diff --git a/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell.rs b/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell.rs
index d4cacf8f..ce760fe1 100644
--- a/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell.rs
+++ b/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ pub mod bash;
 pub mod fish;
 pub mod xonsh;
 pub mod zsh;
+pub mod nu;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize)]
 pub struct Alias {
diff --git a/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell/nu.rs b/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell/nu.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d190552c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/shell/nu.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+pub async fn var_config() -> String {
+    // Because nushell won't autoupdate, we just parse the output of `atuin dotfiles var list` in
+    // nushell and load the env vars that way
+
+    // we should only do this if the dotfiles are enabled
+    String::from(r#"atuin dotfiles var list | lines | parse "export {name}={value}" | reduce -f {} {|it, acc| $acc | upsert $it.name $it.value} | load-env"#)
+}
diff --git a/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init.rs b/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init.rs
index 8238a69b..dba126d0 100644
--- a/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init.rs
+++ b/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use eyre::{Result, WrapErr};
 
 mod bash;
 mod fish;
+mod nu;
 mod xonsh;
 mod zsh;
 
@@ -38,51 +39,6 @@ pub enum Shell {
 }
 
 impl Cmd {
-    fn init_nu(&self) {
-        let full = include_str!("../../shell/atuin.nu");
-        println!("{full}");
-
-        if std::env::var("ATUIN_NOBIND").is_err() {
-            const BIND_CTRL_R: &str = r"$env.config = (
-    $env.config | upsert keybindings (
-        $env.config.keybindings
-        | append {
-            name: atuin
-            modifier: control
-            keycode: char_r
-            mode: [emacs, vi_normal, vi_insert]
-            event: { send: executehostcommand cmd: (_atuin_search_cmd) }
-        }
-    )
-)";
-            const BIND_UP_ARROW: &str = r"
-$env.config = (
-    $env.config | upsert keybindings (
-        $env.config.keybindings
-        | append {
-            name: atuin
-            modifier: none
-            keycode: up
-            mode: [emacs, vi_normal, vi_insert]
-            event: {
-                until: [
-                    {send: menuup}
-                    {send: executehostcommand cmd: (_atuin_search_cmd '--shell-up-key-binding') }
-                ]
-            }
-        }
-    )
-)
-";
-            if !self.disable_ctrl_r {
-                println!("{BIND_CTRL_R}");
-            }
-            if !self.disable_up_arrow {
-                println!("{BIND_UP_ARROW}");
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     fn static_init(&self) {
         match self.shell {
             Shell::Zsh => {
@@ -95,7 +51,7 @@ $env.config = (
                 fish::init_static(self.disable_up_arrow, self.disable_ctrl_r);
             }
             Shell::Nu => {
-                self.init_nu();
+                nu::init_static(self.disable_up_arrow, self.disable_ctrl_r);
             }
             Shell::Xonsh => {
                 xonsh::init_static(self.disable_up_arrow, self.disable_ctrl_r);
@@ -143,7 +99,9 @@ $env.config = (
                 )
                 .await?;
             }
-            Shell::Nu => self.init_nu(),
+            Shell::Nu => {
+                nu::init(self.disable_up_arrow, self.disable_ctrl_r).await?;
+            }
             Shell::Xonsh => {
                 xonsh::init(
                     alias_store,
diff --git a/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init/nu.rs b/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init/nu.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..54d886f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/atuin/src/command/client/init/nu.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+use eyre::Result;
+
+const BIND_CTRL_R: &str = r"$env.config = (
+    $env.config | upsert keybindings (
+        $env.config.keybindings
+        | append {
+            name: atuin
+            modifier: control
+            keycode: char_r
+            mode: [emacs, vi_normal, vi_insert]
+            event: { send: executehostcommand cmd: (_atuin_search_cmd) }
+        }
+    )
+)";
+const BIND_UP_ARROW: &str = r"
+$env.config = (
+    $env.config | upsert keybindings (
+        $env.config.keybindings
+        | append {
+            name: atuin
+            modifier: none
+            keycode: up
+            mode: [emacs, vi_normal, vi_insert]
+            event: {
+                until: [
+                    {send: menuup}
+                    {send: executehostcommand cmd: (_atuin_search_cmd '--shell-up-key-binding') }
+                ]
+            }
+        }
+    )
+)
+";
+
+pub fn init_static(disable_up_arrow: bool, disable_ctrl_r: bool) {
+    let full = include_str!("../../../shell/atuin.nu");
+    println!("{full}");
+
+    if !disable_ctrl_r && std::env::var("ATUIN_NOBIND").is_err() {
+        println!("{BIND_CTRL_R}");
+    }
+    if !disable_up_arrow && std::env::var("ATUIN_NOBIND").is_err() {
+        println!("{BIND_UP_ARROW}");
+    }
+}
+
+pub async fn init(disable_up_arrow: bool, disable_ctrl_r: bool) -> Result<()> {
+    init_static(disable_up_arrow, disable_ctrl_r);
+
+    let vars = atuin_dotfiles::shell::nu::var_config().await;
+
+    println!("{vars}");
+
+    Ok(())
+}