diff --git a/config/karabiner/karabiner.json b/config/karabiner/karabiner.json
index 70de962..dce9c2c 100644
--- a/config/karabiner/karabiner.json
+++ b/config/karabiner/karabiner.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
                   "key_code": "6",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
                   "key_code": "5",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
                   "key_code": "1",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
                   "key_code": "2",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
                   "key_code": "3",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
                   "key_code": "4",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
                   "key_code": "h",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
                   "key_code": "j",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
                   "key_code": "k",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@
                   "key_code": "l",
                   "modifiers": {
                     "mandatory": [
-                      "left_control"
+                      "option"
                     ]
                   }
                 },
diff --git a/home/karabiner.nix b/home/karabiner.nix
index d6fea5e..ac4f3c3 100644
--- a/home/karabiner.nix
+++ b/home/karabiner.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,15 @@
-{...}: {
-  xdg.configFile."karabiner/karabiner.json".source =
-    ../config/karabiner/karabiner.json;
+{
+  config,
+  lib,
+  ...
+}: {
+  # Karabiner-Elements destroys symlinks (unlink + rewrite), so we cannot use
+  # xdg.configFile.  Instead, copy the file on every activation so Karabiner
+  # sees a real mutable file whose contents match our nix-managed source.
+  home.activation.karabinerConfig = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter ["writeBoundary"] ''
+    karabiner_dir="${config.home.homeDirectory}/.config/karabiner"
+    mkdir -p "$karabiner_dir"
+    cp -f "${../config/karabiner/karabiner.json}" "$karabiner_dir/karabiner.json"
+    chmod 600 "$karabiner_dir/karabiner.json"
+  '';
 }