diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
index a5443ab4896c..1c468282d106 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/tests/default.nix
@@ -55,11 +55,17 @@ let
   nvim-with-luasnip = wrapNeovim2 "-with-luasnip" (makeNeovimConfig {
     plugins = [ {
         plugin = vimPlugins.luasnip;
-
       }
     ];
   });
 
+  # build should fail with a wrong
+  nvim-run-failing-check = (wrapNeovimUnstable neovim-unwrapped {
+    luaRcContent = "this is an invalid lua statement to break the build";
+  }).overrideAttrs({
+    doCheck = true;
+  });
+
   nvimAutoDisableWrap = makeNeovimConfig { };
 
   wrapNeovim2 = suffix: config:
@@ -96,6 +102,9 @@ in
 
   inherit nmt;
 
+  # Disabled because of https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/352727
+  # failed_check = pkgs.testers.testBuildFailure nvim-run-failing-check;
+
   vim_empty_config = vimUtils.vimrcFile { beforePlugins = ""; customRC = ""; };
 
   ### neovim tests
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/wrapper.nix
index 270fdf3ce878..b51e7f08a0bf 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/neovim/wrapper.nix
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ let
 
   stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs:
   let
-    pluginsNormalized = neovimUtils.normalizePlugins plugins;
+    pluginsNormalized = neovimUtils.normalizePlugins finalAttrs.plugins;
 
     myVimPackage = neovimUtils.normalizedPluginsToVimPackage pluginsNormalized;
 
@@ -250,6 +250,13 @@ let
     # A Vim "package", see ':h packages'
     vimPackage = myVimPackage;
 
+    checkPhase = ''
+      runHook preCheck
+
+      $out/bin/nvim -i NONE -e +quitall!
+      runHook postCheck
+      '';
+
     passthru = {
       inherit providerLuaRc packpathDirs;
       unwrapped = neovim-unwrapped;