diff --git a/.changeset/brave-clowns-behave.md b/.changeset/brave-clowns-behave.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..60c95caf6464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/brave-clowns-behave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': minor
+---
+
+feat: add a `kit.files.src` option
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/config/fixtures/custom-src/svelte.config.js b/packages/kit/src/core/config/fixtures/custom-src/svelte.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cfbf957434bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/config/fixtures/custom-src/svelte.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+export default {
+	kit: {
+		files: {
+			src: 'source'
+		}
+	}
+};
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.js b/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.js
index 7fc38bc483dd..ae35a708132b 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.js
@@ -126,6 +126,17 @@ export function validate_config(config) {
 	}
 
 	const validated = options(config, 'config');
+	const files = validated.kit.files;
+
+	files.hooks.client ??= path.join(files.src, 'hooks.client');
+	files.hooks.server ??= path.join(files.src, 'hooks.server');
+	files.hooks.universal ??= path.join(files.src, 'hooks');
+	files.lib ??= path.join(files.src, 'lib');
+	files.params ??= path.join(files.src, 'params');
+	files.routes ??= path.join(files.src, 'routes');
+	files.serviceWorker ??= path.join(files.src, 'service-worker');
+	files.appTemplate ??= path.join(files.src, 'app.html');
+	files.errorTemplate ??= path.join(files.src, 'error.html');
 
 	if (validated.kit.router.resolution === 'server') {
 		if (validated.kit.router.type === 'hash') {
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.spec.js b/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.spec.js
index 90da427483d7..1a979613bba6 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/config/index.spec.js
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ const get_defaults = (prefix = '') => ({
 			remoteFunctions: false
 		},
 		files: {
+			src: join(prefix, 'src'),
 			assets: join(prefix, 'static'),
 			hooks: {
 				client: join(prefix, 'src/hooks.client'),
@@ -407,3 +408,15 @@ test('errors on loading config with incorrect default export', async () => {
 		'The Svelte config file must have a configuration object as its default export. See https://svelte.dev/docs/kit/configuration'
 	);
 });
+
+test('uses src prefix for other kit.files options', async () => {
+	const cwd = join(__dirname, 'fixtures/custom-src');
+
+	const config = await load_config({ cwd });
+	remove_keys(config, ([, v]) => typeof v === 'function');
+
+	const defaults = get_defaults(cwd + '/');
+	defaults.kit.version.name = config.kit.version.name;
+
+	expect(config.kit.files.lib).toEqual(join(cwd, 'source/lib'));
+});
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/config/options.js b/packages/kit/src/core/config/options.js
index 577ca4c9445d..8caa72e9cfb8 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/config/options.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/config/options.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { join } from 'node:path';
 import process from 'node:process';
 
 /** @typedef {import('./types.js').Validator} Validator */
@@ -125,18 +124,19 @@ const options = object(
 			}),
 
 			files: object({
+				src: string('src'),
 				assets: string('static'),
 				hooks: object({
-					client: string(join('src', 'hooks.client')),
-					server: string(join('src', 'hooks.server')),
-					universal: string(join('src', 'hooks'))
+					client: string(null),
+					server: string(null),
+					universal: string(null)
 				}),
-				lib: string(join('src', 'lib')),
-				params: string(join('src', 'params')),
-				routes: string(join('src', 'routes')),
-				serviceWorker: string(join('src', 'service-worker')),
-				appTemplate: string(join('src', 'app.html')),
-				errorTemplate: string(join('src', 'error.html'))
+				lib: string(null),
+				params: string(null),
+				routes: string(null),
+				serviceWorker: string(null),
+				appTemplate: string(null),
+				errorTemplate: string(null)
 			}),
 
 			inlineStyleThreshold: number(0),
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
index c681184446a6..c321507a5b42 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { assert, expect, test } from 'vitest';
 import create_manifest_data from './index.js';
-import options from '../../config/options.js';
 import { sort_routes } from './sort.js';
+import { validate_config } from '../../config/index.js';
 
 const cwd = fileURLToPath(new URL('./test', import.meta.url));
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const cwd = fileURLToPath(new URL('./test', import.meta.url));
  * @param {import('@sveltejs/kit').Config} config
  */
 const create = (dir, config = {}) => {
-	const initial = options(config, 'config');
+	const initial = validate_config(config);
 
 	initial.kit.files.assets = path.resolve(cwd, 'static');
 	initial.kit.files.params = path.resolve(cwd, 'params');
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/write_types/index.spec.js b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/write_types/index.spec.js
index 92ad3d68d0ca..d6bfc36f7578 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/write_types/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/write_types/index.spec.js
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { assert, expect, test } from 'vitest';
 import { rimraf } from '../../../utils/filesystem.js';
-import options from '../../config/options.js';
 import create_manifest_data from '../create_manifest_data/index.js';
 import { tweak_types, write_all_types } from './index.js';
+import { validate_config } from '../../config/index.js';
 
 const cwd = fileURLToPath(new URL('./test', import.meta.url));
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const cwd = fileURLToPath(new URL('./test', import.meta.url));
 function run_test(dir) {
 	rimraf(path.join(cwd, dir, '.svelte-kit'));
 
-	const initial = options({}, 'config');
+	const initial = validate_config({});
 
 	initial.kit.files.assets = path.resolve(cwd, 'static');
 	initial.kit.files.params = path.resolve(cwd, dir, 'params');
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/public.d.ts b/packages/kit/src/exports/public.d.ts
index 1982000eb2f9..27f23d15a691 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/public.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/public.d.ts
@@ -422,6 +422,12 @@ export interface KitConfig {
 	 * Where to find various files within your project.
 	 */
 	files?: {
+		/**
+		 * the location of your source code
+		 * @default "src"
+		 * @since 2.28
+		 */
+		src?: string;
 		/**
 		 * a place to put static files that should have stable URLs and undergo no processing, such as `favicon.ico` or `manifest.json`
 		 * @default "static"
diff --git a/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts b/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
index 5458c54e9715..4880d7e55d1c 100644
--- a/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
@@ -399,6 +399,12 @@ declare module '@sveltejs/kit' {
 		 * Where to find various files within your project.
 		 */
 		files?: {
+			/**
+			 * the location of your source code
+			 * @default "src"
+			 * @since 2.28
+			 */
+			src?: string;
 			/**
 			 * a place to put static files that should have stable URLs and undergo no processing, such as `favicon.ico` or `manifest.json`
 			 * @default "static"
diff --git a/packages/package/test/index.spec.js b/packages/package/test/index.spec.js
index 5bc0412ad7af..c4cec8f8da56 100644
--- a/packages/package/test/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/package/test/index.spec.js
@@ -133,11 +133,12 @@ test('create package with typescript using nodenext', async () => {
 	await test_make_package('typescript-nodenext');
 });
 
-// only run this test in older Node versions
-// TODO: remove after dropping support for Node 20
-const is_node_without_ts_support =
-	process.versions.node && Number(process.versions.node.split('.', 1)[0]) < 22;
-if (!is_node_without_ts_support) {
+// only run this test in newer Node versions
+// TODO: remove after dropping support for Node < 22.18
+const [major, minor] = process.versions.node.split('.', 2).map((str) => +str);
+const has_ts_support = major > 22 || (major === 22 && minor >= 18);
+
+if (has_ts_support) {
 	test('create package with typescript using nodenext and svelte.config.ts', async () => {
 		await test_make_package('typescript-svelte-config');
 	});