diff --git a/packages/nuxt/__tests__/nuxt-layer.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt/__tests__/nuxt-layer.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a844c11a60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/__tests__/nuxt-layer.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * @vitest-env node
+ */
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import path from 'node:path'
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { setup, $fetch } from '@nuxt/test-utils'
+
+const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
+
+await setup({
+  server: true,
+  rootDir: path.join(__dirname, '../layer/playground'),
+  nuxtConfig: {
+    hooks: {
+      'vite:extendConfig'(config, { isClient }) {
+        config.define!.__BROWSER__ = isClient
+      },
+    },
+    vite: {
+      define: {
+        __DEV__: false,
+        __TEST__: true,
+        __FEATURE_PROD_DEVTOOLS__: false,
+        __USE_DEVTOOLS__: false,
+      },
+    },
+  },
+})
+
+describe('works with nuxt layers', async () => {
+  it('loads stores when extending', async () => {
+    const html = await $fetch('/')
+    expect(html).toContain('Base store: 3')
+    expect(html).toContain('App store: xyz')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/layer/nuxt.config.ts b/packages/nuxt/layer/nuxt.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee7f504645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/layer/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import { defineNuxtConfig } from 'nuxt/config'
+import piniaModule from '../src/module'
+
+const currentDir = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
+
+export default defineNuxtConfig({
+  alias: {
+    pinia: fileURLToPath(new URL('../../pinia/src/index.ts', import.meta.url)),
+  },
+  modules: [piniaModule],
+
+  pinia: {
+    storesDirs: [join(currentDir, 'stores')],
+  },
+
+  vite: {
+    define: {
+      __DEV__: JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production'),
+      __USE_DEVTOOLS__: true,
+      __TEST__: false,
+    },
+  },
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/app.vue b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/app.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bdbfbe983
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/app.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<script lang="ts" setup>
+const baseStore = useExampleStore();
+const appStore = useXYZStore();
+</script>
+<template>
+  <div>
+    <p>Base store: {{ baseStore.example }}</p>
+    <p>App store: {{ appStore.foo }}</p>
+  </div>
+</template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/nuxt.config.ts b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/nuxt.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2883b6efb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { defineNuxtConfig } from 'nuxt/config'
+
+export default defineNuxtConfig({
+  extends: ['..'],
+  pinia: {
+    storesDirs: ['xyz'],
+  },
+  vite: {
+    define: {
+      __DEV__: JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production'),
+      __USE_DEVTOOLS__: true,
+      __TEST__: false,
+    },
+  },
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/xyz/store.ts b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/xyz/store.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..27db71a48f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/layer/playground/xyz/store.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export const useXYZStore = defineStore('xyz', () => {
+  const foo = ref<string>('xyz')
+  return {
+    foo,
+  }
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/layer/stores/example.ts b/packages/nuxt/layer/stores/example.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..deaeb69457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/layer/stores/example.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export const useExampleStore = defineStore('example', () => {
+  const example = ref<number>(3)
+  return {
+    example,
+  }
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/module.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/module.ts
index 43ec644207..c469cd21cf 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/module.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/module.ts
@@ -93,14 +93,8 @@ const module: NuxtModule<ModuleOptions> = defineNuxtModule<ModuleOptions>({
       options.storesDirs = [resolver.resolve(nuxt.options.srcDir, 'stores')]
     }
 
-    if (options.storesDirs) {
-      for (const storeDir of [
-        ...options.storesDirs,
-        /* @ts-expect-error storesDirs isn't on base NuxtOptions type */
-        ...(nuxt.options.pinia?.storesDirs || []),
-      ]) {
-        addImportsDir(resolver.resolve(nuxt.options.rootDir, storeDir))
-      }
+    for (const storeDir of options.storesDirs) {
+      addImportsDir(resolver.resolve(nuxt.options.rootDir, storeDir))
     }
   },
 })