diff --git a/.envrc b/.envrc
index 3550a30f2..38cef425f 100644
--- a/.envrc
+++ b/.envrc
@@ -1 +1,8 @@
 use flake
+
+# creates .venv if doesn't exist and loads its environment
+export VIRTUAL_ENV=".venv"
+if ! [ -d "./$VIRTUAL_ENV" ]; then
+  uv venv
+fi
+layout python
diff --git a/.idea/exo-v2.iml b/.idea/exo-v2.iml
deleted file mode 100644
index aa638174c..000000000
--- a/.idea/exo-v2.iml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<module type="EMPTY_MODULE" version="4">
-  <component name="FacetManager">
-    <facet type="Python" name="Python facet">
-      <configuration sdkName="Python 3.13 virtualenv at ~/Desktop/exo/.venv" />
-    </facet>
-  </component>
-  <component name="Go" enabled="true" />
-  <component name="NewModuleRootManager">
-    <content url="file://$MODULE_DIR$">
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/scripts/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/exo_pyo3_bindings/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/exo_pyo3_bindings/tests" isTestSource="true" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/util/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/networking/examples" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/networking/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/networking/tests" isTestSource="true" />
-      <sourceFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/system_custodian/src" isTestSource="false" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/.venv" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/.direnv" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/build" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/dist" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/.go_cache" />
-      <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/rust/target" />
-    </content>
-    <orderEntry type="jdk" jdkName="Python 3.13 (exo)" jdkType="Python SDK" />
-    <orderEntry type="sourceFolder" forTests="false" />
-    <orderEntry type="library" name="Python 3.13 virtualenv at ~/Desktop/exo/.venv interpreter library" level="application" />
-  </component>
-</module>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.idea/externalDependencies.xml b/.idea/externalDependencies.xml
index 60785b21c..e56fc329f 100644
--- a/.idea/externalDependencies.xml
+++ b/.idea/externalDependencies.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <project version="4">
   <component name="ExternalDependencies">
-    <plugin id="systems.fehn.intellijdirenv" />
+    <plugin id="al.aoli.intellijdirenv" />
   </component>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml b/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 12df2a84d..000000000
--- a/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-<component name="InspectionProjectProfileManager">
-  <profile version="1.0">
-    <option name="myName" value="Project Default" />
-    <inspection_tool class="PyCompatibilityInspection" enabled="true" level="WARNING" enabled_by_default="true">
-      <option name="ourVersions">
-        <value>
-          <list size="1">
-            <item index="0" class="java.lang.String" itemvalue="3.14" />
-          </list>
-        </value>
-      </option>
-    </inspection_tool>
-  </profile>
-</component>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.idea/misc.xml b/.idea/misc.xml
index 4c4cf56c1..124c79a18 100644
--- a/.idea/misc.xml
+++ b/.idea/misc.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,4 @@
     <option name="sdkName" value="Python 3.13 (exo)" />
   </component>
   <component name="ProjectRootManager" version="2" project-jdk-name="Python 3.13 (exo)" project-jdk-type="Python SDK" />
-  <component name="PythonCompatibilityInspectionAdvertiser">
-    <option name="version" value="3" />
-  </component>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.vscode/extensions.json b/.vscode/extensions.json
index 3dfc2a755..b2e0978e1 100644
--- a/.vscode/extensions.json
+++ b/.vscode/extensions.json
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 {
     "recommendations": [
         "detachhead.basedpyright",
-        "ms-python.python"
+        "ms-python.python",
+        "jnoortheen.nix-ide"
     ],
     "unwantedRecommendations": [
         "ms-python.vscode-pylance",
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 31682d359..19dfab4d4 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,3 +1,32 @@
 {
-    "basedpyright.importStrategy": "fromEnvironment"
+    "files.associations": {
+        "*.nix": "nix",
+    },
+    "nix.enableLanguageServer": true,
+    "nix.serverPath": "nixd",
+    "nix.serverSettings": {
+        "nixd": {
+        "formatting": {
+            "command": ["nixpkgs-fmt"]
+        },
+        "nixpkgs": {
+            "expr": "(builtins.getFlake \"path:${workspaceFolder}\").currentSystem.config._module.args.pkgs"
+        },
+        "options": {
+            "flake-parts": {
+                "expr": "(builtins.getFlake \"path:${workspaceFolder}\").debug.options"
+            },
+            "flake-parts-perSystem": {
+                "expr": "(builtins.getFlake \"path:${workspaceFolder}\").currentSystem.options"
+            }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "[nix]": {
+        "editor.defaultFormatter": "jnoortheen.nix-ide"
+    },
+    
+    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
+    "basedpyright.analysis.configFilePath": "${workspaceFolder}/pyproject.toml",
+    "basedpyright.importStrategy": "fromEnvironment",
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dashboard/package-lock.json b/dashboard/package-lock.json
index 341dce918..cf8ef1dcd 100644
--- a/dashboard/package-lock.json
+++ b/dashboard/package-lock.json
@@ -1116,6 +1116,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-oH8tXw7EZnie8FdOWYrF7Yn4IKrqTFHhXvl8YxXxbKwTMcD/5NNCryUSEXRk2ZR4ojnub0P8rNrsVGHXWqIDtA==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"dependencies": {
 				"@standard-schema/spec": "^1.0.0",
 				"@sveltejs/acorn-typescript": "^1.0.5",
@@ -1155,6 +1156,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-Y1Cs7hhTc+a5E9Va/xwKlAJoariQyHY+5zBgCZg4PFWNYQ1nMN9sjK1zhw1gK69DuqVP++sht/1GZg1aRwmAXQ==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"dependencies": {
 				"@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte-inspector": "^4.0.1",
 				"debug": "^4.4.1",
@@ -1771,6 +1773,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-LCCV0HdSZZZb34qifBsyWlUmok6W7ouER+oQIGBScS8EsZsQbrtFTUrDX4hOl+CS6p7cnNC4td+qrSVGSCTUfQ==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"dependencies": {
 				"undici-types": "~6.21.0"
 			}
@@ -1780,6 +1783,7 @@
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-8.15.0.tgz",
 			"integrity": "sha512-NZyJarBfL7nWwIq+FDL6Zp/yHEhePMNnnJ0y3qfieCrmNvYct8uvtiV41UvlSe6apAfk0fY1FbWx+NwfmpvtTg==",
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"bin": {
 				"acorn": "bin/acorn"
 			},
@@ -2192,6 +2196,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-fmTRWbNMmsmWq6xJV8D19U/gw/bwrHfNXxrIN+HfZgnzqTHp9jOmKMhsTUjXOJnZOdZY9Q28y4yebKzqDKlxlQ==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "ISC",
+			"peer": true,
 			"engines": {
 				"node": ">=12"
 			}
@@ -2919,6 +2924,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-5gTmgEY/sqK6gFXLIsQNH19lWb4ebPDLA4SdLP7dsWkIXHWlG66oPuVvXSGFPppYZz8ZDZq0dYYrbHfBCVUb1Q==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"engines": {
 				"node": ">=12"
 			},
@@ -2961,6 +2967,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-UOnG6LftzbdaHZcKoPFtOcCKztrQ57WkHDeRD9t/PTQtmT0NHSeWWepj6pS0z/N7+08BHFDQVUrfmfMRcZwbMg==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"bin": {
 				"prettier": "bin/prettier.cjs"
 			},
@@ -3133,6 +3140,7 @@
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/svelte/-/svelte-5.45.3.tgz",
 			"integrity": "sha512-ngKXNhNvwPzF43QqEhDOue7TQTrG09em1sd4HBxVF0Wr2gopAmdEWan+rgbdgK4fhBtSOTJO8bYU4chUG7VXZQ==",
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"dependencies": {
 				"@jridgewell/remapping": "^2.3.4",
 				"@jridgewell/sourcemap-codec": "^1.5.0",
@@ -3277,6 +3285,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-jl1vZzPDinLr9eUt3J/t7V6FgNEw9QjvBPdysz9KfQDD41fQrC2Y4vKQdiaUpFT4bXlb1RHhLpp8wtm6M5TgSw==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "Apache-2.0",
+			"peer": true,
 			"bin": {
 				"tsc": "bin/tsc",
 				"tsserver": "bin/tsserver"
@@ -3298,6 +3307,7 @@
 			"integrity": "sha512-+Oxm7q9hDoLMyJOYfUYBuHQo+dkAloi33apOPP56pzj+vsdJDzr+j1NISE5pyaAuKL4A3UD34qd0lx5+kfKp2g==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "MIT",
+			"peer": true,
 			"dependencies": {
 				"esbuild": "^0.25.0",
 				"fdir": "^6.4.4",
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 0220d44d0..75f3098e2 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@
     extra-substituters = "https://exo.cachix.org";
   };
 
