diff --git a/HACKING.md b/HACKING.md
index c9d8ddb..d7f1360 100644
--- a/HACKING.md
+++ b/HACKING.md
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ its const-ness is not enforced but I'd prefer not to take advantage of that. I
 also have not checked if writing the profile would work out of the box with this
 approach.
 
+`noProfileHack` unsets `DOOMPROFILE` from the profile loader. This feels like a
+hack, but it does get us the usual `DOOMLOCALDIR`-relative `doom-cache-dir` and
+friends back.
+
 ## Why put `doom-user-dir`/`DOOMDIR` in the Nix store?
 
 Doom forces my hand. I would prefer for just `packages.el` and possibly
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8eb16da..d14b99a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ source.
 
   When migrating from "normal" Doom, you may need to move some files around.
 
+  If this bothers you, you can try setting `noProfileHack = true`. This makes
+  Unstraightened use the usual paths (relative to `doomLocalDir`), but is
+  experimental.
+
 ## Comparison to `nix-doom-emacs`
 
 - Unstraightened does not attempt to use straight.el at all. Instead, it uses
diff --git a/build-helpers/build-profile-loader b/build-helpers/build-profile-loader
index 1a8f012..0d29325 100755
--- a/build-helpers/build-profile-loader
+++ b/build-helpers/build-profile-loader
@@ -18,14 +18,16 @@
 (defcli! build-profile-loader
   ((profile-name ("-n" form) "Profile name.")
    (base-directory ("-b" dir) "Base directory (for profile and straight).")
-   (profile-doom-dir ("-d" dir) "DOOMDIR"))
+   (profile-doom-dir ("-d" dir) "DOOMDIR")
+   (unset-profile ("-u") "Unset DOOMPROFILE at startup."))
   "Write Doom's profile loader."
   (let* ((profile-directory (expand-file-name "profile/" base-directory))
          (new-profiles `((,profile-name
                           (user-emacs-directory . ,doom-emacs-dir)
                           (doom-profile-data-dir . ,profile-directory)
                           (unstraightened--straight-base-dir . ,base-directory)
-                          ("DOOMDIR" . ,profile-doom-dir)))))
+                          ("DOOMDIR" . ,profile-doom-dir)
+                          ,@(when unset-profile '(("DOOMPROFILE" . nil)))))))
     (doom-profiles-save new-profiles)))
 
 (run! "build-profile-loader" (cdr (member "--" argv)))
diff --git a/doom.nix b/doom.nix
index 0723a52..220e15a 100644
--- a/doom.nix
+++ b/doom.nix
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
   full ? false,
   /* Name of doom profile to use. */
   profileName ? "nix",
+  /* Disable profile early in startup, so "normal" cache/state dirs are used. */
+  noProfileHack ? false,
 
   callPackages,
   git,
@@ -255,7 +257,7 @@ let
     # DOOMLOCALDIR must be writable, Doom creates some subdirectories.
     export DOOMLOCALDIR=$(mktemp -d)
     ${runtimeShell} ${doomSource}/bin/doomscript ${./build-helpers/build-profile-loader} \
-      -n "${profileName}" -b "$out" -d "${finalDoomDir}"
+      -n "${profileName}" -b "$out" -d "${finalDoomDir}" ${optionalString noProfileHack "-u"}
 
     # With DOOMPROFILE set, doom-state-dir and friends are HOME-relative.
     export HOME=$(mktemp -d)