diff --git a/docs/manual/languages.adoc b/docs/manual/languages.adoc
index edc70e7..e6c9cbe 100644
--- a/docs/manual/languages.adoc
+++ b/docs/manual/languages.adoc
@@ -18,3 +18,18 @@ Language specific support means there is a combination of language specific plug
 
 Adding support for more languages, and improving support for existing ones are great places where you can contribute with a PR.
 
+=== LSP Custom Packages/Command
+
+In any of the `opt.languages.<language>.lsp.package` options you can provide your own LSP package, or provide the command to launch the language server, as a list of strings.
+
+You can use this to skip automatic installation of a language server, and instead use the one found in your `$PATH` during runtime, for example:
+
+[source,nix]
+----
+vim.languages.java = {
+	lsp = {
+		enable = true;
+		package = ["jdt-language-server" "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"];
+	};
+}
+----
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.5.adoc b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.5.adoc
index ac6a199..31024f7 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.5.adoc
+++ b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.5.adoc
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ https://github.com/horriblename[horriblename]:
 
 * Streamlined and simplified extra plugin API with the addition of <<opt-vim.extraPlugins>>
 
+* Allow using command names in place of LSP packages to avoid automatic installation.
+
 https://github.com/amanse[amanse]:
 
 * Added daily notes options for obsidian plugin.
diff --git a/modules/languages/clang.nix b/modules/languages/clang.nix
index ba272c6..846fa89 100644
--- a/modules/languages/clang.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/clang.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ with builtins; let
   cfg = config.vim.languages.clang;
 
   defaultServer = "ccls";
+  packageToCmd = package: defaultCmd:
+    if isList cfg.lsp.package
+    then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+    else ''{ "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/${defaultCmd}" }'';
   servers = {
     ccls = {
       package = pkgs.ccls;
@@ -16,7 +20,7 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.ccls.setup{
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach=default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/ccls"};
+          cmd = ${packageToCmd cfg.lsp.package "ccls"};
           ${optionalString (cfg.lsp.opts != null) "init_options = ${cfg.lsp.opts}"}
         }
       '';
@@ -30,7 +34,7 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.clangd.setup{
           capabilities = clangd_cap;
           on_attach=default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/clangd"};
+          cmd = ${packageToCmd cfg.lsp.package "clangd"};
           ${optionalString (cfg.lsp.opts != null) "init_options = ${cfg.lsp.opts}"}
         }
       '';
@@ -94,8 +98,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "clang LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "clang LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server " - data " " ~/.cache/jdtls/workspace "]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
 
diff --git a/modules/languages/dart/config.nix b/modules/languages/dart/config.nix
index c4761cd..991a384 100644
--- a/modules/languages/dart/config.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/dart/config.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.dartls.setup{
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach=default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${pkgs.dart}/bin/dart", "language-server", "--protocol=lsp"};
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/dart", "language-server", "--protocol=lsp"}''
+        };
           ${optionalString (cfg.lsp.opts != null) "init_options = ${cfg.lsp.dartOpts}"}
         }
       '';
diff --git a/modules/languages/dart/dart.nix b/modules/languages/dart/dart.nix
index b985224..07623cf 100644
--- a/modules/languages/dart/dart.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/dart/dart.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.dartls.setup{
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach=default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${pkgs.dart}/bin/dart", "language-server", "--protocol=lsp"};
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/dart", "language-server", "--protocol=lsp"}''
+        };
           ${optionalString (cfg.lsp.opts != null) "init_options = ${cfg.lsp.dartOpts}"}
         }
       '';
@@ -38,8 +42,9 @@ in {
         default = defaultServer;
       };
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "Dart LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "Dart LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
       opts = mkOption {
diff --git a/modules/languages/go.nix b/modules/languages/go.nix
index aae808b..0c69fe5 100644
--- a/modules/languages/go.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/go.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.gopls.setup {
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach = default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/gopls", "serve"},
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/gopls", "serve"}''
+        },
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -81,8 +85,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "Go LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "Go LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server " - data " " ~/.cache/jdtls/workspace "]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/java.nix b/modules/languages/java.nix
index 1792824..9bea591 100644
--- a/modules/languages/java.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/java.nix
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ in {
       enable = mkEnableOption "Java LSP support (java-language-server)" // {default = config.vim.languages.enableLSP;};
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "java language server";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "java language server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = pkgs.jdt-language-server;
       };
     };
@@ -32,7 +33,11 @@ in {
       vim.lsp.lspconfig.enable = true;
       vim.lsp.lspconfig.sources.jdtls = ''
         lspconfig.jdtls.setup {
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/jdt-language-server", "-data", vim.fn.stdpath("cache").."/jdtls/workspace"},
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/jdt-language-server", "-data", vim.fn.stdpath("cache").."/jdtls/workspace"}''
+        },
         }
       '';
     })
diff --git a/modules/languages/nix.nix b/modules/languages/nix.nix
index 5ee616c..29f0025 100644
--- a/modules/languages/nix.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/nix.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ with builtins; let
   noFormat = "on_attach = attach_keymaps";
 
