diff --git a/lib/user.nix b/lib/user.nix
index cecec0f..7e6bc01 100644
--- a/lib/user.nix
+++ b/lib/user.nix
@@ -5,10 +5,18 @@
 , ...
 }:
 
+let
+  # Default roles that all NixOS users get
+  defaultSystemUserRoles = [ "common" "zsh" "aichat" ];
+  
+  # Default roles for standalone home-manager configs
+  defaultHMUserRoles = [ "common" "aichat" ];
+in
 {
-  mkUser = { name, roles ? [ ] }:
+  mkUser = { name, roles ? [ ], defaultRoles ? defaultSystemUserRoles }:
     let
       roles_mod = (map (r: mkHomeRole r) roles);
+      defaults_mod = (map (r: mkHomeRole r) defaultRoles);
     in
     {
       fileSystems."/home/${name}/Downloads" =  pkgs.lib.mkIf stdenv.isLinux {
@@ -27,16 +35,13 @@
 
       programs.zsh.enable = true;
 
-      home-manager.users.${name}.imports = [
-        (mkHomeRole "common")
-        (mkHomeRole "zsh")
-        (mkHomeRole "aichat")
-      ] ++ roles_mod;
+      home-manager.users.${name}.imports = defaults_mod ++ roles_mod;
     };
 
-  mkHMUser = { name, roles ? [ ] }:
+  mkHMUser = { name, roles ? [ ], defaultRoles ? defaultHMUserRoles }:
     let
       roles_mod = (map (r: mkHomeRole r) roles);
+      defaults_mod = (map (r: mkHomeRole r) defaultRoles);
     in
     home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
       inherit pkgs;
@@ -48,8 +53,6 @@
               if stdenv.isLinux then "/home/${name}" else "/Users/${name}";
           };
         }
-        (mkHomeRole "common")
-        (mkHomeRole "aichat")
-      ] ++ roles_mod;
+      ] ++ defaults_mod ++ roles_mod;
     };
 }