diff --git a/install_neovim.py b/install_neovim.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index b416c07..1ad626e
--- a/install_neovim.py
+++ b/install_neovim.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 install_neovim.py
 
 Install Neovim from the latest official GitHub binary release, then install
-LazyVim and patch the Telescope config to show hidden files.
+LazyVim and patch the snacks.nvim picker config to show hidden files.
 
 Targets:
     Windows 10/11 (x86_64), macOS (arm64 / x86_64), Linux (x86_64 / arm64).
@@ -559,56 +559,70 @@ def install_lazyvim(target: Target) -> Path:
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Telescope override
+# snacks.nvim override
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-TELESCOPE_OVERRIDE_LUA = '''-- Generated by install_neovim.py
--- Show hidden files in Telescope's find_files and live_grep pickers.
--- (.git/ is still excluded; remove the --glob/!.git line below to include it.)
+SNACKS_OVERRIDE_LUA = '''-- Generated by install_neovim.py
+-- Override LazyVim's bundled snacks.nvim config to show hidden files
+-- in the picker (files, grep) and the explorer.
+--
+-- Notes:
+--   * `hidden = true` shows dotfiles (e.g. .env.example, .eslintrc).
+--   * `ignored` is left at its default (false), so files matched by
+--     .gitignore stay hidden. Flip to `true` if you want to see them.
+--   * lazy.nvim deep-merges these `opts` into LazyVim's existing snacks
+--     config; everything else (dashboard, notifier, indent, etc.) is
+--     preserved untouched.
 return {
   {
-    "nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim",
+    "folke/snacks.nvim",
     opts = {
-      defaults = {
-        vimgrep_arguments = {
-          "rg",
-          "--color=never",
-          "--no-heading",
-          "--with-filename",
-          "--line-number",
-          "--column",
-          "--smart-case",
-          "--hidden",
-          "--glob=!.git/",
+      picker = {
+        hidden = true,
+        sources = {
+          files = {
+            hidden = true,
+          },
+          grep = {
+            hidden = true,
+          },
         },
       },
-      pickers = {
-        find_files = {
-          hidden = true,
-        },
+      explorer = {
+        hidden = true,
       },
     },
   },
 }
 '''
 
+# Marker used to detect files this script has previously written, so we can
+# distinguish our own generated config from a user-authored file with the
+# same name and avoid clobbering the latter.
+GENERATED_MARKER = "-- Generated by install_neovim.py"
 
-def configure_telescope_hidden(config_dir: Path) -> Path:
+
+def configure_snacks_hidden(config_dir: Path) -> Path:
     plugins_dir = config_dir / "lua" / "plugins"
     plugins_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    out = plugins_dir / "telescope.lua"
+
+    out = plugins_dir / "snacks.lua"
     if out.is_file():
         try:
             current = out.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
         except OSError:
             current = None
-        if current == TELESCOPE_OVERRIDE_LUA:
-            LOG.info("Telescope override already present at %s; no changes needed.",
+        if current == SNACKS_OVERRIDE_LUA:
+            LOG.info("Snacks override already present at %s; no changes needed.",
                      out)
             return out
+        if current is not None and not current.startswith(GENERATED_MARKER):
+            LOG.warning("Existing %s is user-authored (no generated marker); "
+                        "refusing to overwrite. Skipping snacks config.", out)
+            return out
         LOG.info("Existing %s differs from generated content; overwriting.", out)
-    out.write_text(TELESCOPE_OVERRIDE_LUA, encoding="utf-8")
-    LOG.info("Wrote Telescope override to %s", out)
+    out.write_text(SNACKS_OVERRIDE_LUA, encoding="utf-8")
+    LOG.info("Wrote snacks.nvim override to %s", out)
     return out
 
 
@@ -637,18 +651,18 @@ def print_followup(target: Target, bin_dir: Path, *, lazyvim_skipped: bool) -> N
     if not lazyvim_skipped:
         print()
         print("On first launch, LazyVim will bootstrap lazy.nvim and install plugins.")
-        print("Telescope is configured to show hidden files (find_files & live_grep).")
+        print("snacks.picker is configured to show hidden files (find_files, grep, explorer).")
     print()
 
 
 def main() -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        description="Install Neovim + LazyVim with Telescope hidden-files enabled.",
+        description="Install Neovim + LazyVim with snacks.picker hidden-files enabled.",
     )
     parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true",
                         help="Enable debug logging.")
     parser.add_argument("--skip-lazyvim", action="store_true",
-                        help="Install only the Neovim binary; skip LazyVim and Telescope steps.")
+                        help="Install only the Neovim binary; skip LazyVim and snacks steps.")
     # Internal: set by the script itself when relaunching with UAC elevation
     # on Windows. Prevents an infinite elevation loop.
     parser.add_argument("--elevated-relaunch", action="store_true",
@@ -745,7 +759,7 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     try:
         config_dir = install_lazyvim(target)
-        configure_telescope_hidden(config_dir)
+        configure_snacks_hidden(config_dir)
     except InstallError as e:
         LOG.error(str(e))
         LOG.error("Neovim is installed but LazyVim setup failed. "