diff --git a/.envrc b/.envrc
index 7ee2b88b4..c57ee1c4f 100644
--- a/.envrc
+++ b/.envrc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # If we are a computer with nix-shell available, then use that to setup
 # the build environment with exactly what we need.
 if has nix; then
+  watch_file nix/{devShell,package,wraptest}.nix
   use flake
 fi
diff --git a/nix/devShell.nix b/nix/devShell.nix
index 1c03c6a6c..00418c0a8 100644
--- a/nix/devShell.nix
+++ b/nix/devShell.nix
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
   glib,
   gtk4,
   libadwaita,
+  gnome,
+  hicolor-icon-theme,
   harfbuzz,
   libpng,
   libGL,
@@ -142,4 +144,12 @@ in
     # This should be set onto the rpath of the ghostty binary if you want
     # it to be "portable" across the system.
     LD_LIBRARY_PATH = lib.makeLibraryPath rpathLibs;
+
+    # On Linux we need to setup the environment so that all GTK data
+    # is available (namely icons).
+    shellHook = lib.optionalString stdenv.isLinux ''
+      # Minimal subset of env set by wrapGAppsHook4 for icons and global settings
+      export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$XDG_DATA_DIRS:${hicolor-icon-theme}/share:${gnome.adwaita-icon-theme}/share
+      export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$XDG_DATA_DIRS:$GSETTINGS_SCHEMAS_PATH # from glib setup hook
+    '';
   }
diff --git a/nix/package.nix b/nix/package.nix
index 734aa3b85..fccb0a143 100644
--- a/nix/package.nix
+++ b/nix/package.nix
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
   glib,
   gtk4,
   libadwaita,
+  wrapGAppsHook4,
+  gsettings-desktop-schemas,
   git,
   ncurses,
   pkg-config,
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ in
       ncurses
       pkg-config
       zig012Hook
+      wrapGAppsHook4
     ];
 
     buildInputs =
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ in
         libadwaita
         gtk4
         glib
+        gsettings-desktop-schemas
       ];
 
     dontConfigure = true;