diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
index 431e4fbb0762..7448d9d17ceb 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
@@ -368,4 +368,5 @@ in
     ${nvim-with-luasnip}/bin/nvim -i NONE --cmd "lua require'jsregexp'" -e +quitall!
   '';
 
+  inherit (vimPlugins) corePlugins;
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/plugins/overrides.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/plugins/overrides.nix
index c8d252ae24d6..0f223263cdd7 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/plugins/overrides.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/plugins/overrides.nix
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   fetchurl,
   neovimUtils,
   replaceVars,
+  symlinkJoin,
   # Language dependencies
   fetchYarnDeps,
   mkYarnModules,
@@ -125,6 +126,36 @@ let
   luaPackages = neovim-unwrapped.lua.pkgs;
 in
 {
+  corePlugins = symlinkJoin {
+    name = "core-vim-plugins";
+    paths = with self; [
+      # plugin managers
+      lazy-nvim
+      mini-deps
+      packer-nvim
+      vim-plug
+
+      # core dependencies
+      plenary-nvim
+
+      # popular plugins
+      mini-nvim
+      nvim-cmp
+      nvim-lspconfig
+      nvim-treesitter
+      vim-airline
+      vim-fugitive
+      vim-surround
+    ];
+
+    meta = {
+      description = "Collection of popular vim plugins (for internal testing purposes)";
+    };
+  };
+
+  #######################
+  # Regular overrides
+
   aerial-nvim = super.aerial-nvim.overrideAttrs {
     # optional dependencies
     nvimSkipModule = [