diff --git a/apps/neovim/.gitignore b/apps/neovim/.gitignore
index 7888ab1..32c0cb6 100644
--- a/apps/neovim/.gitignore
+++ b/apps/neovim/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 !init.vim
 !settings.vim
 !bindings.vim
+!plugins.vim
+!commands.vim
diff --git a/apps/neovim/commands.vim b/apps/neovim/commands.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d58e7f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/neovim/commands.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+" TODO: need a way to toggle this and maybe make it on by default except in
+" files where space indentation is expected
+fun! ShowSpaceIndentation()
+	hi LeadingWhiteSpaces ctermfg=black ctermbg=8
+endfunction
+fun! HideSpaceIndentation()
+	hi LeadingWhiteSpaces ctermfg=black ctermbg=black
+endfunction
+hi LeadingWhiteSpaces ctermfg=black ctermbg=black
+
+:command! SpaceIndents call ShowSpaceIndentation()
+:command! ShowSpaceIndents call ShowSpaceIndentation()
+:command! HideSpaceIndents call HideSpaceIndentation()
+
+" allows for manual and syntax folding... supposedly
+augroup vimrc
+	au BufReadPre * setlocal foldmethod=indent
+	au BufWinEnter * if &fdm == 'indent' | setlocal foldmethod=manual | endif
+augroup END
+
+" jump to last opened position in file except in git commits
+let jump_to_pos_blacklist = ['gitcommit']
+if has("autocmd")
+	au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") && index(jump_to_pos_blacklist, &ft) | exe "normal! g'\"" | endif
+endif
+
+" terminal split in neovim
+if has('nvim')
+	function! TerminalSplit()
+		let current_file = @%
+		echo current_file
+		if match(current_file, "term://*") != -1
+			split
+			terminal
+		else
+			split
+			resize 24
+			terminal
+		endif
+	endfunction
+endif
+
+" Make any necessary directories in the path when saving a file
+fun! <SID>AutoMakeDirectory()
+	let s:directory = expand("<afile>:p:h")
+	if !isdirectory(s:directory)
+		call mkdir(s:directory, "p")
+	endif
+endfun
+autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre * :call <SID>AutoMakeDirectory()
+
+if !exists("g:make_args")
+	let g:make_args="default"
+endif
+fun! RunMake()
+	split
+	if has('nvim')
+		" run from the root of the current git repository
+		let path = system("git rev-parse --show-toplevel | tr -d '\\n'")
+		" TODO: handle non-git situations
+		execute 'terminal cd ' . path . ' && make ' . g:make_args
+	else
+		execute '!make ' . g:make_args
+	endif
+endfun
+
+" kill the terminal buffer when the process exits
+autocmd TermClose * call feedkeys('<cr>')
+
+" a toggle-able minimalistic distraction-free text editing mode
+let s:distractionFreeMode = 0
+fun! DistractionFreeModeFunc()
+	if s:distractionFreeMode == 0
+		let s:distractionFreeMode = 1
+		AirlineToggle
+		Goyo
+	else
+		let s:distractionFreeMode = 0
+		Goyo!
