diff --git a/modules/misc/news/2026/05/2026-05-18_12-00-00.nix b/modules/misc/news/2026/05/2026-05-18_12-00-00.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b0e6c5647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/news/2026/05/2026-05-18_12-00-00.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+{
+  time = "2026-05-18T17:00:00+00:00";
+  condition = config.programs.zsh.enable;
+  message = ''
+    The `programs.zsh` module now sources Home Manager session variables from
+    `.zprofile` for login shells. Non-login shells continue to source them from
+    `.zshenv`.
+
+    As a result, Home Manager now always writes `.zprofile` when
+    `programs.zsh.enable` is set, instead of only writing it when
+    `programs.zsh.profileExtra` is configured.
+
+    This keeps `home.sessionPath` entries from being overwritten or reordered
+    by system login startup files such as NixOS' `/etc/zprofile` or macOS'
+    `path_helper`.
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix b/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
index 6fba1580a..b148367e0 100644
--- a/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
@@ -373,6 +373,21 @@ in
     let
       envVarsStr = config.lib.zsh.exportAll cfg.sessionVariables { indent = "  "; };
       localVarsStr = config.lib.zsh.defineAll cfg.localVariables;
+      sessionVarsStr = lib.removeSuffix "\n" ''
+        # Environment variables
+        . "${config.home.sessionVariablesPackage}/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh"
+
+        # Only source this once
+        if [[ -z "''${__HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED-}" ]]; then
+          export __HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED=1
+          ${envVarsStr}
+        fi
+      '';
+      indentNonEmptyLines =
+        str:
+        concatStringsSep "\n" (
+          map (line: if line == "" then "" else "  ${line}") (lib.splitString "\n" str)
+        );
 
       aliasesStr = concatStringsSep "\n" (
         lib.mapAttrsToList (
@@ -441,10 +456,6 @@ in
           home.file."${dotDirRel}/.zshenv".text = cfg.envExtra;
         })
 
-        (mkIf (cfg.profileExtra != "") {
-          home.file."${dotDirRel}/.zprofile".text = cfg.profileExtra;
-        })
-
         (mkIf (cfg.loginExtra != "") {
           home.file."${dotDirRel}/.zlogin".text = cfg.loginExtra;
         })
@@ -478,15 +489,18 @@ in
 
         {
           home.file."${dotDirRel}/.zshenv".text = ''
-            # Environment variables
-            . "${config.home.sessionVariablesPackage}/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh"
-
-            # Only source this once
-            if [[ -z "''${__HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED-}" ]]; then
-              export __HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED=1
-              ${envVarsStr}
+            if [[ ! -o login ]]; then
+            ${indentNonEmptyLines sessionVarsStr}
             fi
           '';
+
+          home.file."${dotDirRel}/.zprofile".text = ''
+            ${sessionVarsStr}
+          ''
+          + optionalString (cfg.profileExtra != "") ''
+
+            ${cfg.profileExtra}
+          '';
         }
 
         {
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.nix b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.nix
index 5e49dd106..368489c8b 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.nix
@@ -18,5 +18,7 @@
   nmt.script = ''
     assertFileExists home-files/.zshenv
     assertFileContent $(normalizeStorePaths home-files/.zshenv) ${./session-variables.zshenv}
+    assertFileExists home-files/.zprofile
+    assertFileContent $(normalizeStorePaths home-files/.zprofile) ${./session-variables.zprofile}
   '';
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zprofile b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zprofile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf99c7748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zprofile
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Environment variables
+. "/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-hm-session-vars.sh/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh"
+
+# Only source this once
+if [[ -z "${__HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED-}" ]]; then
+  export __HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED=1
+  export IS_EMPTY=""
+  export IS_FALSE=false
+  export IS_TRUE=true
+  export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
+  export V1="v1"
+  export V2="v2-v1"
+fi
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zshenv b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zshenv
index cf99c7748..d879b8921 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zshenv
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/session-variables.zshenv
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-# Environment variables
-. "/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-hm-session-vars.sh/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh"
+if [[ ! -o login ]]; then
+  # Environment variables
+  . "/nix/store/00000000000000000000000000000000-hm-session-vars.sh/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh"
 
-# Only source this once
-if [[ -z "${__HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED-}" ]]; then
-  export __HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED=1
-  export IS_EMPTY=""
-  export IS_FALSE=false
-  export IS_TRUE=true
-  export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
-  export V1="v1"
-  export V2="v2-v1"
+  # Only source this once
+  if [[ -z "${__HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED-}" ]]; then
+    export __HM_ZSH_SESS_VARS_SOURCED=1
+    export IS_EMPTY=""
+    export IS_FALSE=false
+    export IS_TRUE=true
+    export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
+    export V1="v1"
+    export V2="v2-v1"
+  fi
 fi