   defaultServer = "nil";
+  packageToCmd = package: defaultCmd:
+    if isList package
+    then lib.nvim.lua.expToLua package
+    else ''{"${package}/bin/${defaultCmd}"}'';
   servers = {
     rnix = {
       package = pkgs.rnix-lsp;
@@ -24,7 +28,7 @@ with builtins; let
           then useFormat
           else noFormat
         },
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/rnix-lsp"},
+          cmd = ${packageToCmd cfg.lsp.package "rnix-lsp"},
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ with builtins; let
           then useFormat
           else noFormat
         },
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/nil"},
+          cmd = ${packageToCmd cfg.lsp.package "nil"},
         ${optionalString cfg.format.enable ''
           settings = {
             ["nil"] = {
@@ -130,8 +134,9 @@ in {
         default = defaultServer;
       };
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "Nix LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "Nix LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/python.nix b/modules/languages/python.nix
index daea5b8..6739471 100644
--- a/modules/languages/python.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/python.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.pyright.setup{
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach = default_on_attach;
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/pyright-langserver", "--stdio"}
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/pyright-langserver", "--stdio"}''
+        }
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -122,8 +126,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "python LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "python LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf string);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/rust.nix b/modules/languages/rust.nix
index 21ab58d..95f03a5 100644
--- a/modules/languages/rust.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/rust.nix
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ in {
       enable = mkEnableOption "Rust LSP support (rust-analyzer with extra tools)" // {default = config.vim.languages.enableLSP;};
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "rust-analyzer package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "rust-analyzer package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = pkgs.rust-analyzer;
       };
 
@@ -118,7 +119,11 @@ in {
           server = {
             capabilities = capabilities,
             on_attach = rust_on_attach,
-            cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/rust-analyzer"},
+            cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/rust-analyzer"}''
+        },
             settings = {
               ${cfg.lsp.opts}
             }
diff --git a/modules/languages/sql.nix b/modules/languages/sql.nix
index 4093ec9..20b6896 100644
--- a/modules/languages/sql.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/sql.nix
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ with builtins; let
             on_attach_keymaps(client, bufnr)
             require'sqls'.setup{}
           end,
-          cmd = { "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/sqls", "-config", string.format("%s/config.yml", vim.fn.getcwd()) }
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{ "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/sqls", "-config", string.format("%s/config.yml", vim.fn.getcwd()) }''
+        }
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -87,8 +91,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "SQL LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "SQL LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/svelte.nix b/modules/languages/svelte.nix
index a300f05..dee4618 100644
--- a/modules/languages/svelte.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/svelte.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.svelte.setup {
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach = attach_keymaps,
-          cmd = { "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/svelteserver", "--stdio" }
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/svelteserver", "--stdio"}''
+        }
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -73,8 +77,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "Svelte LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "Svelte LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/ts.nix b/modules/languages/ts.nix
index 2d651ed..0637873 100644
--- a/modules/languages/ts.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/ts.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.tsserver.setup {
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach = attach_keymaps,
-          cmd = { "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/typescript-language-server", "--stdio" }
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/typescript-language-server", "--stdio"}''
+        }
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -27,7 +31,11 @@ with builtins; let
         lspconfig.denols.setup {
           capabilities = capabilities;
           on_attach = attach_keymaps,
-          cmd = { "${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/deno", "lsp" }
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/deno", "lsp"}''
+        }
         }
       '';
     };
@@ -95,8 +103,9 @@ in {
       };
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "Typescript/Javascript LSP server package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "Typescript/Javascript LSP server package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = servers.${cfg.lsp.server}.package;
       };
     };
diff --git a/modules/languages/zig.nix b/modules/languages/zig.nix
index f6c42d3..0fe4c38 100644
--- a/modules/languages/zig.nix
+++ b/modules/languages/zig.nix
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ in {
       enable = mkEnableOption "Zig LSP support (zls)" // {default = config.vim.languages.enableLSP;};
 
       package = mkOption {
-        description = "ZLS package";
-        type = types.package;
+        description = "ZLS package, or the command to run as a list of strings";
+        example = ''[lib.getExe pkgs.jdt-language-server "-data" "~/.cache/jdtls/workspace"]'';
+        type = with types; either package (listOf str);
         default = pkgs.zls;
       };
 
@@ -44,7 +45,11 @@ in {
         lspconfig.zls.setup {
           capabilities = capabilities,
           on_attach=default_on_attach,
-          cmd = {"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/zls"},
+          cmd = ${
+          if isList cfg.lsp.package
+          then nvim.lua.expToLua cfg.lsp.package
+          else ''{"${cfg.lsp.package}/bin/zls"}''
+        },
           settings = {
             ["zls"] = {
               zig_exe_path = "${cfg.lsp.zigPackage}/bin/zig",