" ]]; then
       echo "Usage: $(basename $0) [ up | iso {host} | install {host} | {host} [switch|boot|test] | home {host} {user} [switch] ]"
     elif [[ "$1" == "up" ]]; then
@@ -31,7 +28,7 @@ let
     elif [[ "$1" == "install" ]]; then
       sudo nixos-install --flake "$DEVSHELL_ROOT#$2" "${"\${@:3}"}"
     elif [[ "$1" == "home" ]]; then
-      nix build "./#hmActivationPackages.$system.$2.$3"  "${"\${@:4}"}"
+      nix build "./#hmActivationPackages.$2.$3"  "${"\${@:4}"}"
       if [[ "$4" == "switch" ]]; then
         ./result/activate && unlink result
       fi
@@ -50,8 +47,6 @@ pkgs.devshell.mkShell {
     nixos-install
     nixos-generate-config
     nixos-enter
-    nixos-option
-    pre-commit
   ];
 
   env = { inherit name; };
diff --git a/unstable/default.nix b/unstable/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae7858d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unstable/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+{
+  # modules to pull from master, stable version is automatically disabled
+  modules = [ ];
+
+  # if a modules name changed in master, add the old name here
+  disabledModules = [ ];
+
+  # packages pulled from master
+  packages = pkgs: final: prev: {
+    inherit (pkgs)
+      dhall
+      discord
+      element-desktop
+      manix
+      nixpkgs-fmt
+      qutebrowser
+      signal-desktop
+      starship;
+
+    haskellPackages = prev.haskellPackages.override {
+      overrides = hfinal: hprev:
+        let version = prev.lib.replaceChars [ "." ] [ "" ] prev.ghc.version;
+        in
+        {
+          # same for haskell packages, matching ghc versions
+          inherit (pkgs.haskell.packages."ghc${version}")
+            haskell-language-server;
+        };
+    };
+  };
+}