diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4a19478d..31d1399b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ logfiles/
 stashmerge.sh
 jacksnbs
 demos
+uv.lock
 
 __pycache__
 *.ipynb_checkpoints
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 5ed2fed4..e45be554 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ We want this community to be friendly and respectful to each other. Please read
 1. Create a Python virtual environment. For convenience, our Makefile provides a target called 'venv' that will create a virtual environment for you. Run the following command: `make venv`
 1. Activate the virtual environment. If you used the Makefile target in the previous step, activate the virtual environment by the running the following command: `source venv-hnx/bin/activate`
 1. Install the library in development mode: `pip install -e .`
-1. Install testing dependencies: `pip install -e .['testing'] `
+1. Install testing dependencies: `pip install -e '.[testing]' `
 1. Do the changes you want and ensure all tests pass by running `python -m pytest` before sending a pull request.
 
 ### Commit message convention
diff --git a/hypernetx/classes/hypergraph.py b/hypernetx/classes/hypergraph.py
index 02d44cc3..0218c3fb 100644
--- a/hypernetx/classes/hypergraph.py
+++ b/hypernetx/classes/hypergraph.py
@@ -2392,6 +2392,64 @@ def distance(self, source, target, s=1):
 
         return dist
 
+    def k_nearest_neighbors(self, node, k, s=1):
+        """
+        Return nodes nearest to ``node`` by shortest :term:`s-walk` distance.
+
+        This uses the same s-walk metric as :meth:`distance`, not the
+        s-edge-sharing definition in :meth:`neighbors`.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        node : hashable
+            A node in the hypergraph.
+
+        k : int
+            Consider the ``k``-th smallest s-walk distance among other nodes,
+            then return every other node at distance less than or equal to
+            that value. Ties at the cutoff may yield more than ``k`` nodes.
+
+        s : positive int, optional, default=1
+            Minimum number of shared edges between consecutive nodes in an
+            s-walk.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        list
+            Node uids of the k-nearest neighbors (including ties).
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        distance
+        neighbors
+        get_linegraph
+
+        Notes
+        -----
+        Nodes in other s-components are omitted. Distances match
+        :meth:`distance` for each returned neighbor.
+        """
+        if k <= 0:
+            return []
+        if node not in self.nodes:
+            warnings.warn(f"{node} is not in hypergraph {self.name}.")
+            return []
+
+        g = self.get_linegraph(s=s, edges=False)
+        try:
+            lengths = nx.single_source_shortest_path_length(g, node)
+        except nx.NodeNotFound:
+            return []
+
+        candidates = [(u, d) for u, d in lengths.items() if u != node]
+        if not candidates:
+            return []
+
+        candidates.sort(key=lambda pair: (pair[1], pair[0]))
+        k_eff = min(k, len(candidates))
+        kth_dist = candidates[k_eff - 1][1]
+        return [u for u, d in candidates if d <= kth_dist]
+
     def edge_distance(self, source, target, s=1):
         """
         Returns the shortest :term:`s-walk` distance between two edges in the hypergraph.
diff --git a/tests/classes/test_hypergraph.py b/tests/classes/test_hypergraph.py
index 29ceb5f2..39f63116 100644
--- a/tests/classes/test_hypergraph.py
+++ b/tests/classes/test_hypergraph.py
@@ -1445,6 +1445,66 @@ def test_distance(lesmis):
     assert h.distance("ME", "FN", s=3) == np.inf
 
 
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors(lesmis):
+    h = Hypergraph(lesmis.edgedict)
+    knn1 = h.k_nearest_neighbors("ME", 1)
+    assert set(knn1) == {
+        "CL",
+        "CV",
+        "GE",
+        "GG",
+        "IS",
+        "JL",
+        "JV",
+        "MB",
+        "MC",
+        "MR",
+        "MT",
+        "MY",
+        "NP",
+        "PG",
+        "SN",
+    }
+    for u in knn1:
+        assert h.distance("ME", u) == 1
+
+    knn_s2 = h.k_nearest_neighbors("ME", 1, s=2)
+    assert set(knn_s2) == {"MB", "MY"}
+    for u in knn_s2:
+        assert h.distance("ME", u, s=2) == 1
+
+
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors_sevenbysix(sevenbysix):
+    hg = Hypergraph(sevenbysix.edgedict)
+    assert set(hg.k_nearest_neighbors("A", 1)) == {"C", "E", "K", "T2", "V"}
+
+
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors_ties():
+    h = Hypergraph({"e1": ["v", "a"], "e2": ["v", "b"], "e3": ["v", "c"]})
+    knn = h.k_nearest_neighbors("v", 1)
+    assert set(knn) == {"a", "b", "c"}
+    assert len(knn) > 1
+
+
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors_invalid_node(lesmis):
+    h = Hypergraph(lesmis.edgedict)
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning, match="NEMO is not in hypergraph"):
+        assert h.k_nearest_neighbors("NEMO", 1) == []
+
+
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors_k_nonpositive(lesmis):
+    h = Hypergraph(lesmis.edgedict)
+    assert h.k_nearest_neighbors("ME", 0) == []
+    assert h.k_nearest_neighbors("ME", -1) == []
+
+
+def test_k_nearest_neighbors_k_large(lesmis):
+    h = Hypergraph(lesmis.edgedict)
+    knn = h.k_nearest_neighbors("ME", 1000)
+    assert len(knn) == len(h.nodes) - 1
+    assert "ME" not in knn
+
+
 def test_edge_distance(lesmis):
     h = Hypergraph(lesmis.edgedict)
     assert h.edge_distance(1, 4) == 2