return {
  -- Treesitter: syntax highlighting + code understanding
  {
    "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
    opts = {
      ensure_installed = {
        "vim", "lua", "vimdoc",
        "go", "gomod", "gowork", "gosum",
        "c_sharp",
        "yaml",
        "bash",
        "json", "jsonc",
        "toml",
        "markdown", "markdown_inline",
      },
    },
  },

  -- LSP servers
  {
    "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
    config = function()
      require "configs.lspconfig"
    end,
  },

  -- Formatting (with format-on-save)
  {
    "stevearc/conform.nvim",
    event = "BufWritePre",
    opts = require "configs.conform",
  },

  -- Mason: auto-install LSPs, formatters, and DAP adapters
  {
    "williamboman/mason.nvim",
    opts = {
      ensure_installed = {
        -- LSPs
        "gopls",
        "omnisharp",
        "yaml-language-server",
        "bash-language-server",
        -- Formatters / linters
        "goimports",
        "csharpier",
        "prettier",
        "shfmt",
        "stylua",
        -- DAP adapters
        "delve",       -- Go debugger
        "netcoredbg",  -- .NET debugger
      },
    },
  },

  -- Diagnostics panel
  {
    "folke/trouble.nvim",
    cmd = "Trouble",
    opts = { use_diagnostic_signs = true },
  },

  -- Floating terminal
  {
    "akinsho/toggleterm.nvim",
    version = "*",
    cmd = "ToggleTerm",
    keys = { [[<C-\>]] },
    opts = {
      open_mapping = [[<C-\>]],
      direction = "float",
      float_opts = { border = "curved" },
    },
  },

  -- Lazygit inside Neovim
  {
    "kdheepak/lazygit.nvim",
    cmd = "LazyGit",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
  },

  -- DAP core + UI
  {
    "mfussenegger/nvim-dap",
    dependencies = {
      "rcarriga/nvim-dap-ui",
      "nvim-neotest/nvim-nio",  -- required by dap-ui
      "leoluz/nvim-dap-go",
    },
    config = function()
      require "configs.dap"
    end,
  },

  -- Highlight TODO/FIXME/HACK/NOTE comments
  {
    "folke/todo-comments.nvim",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    event = "BufReadPost",
    opts = {},
  },

  -- Harpoon2: quick-jump between pinned files per project
  {
    "ThePrimeagen/harpoon",
    branch = "harpoon2",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    opts = {},
  },

  -- ── AI ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  -- Avante: AI sidebar chat + inline editing (DeepSeek)
  {
    "yetone/avante.nvim",
    event = "VeryLazy",
    build = "make",
    dependencies = {
      "stevearc/dressing.nvim",
      "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
      "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
      {
        "MeanderingProgrammer/render-markdown.nvim",
        opts = { file_types = { "markdown", "Avante" } },
        ft = { "markdown", "Avante" },
      },
    },
    opts = {
      provider = "deepseek",
      providers = {
        deepseek = {
          __inherited_from = "openai",
          api_key_name = "cmd:grep -m1 DEEPSEEK_API_KEY ~/.bashrc | grep -oP '(?<=\")[^\"]*(?=\")'",
          endpoint = "https://api.deepseek.com/v1",
          model = "deepseek-chat",
          extra_request_body = { temperature = 0, max_tokens = 8192 },
        },
      },
      -- Use dressing for concealed API-key prompts (native provider has a bug)
      input = { provider = "dressing" },
    },
    config = function(_, opts)
      require("avante").setup(opts)
      -- DeepSeek is a REST API provider, not an ACP agent — remove ACP-only keys
      pcall(vim.keymap.del, "n", "<leader>aM")
      pcall(vim.keymap.del, "n", "<leader>am")
    end,
  },

  -- Minuet: inline ghost-text completions (DeepSeek via OpenAI-compat endpoint)
  {
    "milanglacier/minuet-ai.nvim",
    event = "BufReadPost",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    opts = {
      provider = "openai_compatible",
      provider_options = {
        openai_compatible = {
          api_key = "DEEPSEEK_API_KEY",
          end_point = "https://api.deepseek.com/chat/completions",
          model = "deepseek-chat",
          name = "DeepSeek",
          optional = { max_tokens = 256, top_p = 0.9 },
        },
      },
      virtualtext = {
        auto_trigger_ft = {},  -- manual trigger only (<A-m>)
        keymap = {
          accept = "<A-l>",
          accept_line = "<A-j>",
          prev = "<A-[>",
          next = "<A-]>",
          dismiss = "<A-e>",
        },
      },
    },
  },

  -- Expose minuet as a nvim-cmp source
  {
    "hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",
    opts = function(_, opts)
      table.insert(opts.sources, { name = "minuet" })
      return opts
    end,
  },

  -- Oil: edit the filesystem like a buffer
  {
    "stevearc/oil.nvim",
    lazy = false,
    dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
    opts = {
      -- Keep nvim-tree as the default explorer; oil opens on demand via `-`
      default_file_explorer = false,
      columns = { "icon", "permissions", "size", "mtime" },
      view_options = { show_hidden = true },
      -- Don't clobber window-navigation keys
      keymaps = {
        ["<C-h>"] = false,
        ["<C-l>"] = false,
      },
    },
  },
}