diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 30a4f9ddb..2a84313aa 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -8,26 +8,10 @@
   };
 
   outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils, idris-emacs-src }:
-    let idris2-version = "0.4.0";
-    in flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
-      let pkgs = import nixpkgs { inherit system; };
-          idris2Pkg = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/package.nix {
-            inherit idris2-version;
-            srcRev = self.shortRev or "dirty";
-          };
-          text-editor = import ./nix/text-editor.nix { inherit pkgs idris-emacs-src idris2Pkg; };
-          buildIdrisPkg = { projectName, src, idrisLibraries }:
-            pkgs.callPackage ./nix/buildIdris.nix
-              { inherit src projectName idrisLibraries idris2-version; idris2 = idris2Pkg; };
-      in if system != "aarch64-linux" then rec {
-        checks = with pkgs; import ./nix/test.nix
-          { inherit nixpkgs flake-utils system stdenv runCommand lib; idris = self; };
-        packages = rec {
-          idris2 = idris2Pkg;
-        } // text-editor;
-        buildIdris = buildIdrisPkg;
-        defaultPackage = packages.idris2;
-      } else {}) // rec {
+    let
+      idris2-version = "0.4.0";
+      lib = import ./nix/lib.nix;
+      sys-agnostic = rec {
         templates.pkg = {
           path = ./nix/templates/pkg;
           description = "A custom Idris 2 package";
@@ -39,4 +23,29 @@
         defaultTemplate = templates.pkg;
         version = idris2-version;
       };
+      per-system = { config ? { }, overlays ? [ ] }: system:
+        let
+          pkgs = import nixpkgs { inherit config system overlays; };
+          idris2Pkg = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/package.nix {
+            inherit idris2-version;
+            srcRev = self.shortRev or "dirty";
+          };
+          buildIdris = { projectName, src, idrisLibraries }:
+            pkgs.callPackage ./nix/buildIdris.nix
+              { inherit src projectName idrisLibraries idris2-version; idris2 = idris2Pkg; };
+        in
+        if system != "aarch64-linux" then rec {
+          checks = import ./nix/test.nix {
+            inherit (pkgs) system stdenv runCommand lib;
+            inherit nixpkgs flake-utils;
+            idris = self;
+          };
+          packages =
+            { idris2 = idris2Pkg; }
+            // (import ./nix/text-editor.nix { inherit pkgs idris-emacs-src idris2Pkg; });
+          inherit buildIdris;
+          defaultPackage = packages.idris2;
+        } else { };
+    in
+    lib.mkOvrOptsFlake (opts: flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (per-system opts) // sys-agnostic);
 }
diff --git a/nix/lib.nix b/nix/lib.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39a09cbc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/lib.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+rec {
+  # source: https://nixos.org/guides/nix-pills/override-design-pattern.html
+  # but with the ability to change the name of the override method
+  makeOverridable = kind: f:
+    let inner = oldArgs: (f oldArgs) // { ${kind} = newArgs: inner (oldArgs // newArgs); };
+    in  inner;
+
+  # create a flake with overridable options. useful because we can't pass
+  # fine-grained overrides to flakes otherwise, we can only change inputs
+  # (therefore, this can't change inputs per default, and that should also be unnecessary)
+  mkOvrOptsFlake = flakefn: makeOverridable "overrideOptions" flakefn { };
+}