diff --git a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.8.md b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.8.md
index 7c92ff9f..e3dce037 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.8.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.8.md
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@
 
 - fix broken `neorg` grammars
 - remove obsolete warning in the `otter` module
+- add mainProgram attribute to vala language server wrapper
 
 [JManch](https://github.com/JManch):
 
diff --git a/modules/plugins/languages/vala.nix b/modules/plugins/languages/vala.nix
index 722b0d3b..6f58c399 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/languages/vala.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/languages/vala.nix
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
         (getExe (pkgs.symlinkJoin {
           name = "vala-language-server-wrapper";
           paths = [pkgs.vala-language-server];
+          meta.mainProgram = "vala-language-server-wrapper";
           buildInputs = [pkgs.makeBinaryWrapper];
           postBuild = ''
             wrapProgram $out/bin/vala-language-server \