return {
  "nvim-neo-tree/neo-tree.nvim",
  branch = "v3.x",
  lazy = false,
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
    "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons",
    "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
  },
  keys = {
    { "<leader>e", "<cmd>Neotree toggle<cr>", desc = "Toggle file explorer" },
  },
  config = function()
    require("neo-tree").setup({
      close_if_last_window = true,
      filesystem = {
        follow_current_file = { enabled = true },
        filtered_items = {
          visible = true,
          hide_dotfiles = false,
          hide_gitignored = false,
        },
      },
    })

    -- Open neo-tree when no file is specified (mirrors the vimrc's old
    -- NERDTree auto-open behavior), but not when nvim is reading stdin.
    local augroup = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup("neotree_auto", { clear = true })
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("StdinReadPre", {
      group = augroup,
      callback = function()
        vim.g.std_in = 1
      end,
    })
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("VimEnter", {
      group = augroup,
      callback = function()
        if vim.fn.argc() == 0 and vim.g.std_in == nil then
          vim.cmd("Neotree show")
        end
      end,
    })
  end,
}