diff --git a/module.nix b/module.nix
index b94cf72..7f18f87 100644
--- a/module.nix
+++ b/module.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
   options.nixvim-config = {
     enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Enable nixvim-config";
 
+    enable-ai = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = false;
+      description = "Enable ai plugins";
+    };
+
     enable-startify = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.bool;
       default = false;
diff --git a/plugins/avante.nix b/plugins/avante.nix
index 2c4c6ce..1afa8d3 100644
--- a/plugins/avante.nix
+++ b/plugins/avante.nix
@@ -1,64 +1,119 @@
-{ ... }:
+{ config, ... }:
 {
-  programs.nixvim.plugins.avante = {
-    enable = true;
+  programs.nixvim.plugins = if config.nixvim-config.enable-ai then {
+    ## required dependencies
+    dressing.enable = true;  # this is archived and may break in the future
+    nui.enable = true;
 
-    settings = {
-      provider = "copilot";
+    ## optional dependencies
+    cmp.enable = true;
+    copilot-lua.enable = true;
+    fzf-lua.enable = true;
+    mini.enable = true;
+    telescope.enable = true;
+    web-devicons.enable = true;
 
-      claude = {
-        api_key_name = "<api_key_name>";
-      };
-      openai = {
-        api_key_name = "<api_key_name>";
-      };
+    avante = {
+      enable = true;
 
-      vendors = {
-        ollama = {
-          api_key_name = "";
-          endpoint = "http://localhost:11434/v1";
-          model = "hf.co/unsloth/DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-1.5B-GGUF";
-          temperature = "0.6";
-          parse_curl_args.__raw = ''
-            function(opts, code_opts)
-              return {
-                url = opts.endpoint .. "/chat/completions",
-                headers = {
-                  ["Accept"] = "application/json",
-                  ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
-                  ["x-api-key"] = "ollama",
-                },
-                body = {
-                  model = opts.model,
-                  messages = require("avante.providers").copilot.parse_messages(code_opts),
-                  max_tokens = opts.max_tokens,
-                  stream = true,
-                },
-              }
-            end'';
-          parse_response_data.__raw = ''
-            function(data_stream, event_state, opts)
-              require("avante.providers").openai.parse_response(data_stream, event_state, opts)
-            end'';
-        };
-      };
+      settings = {
+        provider = "copilot";
 
-      mappings = {
-        ask = "<leader>ca";
-        edit = "<leader>ce";
-        refresh = "<leader>cr";
-        focus = "<leader>cf";
-        toggle = {
-          default = "<leader>ct";
-          debug = "<leader>cd";
-          hint = "<leader>ch";
-          suggestion = "<leader>cs";
-          repomap = "<leader>cR";
-        };
         files = {
-          add_current = "<leader>cc";
+          auto_include = true;  # Automatically include relevant files
+          max_files = 50;       # Maximum number of files to include in context
+          max_size_kb = 1000;   # Maximum total size of files in KB
+
+          # Define which files to include/exclude
+          include = [
+            "*.lua"
+            "*.nix"
+            "*.rs"
+            "*.ts"
+            "*.js"
+            "*.jsx"
+            "*.tsx"
+            # Add more patterns as needed
+          ];
+
+          exclude = [
+            "node_modules/**"
+            "dist/**"
+            ".git/**"
+            # Add more patterns to exclude
+          ];
         };
+
+        claude = {
+          api_key_name = "<api_key_name>";
+        };
+        openai = {
+          api_key_name = "<api_key_name>";
+        };
+
+        vendors = {
+          ollama = {
+            api_key_name = "";
+            endpoint = "http://localhost:11434/v1";
+            model = "hf.co/unsloth/DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-1.5B-GGUF";
+            temperature = "0.6";
+            parse_curl_args.__raw = ''
+              function(opts, code_opts)
+                return {
+                  url = opts.endpoint .. "/chat/completions",
+                  headers = {
+                    ["Accept"] = "application/json",
+                    ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    ["x-api-key"] = "ollama",
+                  },
+                  body = {
+                    model = opts.model,
+                    messages = require("avante.providers").copilot.parse_messages(code_opts),
+                    max_tokens = opts.max_tokens,
+                    stream = true,
+                  },
+                }
+              end'';
+            parse_response_data.__raw = ''
+              function(data_stream, event_state, opts)
+                require("avante.providers").openai.parse_response(data_stream, event_state, opts)
+              end'';
+          };
+        };
+
+        ## Default keybindings:
+        # <leader>aa - ask
+        # <leader>ae - edit
+        # <leader>ar - refresh
+        # <leader>af - focus
+        # co         - choose ours
+        # ct         - choose theirs
+        # ca         - choose all theirs
+        # c0         - choose none
+        # cb         - choose both
+        # cc         - choose cursor
+        # ]x         - previous conflict
+        # [x         - next conflict
+        # [[         - previous code block
+        # ]]         - next code block
+
+        # mappings = {
+        #   ask = "<leader>ca";
+        #   edit = "<leader>ce";
+        #   refresh = "<leader>cr";
+        #   focus = "<leader>cf";
+        #   toggle = {
+        #     default = "<leader>ct";
+        #     debug = "<leader>cd";
+        #     hint = "<leader>ch";
+        #     suggestion = "<leader>cs";
+        #     repomap = "<leader>cR";
+        #   };
+        #   files = {
+        #     add_current = "<leader>cc";
+        #   };
+        # };
       };
     };
-  };
+  } else {};
 }
diff --git a/plugins/cmp.nix b/plugins/cmp.nix
index 83cd1ba..f2c3f2c 100644
--- a/plugins/cmp.nix
+++ b/plugins/cmp.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ ... }:
+{ config, ... }:
 {
   programs.nixvim = {
     plugins = {
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@
               option.get_bufnrs.__raw = "vim.api.nvim_list_bufs";
               keywordLength = 3;
             }
+          ] ++ (if config.nixvim-config.enable-ai then [
+            { name = "codecompanion"; }
+            { name = "copilot"; }
+          ] else []) ++ [
+            {
+              name = "path"; # file system paths
+              keywordLength = 3;
+            }
+            {
+              name = "luasnip"; # snippets
+              keywordLength = 3;
+            }
+            { name = "cmdline"; }
             { name = "codecompanion"; }
             { name = "copilot"; }
             {
@@ -157,6 +170,7 @@
             "<S-Tab>" = "cmp.mapping.confirm({ behavior = cmp.ConfirmBehavior.Replace, select = true })";
             "<C-l>" = ''
               cmp.mapping(function()
+                local luasnip = require('luasnip')
                 if luasnip.expand_or_locally_jumpable() then
                   luasnip.expand_or_jump()
                 end
@@ -164,6 +178,7 @@
             '';
             "<C-h>" = ''
               cmp.mapping(function()
+                local luasnip = require('luasnip')
                 if luasnip.locally_jumpable(-1) then
                   luasnip.jump(-1)
                 end
diff --git a/plugins/codecompanion.nix b/plugins/codecompanion.nix
index 006a1ae..fce0222 100644
--- a/plugins/codecompanion.nix
+++ b/plugins/codecompanion.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{ pkgs, ... }:
+{ config, pkgs, ... }:
 {
   programs.nixvim = {
-    keymaps = [
+    keymaps = if config.nixvim-config.enable-ai then [
       {
         mode = [ "n" ];
         key = "<c-c>";
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
         key = ",c";
         action = ":CodeCompanionChat Toggle<CR>";
       }
-    ];
+    ] else [];
 
