diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 77f2370..2dcb657 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,6 +8,31 @@ Download the latest `.dmg` from [Releases](https://github.com/dakl/papershelf/re
 
 > Requires macOS (Apple Silicon). The app is signed and notarized.
 
+### Run with Nix flake
+
+If you have [Nix](https://nixos.org/) with flakes enabled, you can run PaperShelf directly from the repository without installing system dependencies manually:
+
+```bash
+# Start the development environment
+nix run github:dakl/papershelf#default
+
+# Or drop into a dev shell with all dependencies available
+nix develop github:dakl/papershelf
+npm install
+npm run dev
+```
+
+Run from a local clone:
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/dakl/papershelf.git
+cd papershelf
+nix run .#default      # start the app
+nix develop            # enter the dev shell
+```
+
+> Tested on Linux. macOS (Darwin) support is included but untested.
+
 ## Features
 
 - **arXiv search** -- find papers and save them to your library with one click
diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf24a07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+{
+  "nodes": {
+    "flake-utils": {
+      "inputs": {
+        "systems": "systems"
+      },
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1731533236,
+        "narHash": "sha256-l0KFg5HjrsfsO/JpG+r7fRrqm12kzFHyUHqHCVpMMbI=",
+        "owner": "numtide",
+        "repo": "flake-utils",
+        "rev": "11707dc2f618dd54ca8739b309ec4fc024de578b",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "numtide",
+        "repo": "flake-utils",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
+    "nixpkgs": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1771848320,
+        "narHash": "sha256-0MAd+0mun3K/Ns8JATeHT1sX28faLII5hVLq0L3BdZU=",
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "rev": "2fc6539b481e1d2569f25f8799236694180c0993",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "ref": "nixos-unstable",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
+    "root": {
+      "inputs": {
+        "flake-utils": "flake-utils",
+        "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs"
+      }
+    },
+    "systems": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1681028828,
+        "narHash": "sha256-Vy1rq5AaRuLzOxct8nz4T6wlgyUR7zLU309k9mBC768=",
+        "owner": "nix-systems",
+        "repo": "default",
+        "rev": "da67096a3b9bf56a91d16901293e51ba5b49a27e",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "nix-systems",
+        "repo": "default",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "root": "root",
+  "version": 7
+}
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5691040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+{
+  description = "PaperShelf - A native-feeling desktop app for organizing research papers";
+
+  inputs = {
+    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
+    flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
+  };
+
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }:
+    flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
+      let
+        pkgs = import nixpkgs {
+          inherit system;
+          config.allowUnfree = true;
+        };
+
+        isLinux = pkgs.stdenv.isLinux;
+        isDarwin = pkgs.stdenv.isDarwin;
+
+        # Linux-specific runtime libraries for Electron
+        linuxRuntimeLibs = with pkgs; [
+          glib
+          gtk3
+          nss
+          nspr
+          atk
+          at-spi2-atk
+          libdrm
+          expat
+          libxkbcommon
+          libx11
+          libxcomposite
+          libxdamage
+          libxext
+          libxfixes
+          libxrandr
+          libxcb
+          mesa
+          libgbm
+          libGL
+          alsa-lib
+          cups
+          dbus
+          pango
+          cairo
+          udev
+          libnotify
+        ];
+
+        # Common dependencies for both platforms
+        commonDeps = with pkgs; [
+          nodejs_20
+          python3
+          gnumake
+          pkg-config
+          sqlite
+        ];
+
+        # Platform-specific build dependencies
+        linuxBuildDeps = with pkgs; [
+          gcc
+          electron
+          poppler-utils
+        ] ++ linuxRuntimeLibs;
+
+        darwinBuildDeps = with pkgs; [
+          darwin.cctools
+          poppler
+        ];
+
+        buildDeps = commonDeps
+          ++ (if isLinux then linuxBuildDeps else [])
+          ++ (if isDarwin then darwinBuildDeps else []);
+
+        libPath = if isLinux then pkgs.lib.makeLibraryPath linuxRuntimeLibs else "";
+
+        # Wrapper script to run the app
+        papershelf = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "papershelf" ''
+          set -e
+
+          PROJECT_DIR="''${PAPERSHELF_PROJECT_DIR:-$(pwd)}"
+
+          if [ ! -f "$PROJECT_DIR/package.json" ]; then
+            echo "Error: package.json not found in $PROJECT_DIR"
+            echo "Run this command from the PaperShelf project directory,"
+            echo "or set PAPERSHELF_PROJECT_DIR to the project path."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+
+          # Set up environment
+          export PATH="${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin:$PROJECT_DIR/node_modules/.bin:$PATH"
+          export npm_config_build_from_source=true
+          export SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR="${pkgs.sqlite.dev}/include"
+          export SQLITE3_LIB_DIR="${pkgs.sqlite.out}/lib"
+          ${if isLinux then ''
+          export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${libPath}:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+          export ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=auto
+          '' else ""}
+
+          # Install dependencies if needed
+          if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
+            echo "Installing dependencies..."
+            ${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin/npm install
+          fi
+
+          # Run the app
+          echo "Starting PaperShelf..."
+          exec ${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin/npm run dev
+        '';
+
+        # Build script (builds but doesn't run)
+        papershelf-build = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "papershelf-build" ''
+          set -e
+          PROJECT_DIR="''${PAPERSHELF_PROJECT_DIR:-$(pwd)}"
+
+          if [ ! -f "$PROJECT_DIR/package.json" ]; then
+            echo "Error: package.json not found in $PROJECT_DIR"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+
+          export PATH="${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin:$PROJECT_DIR/node_modules/.bin:$PATH"
+          export npm_config_build_from_source=true
+          export SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR="${pkgs.sqlite.dev}/include"
+          export SQLITE3_LIB_DIR="${pkgs.sqlite.out}/lib"
+          ${if isLinux then ''
+          export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${libPath}:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+          '' else ""}
+
+          if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
+            echo "Installing dependencies..."
+            ${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin/npm install
+          fi
+
+          echo "Building PaperShelf..."
+          ${pkgs.nodejs_20}/bin/npm run build
+          echo "Build complete! Output in dist/"
+        '';
+      in
+      {
+        packages = {
+          default = papershelf;
+          build = papershelf-build;
+        };
+
+        apps = {
+          default = {
+            type = "app";
+            program = "${papershelf}/bin/papershelf";
+          };
+          build = {
+            type = "app";
+            program = "${papershelf-build}/bin/papershelf-build";
+          };
+        };
+
+        devShells.default = pkgs.mkShell {
+          buildInputs = buildDeps;
+
+          shellHook = ''
+            # Set up npm to use local node_modules/.bin
+            export PATH="$PWD/node_modules/.bin:$PATH"
+
+            # Fix for native module compilation
+            export npm_config_build_from_source=true
+            ${if isLinux then ''
+            # Required for Electron on Linux
+            export ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=auto
+
+            # Help native modules find system libraries
+            export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${libPath}:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+            '' else ""}
+            echo "PaperShelf development environment loaded"
+            echo "Run 'npm install' to install dependencies"
+            echo "Run 'npm run dev' to start development server"
+          '';
+
+          # Environment variables for better-sqlite3
+          SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR = "${pkgs.sqlite.dev}/include";
+          SQLITE3_LIB_DIR = "${pkgs.sqlite.out}/lib";
+        };
+      }
+    );
+}