-  outputs =
-    inputs:
+  outputs = inputs:
     inputs.flake-parts.lib.mkFlake { inherit inputs; } {
       systems = [
         "x86_64-linux"
@@ -71,8 +70,9 @@
         ./python/parts.nix
       ];
 
-      perSystem =
-        { config, self', pkgs, lib, system, ... }:
+      debug = true; # Enable options autocompletion
+
+      perSystem = { config, self', pkgs, lib, system, ... }:
         let
           # Use pinned nixpkgs for swift-format (swift is broken on x86_64-linux in newer nixpkgs)
           pkgsSwift = import inputs.nixpkgs-swift { inherit system; };
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@
                 config.treefmt.build.wrapper
 
                 # PYTHON
-                python313
+                self'.packages.python
                 uv
                 ruff
                 basedpyright
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@
                 maturin
 
                 # NIX
+                nixd
                 nixpkgs-fmt
 
                 # SVELTE
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@
             OPENSSL_NO_VENDOR = "1";
 
             shellHook = ''
-              export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:${python313}/lib"
+              export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:${self'.packages.python}/lib"
               ${lib.optionalString stdenv.isLinux ''
                 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${openssl.out}/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
               ''}
diff --git a/python/parts.nix b/python/parts.nix
index d1d1b6d6d..913d8ca37 100644
--- a/python/parts.nix
+++ b/python/parts.nix
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@
           # Test environment for running pytest outside of Nix sandbox (needs GPU access)
           exo-test-env = testVenv;
         } // {
+
+        inherit python;
+
         exo-bench = mkBenchScript "exo-bench" (inputs.self + /bench/exo_bench.py);
         exo-eval = mkBenchScript "exo-eval" (inputs.self + /bench/exo_eval.py);
         exo-eval-tool-calls = mkBenchScript "exo-eval-tool-calls" (inputs.self + /bench/eval_tool_calls.py);