diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/0001-main-handle-version-help-before-loading-the-Lua-config.patch b/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/0001-main-handle-version-help-before-loading-the-Lua-config.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c62480fac27d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/0001-main-handle-version-help-before-loading-the-Lua-config.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+From 366607d5e2bc8a7e067105f1c0d0e6c2c235c131 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Philip Taron <philip.taron@gmail.com>
+Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:04:36 -0700
+Subject: [PATCH] main: handle --version/--help before loading the Lua config
+
+main() loads the Lua configuration before parsing arguments, and the
+loader exits when no config file exists. That makes `pkgit --version`
+and `pkgit --help` fail on a fresh install. Answer those informational
+flags first so they work without a config.
+---
+ src/main.c | 13 +++++++++++++
+ 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+)
+
+diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
+index 9010d3e..4c45b8a 100644
+--- a/src/main.c
++++ b/src/main.c
+@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
+ #include <stdio.h>
++#include <string.h>
+ 
+ #include "cla_parse.h"
+ #include "lua_state.h"
+@@ -7,6 +8,18 @@
+ 
+ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+   init_vars();
++
++  /* Respond to informational flags before loading the Lua config, which aborts
++     when no config file (~/.config/pkgit/init.lua) exists. This keeps
++     `pkgit --version` and `pkgit --help` usable on a fresh install. */
++  for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
++    if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-v") || !strcmp(argv[i], "--version") ||
++        !strcmp(argv[i], "-h") || !strcmp(argv[i], "--help")) {
++      cla_parse(argc, argv);
++      return 0;
++    }
++  }
++
+   init_lua_state();
+   setup_pkgit();
+   cache_repos();
+-- 
+2.54.0
+
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/package.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..33fb6ac9254e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgit/package.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  stdenv,
+  fetchgit,
+  pkg-config,
+  luajit,
+  git,
+  makeWrapper,
+  nix-update-script,
+  versionCheckHook,
+}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
+  pname = "pkgit";
+  version = "1.1.3";
+
+  src = fetchgit {
+    url = "https://git.symlinx.net/pkgit";
+    tag = finalAttrs.version;
+    hash = "sha256-xGrhkVA5H/expArfUbfJ8p1odUAeJiL/vbsPedd92EE=";
+  };
+
+  __structuredAttrs = true;
+
+  patches = [
+    # main() loads the Lua config (which requires ~/.config/pkgit/init.lua)
+    # before parsing arguments, so `pkgit --version` and `--help` abort without
+    # a config. Answer those informational flags first so they work standalone
+    # and can be used by versionCheckHook.
+    ./0001-main-handle-version-help-before-loading-the-Lua-config.patch
+  ];
+
+  strictDeps = true;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    pkg-config
+    makeWrapper
+  ];
+
+  buildInputs = [ luajit ];
+
+  # The Makefile defaults CC to clang via `?=`; stdenv exports CC, which wins.
+  makeFlags = [ "PREFIX=${placeholder "out"}" ];
+
+  enableParallelBuilding = true;
+
+  # pkgit shells out to git at runtime (src/fetch_git.c execvp's "git").
+  postInstall = ''
+    wrapProgram $out/bin/pkgit \
+      --prefix PATH : ${lib.makeBinPath [ git ]}
+  '';
+
+  doInstallCheck = true;
+  nativeInstallCheckInputs = [ versionCheckHook ];
+
+  passthru.updateScript = nix-update-script { };
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "Unconventional package manager that compiles and installs packages directly from Git repositories";
+    homepage = "https://git.symlinx.net/pkgit";
+    license = lib.licenses.gpl3Plus;
+    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ Ra77a3l3-jar ];
+    mainProgram = "pkgit";
+    platforms = lib.platforms.unix;
+  };
+})