+		AirlineToggle
+		AirlineRefresh
+	endif
+endfunction
+
+" prevents normal window navigation and closing while in DistractionFreeMode
+fun! CheckCloseDistractionFreeMode()
+	if s:distractionFreeMode == 1
+		call DistractionFreeModeFunc()
+	endif
+endfunction
+
+" run the previous checking function every time we leave a window
+if has('autocmd')
+	" autocmd WinLeave * call CheckCloseDistractionFreeMode()
+endif
+
+command! DistractionFreeMode call DistractionFreeModeFunc()
diff --git a/apps/neovim/plugins.vim b/apps/neovim/plugins.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e31b52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/neovim/plugins.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+" install plugin manager if needed
+augroup PluginManagerInstaller
+	if has('nvim')
+		if empty(glob('~/.config/nvim/autoload/plug.vim'))
+			silent !curl -fLo ~/.config/nvim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim
+			autocmd VimEnter * PlugInstall
+		endif
+	else
+		if empty(glob('~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim'))
+			silent !curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim
+			autocmd VimEnter * PlugInstall
+		endif
+	end
+augroup End
+
+" initialize plugin manager
+if has('nvim')
+	call plug#begin('~/.config/nvim/bundle')
+else
+	call plug#begin('~/.vim/bundle')
+endif
+
+" let plugin manager manage itself
+Plug 'junegunn/vim-plug'
+
+" check if we're using vim as the manpage viewer before loading session plugins
+if exists('asmanviewer')
+	let g:prosession_dir = '/dev/null'
+else
+	Plug 'tpope/vim-obsession' " session ease-of-use
+	Plug 'dhruvasagar/vim-prosession' " more session ease-of-use
+	let g:prosession_dir = '~/.config/nvim/session/'
+endif
+
+Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline' " status line
+let g:airline_powerline_fonts = 1
+let g:airline#extensions#tabline#enabled = 1 " automatically displays all buffers when there's only one tab open
+let g:airline#extensions#tabline#fnamemod = ':t'
+" set laststatus=2 " always show statusline
+" set noshowmode " hides default mode
+let g:airline#extensions#tabline#left_sep = ''
+let g:airline#extensions#tabline#left_alt_sep = ''
+let g:airline_right_alt_sep = ''
+let g:airline_right_sep = ''
+let g:airline_left_alt_sep= ''
+let g:airline_left_sep = ''
+let g:airline#extensions#tabline#buffers_label = ''
+
+Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline-themes' " more minimal status line
+let g:airline_mode_map = {
+		\ '__' : '-',
+		\ 'n'  : 'N',
+		\ 'i'  : 'I',
+		\ 'R'  : 'R',
+		\ 'c'  : 'C',
+		\ 'v'  : 'V',
+		\ 'V'  : 'V',
+		\ '' : 'V',
+		\ 's'  : 'S',
+		\ 'S'  : 'S',
+		\ '' : 'S',
+		\ }
+
+Plug 'nathanaelkane/vim-indent-guides' " indentation guides
+let g:indent_guide_auto_colors = 1
+let g:indent_guides_enable_on_vim_startup = 1
+
+Plug 'w0rp/ale' " syntax checker
+let g:ale_completion_enabled = 1
+" let g:ale_sign_column_always = 0
+" let g:ale_set_signs = 0
+" highlight clear ALEErrorSign
+" highlight clear ALEWarningSign
+
+" Plug 'neomake/neomake' " syntax checker
+
+if has('nvim')
+	Plug 'Shougo/deoplete.nvim', { 'do': ':UpdateRemotePlugins' }
+else
+	Plug 'Shougo/deoplete.nvim'
+	Plug 'roxma/nvim-yarp'
+	Plug 'roxma/vim-hug-neovim-rpc'
+endif
+let g:deoplete#enable_at_startup = 1
+
+Plug 'junegunn/fzf', {'dir': '~/.fzf', 'do': './install --all'} " fuzzy file finding
+Plug 'junegunn/fzf.vim' " helpers for using fzf in vim
+let g:fzf_layout = { 'window': 'enew' }
+
+Plug 'bkad/CamelCaseMotion' " camel case and underscore word movements
+Plug 'vim-scripts/LargeFile' " gracefully handle very large files
+Plug 'tpope/vim-commentary' " toggle comments in code easily
+Plug 'tpope/vim-repeat' " better vim repeating for plugin-provided actions
+Plug 'vim-scripts/SyntaxRange' " defined different syntax ranges in a file for highlighting
+Plug 'tmux-plugins/vim-tmux-focus-events' " allow transitions within tmux
+Plug 'christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator' " allow transitions within tmux
+Plug 'godlygeek/tabular' " align text
+Plug 'lytedev/vim-superman' " view man pages with vim
+Plug 'tpope/vim-surround' " quickly modify text surrounding objects
+Plug 'tpope/vim-speeddating' " vim knows about date-like text objects
+Plug 'tpope/vim-fugitive' " vim git commands
+Plug 'michaeljsmith/vim-indent-object' " adds an indentation level text object
+Plug 'wellle/targets.vim' " adds some more handy text objects
+Plug 'dbakker/vim-projectroot' " adds helper functions for getting to a project's root directory
+Plug 'junegunn/goyo.vim' " better distraction-free editing
+Plug 'editorconfig/editorconfig-vim' " loads project-specific editor settings
+Plug 'sheerun/vim-polyglot' " vim plugin loader for many languages
+
+" language-specific
+" Elixir
+Plug 'slashmili/alchemist.vim', {'for': ['elixir', 'exs', 'ex']}
+
+call plug#end()
+
+" call neomake#configure#automake('nrwi', 500)