     plugins.codecompanion = {
-      enable = true;
+      enable = config.nixvim-config.enable-ai;
 
       settings = {
         adapters = {
diff --git a/plugins/copilot.nix b/plugins/copilot.nix
index 2da60cd..e61cdef 100644
--- a/plugins/copilot.nix
+++ b/plugins/copilot.nix
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-{ ... }:
+{ config, ... }:
 {
   programs.nixvim = {
     plugins.copilot-lua = {
-      enable = true;
+      enable = config.nixvim-config.enable-ai;
 
       settings = {
         suggestion.enabled = false;
diff --git a/plugins/default.nix b/plugins/default.nix
index af58c89..650b1ce 100644
--- a/plugins/default.nix
+++ b/plugins/default.nix
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 
   programs.nixvim.plugins = {
     comment.enable = true;
+    ## needed by avante. already archived, so may need to migrate to snacks
+    dressing.enable = true;
     fugitive.enable = true;
     gitsigns.enable = true;
     lightline.enable = false;
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@
         top_down = false;
       };
     };
+    ## needed by avante.
+    nui.enable = true;
     nvim-autopairs.enable = true;
     nvim-bqf.enable = true;
     nvim-lightbulb.enable = true;
diff --git a/plugins/luasnip.nix b/plugins/luasnip.nix
index cdc7103..9fe4465 100644
--- a/plugins/luasnip.nix
+++ b/plugins/luasnip.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 { ... }:
 {
   programs.nixvim = {
-    # keymaps = [
-    #   {
-    #     mode = "i";
-    #     key = "<c-c>";
-    #     action.__raw = ''function() require("luasnip.extras.select_choice")() end'';
-    #     options.desc = "Search";
-    #   }
-    # ];
+    keymaps = [
+      {
+        mode = "i";
+        key = "<c-b>";
+        action.__raw = ''function() require("luasnip.extras.select_choice")() end'';
+        options.desc = "Search";
+      }
+    ];
 
     plugins.luasnip = {
       enable = true;
@@ -25,16 +25,16 @@
         updateevents = ["TextChanged" "TextChangedI"];
         region_check_events = "CursorHold";
         delete_check_events = "InsertLeave";
-        # ext_opts.__raw = ''
-        # {
-        #   [require('luasnip.util.types').choiceNode] = {
-        #     active = {
-        #       virt_text = { { 'choice <c-c>', 'Comment' } },
-        #       hl_mode = 'combine',
-        #     },
-        #   },
-        # }
-        # '';
+        ext_opts.__raw = ''
+        {
+          [require('luasnip.util.types').choiceNode] = {
+            active = {
+              virt_text = { { 'choice <c-b>', 'Comment' } },
+              hl_mode = 'combine',
+            },
+          },
+        }
+        '';
       };
     };
   };