diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bc179824..783a2418 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ zsh: $(ZSH_DIR) $(ZSH_CUSTOM_DIR) $(POWERLEVEL_DIR) $(ZSH_TARGETS)
 ssh: $(HOME)/.ssh/config $(HOME)/.ssh/sockets $(HOME)/.ssh/config.d
 
 nvim: $(PACKER_DIR)
+	nvim --headless -c 'autocmd User PackerComplete quitall' -c 'PackerSync'
 
 $(CONFIG_TARGETS): $(CONFIG_DIR)/%: config/%
 $(FONT_TARGETS): $(FONT_DIR)/%: nerdfont_symbols/%
@@ -41,10 +42,6 @@ $(HOME)/.ssh/config: $(HOME)/.ssh/%: ssh-%
 $(CONFIG_TARGETS) $(FONT_TARGETS) $(ZSH_TARGETS) $(HOME)/.ssh/config:
 	ln -s $(PWD)/$? $@
 
-$(PACKER_DIR):
-	git clone --depth 1 $(PACKER_REPO) $@
-	nvim --headless -c 'autocmd User PackerComplete quitall' -c 'PackerSync'
-
 $(ZSH_DIR):
 	sh -c "$$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
 
diff --git a/config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua b/config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua
index 8bafa833..7fafa6e4 100644
--- a/config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua
+++ b/config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+local ensure_packer = function()
+  local fn = vim.fn
+  local install_path = fn.stdpath('data')..'/site/pack/packer/start/packer.nvim'
+  if fn.empty(fn.glob(install_path)) > 0 then
+    fn.system({'git', 'clone', '--depth', '1', 'https://github.com/wbthomason/packer.nvim', install_path})
+    vim.cmd [[packadd packer.nvim]]
+    return true
+  end
+  return false
+end
+
+local packer_bootstrap = ensure_packer()
+
 vim.cmd([[
   augroup packer_user_config
     autocmd!
@@ -149,6 +162,9 @@ require('packer').startup {
                 }
             end
         }
+        if packer_bootstrap then
+          require('packer').sync()
+        end
     end,
     config = {
         display = {