diff --git a/modules/desktop/niri/default.nix b/modules/desktop/niri/default.nix
index cc174be..91d8cae 100644
--- a/modules/desktop/niri/default.nix
+++ b/modules/desktop/niri/default.nix
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ let
       };
       input."warp-mouse-to-focus" = _: { };
       layout.gaps = 5;
+      prefer-no-csd = true;
 
       window-rules = [
         {
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ let
 "Mod+N"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call notepad toggle"; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
 "Mod+Shift+N"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call notifications toggle"; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
 "Mod+M"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call processlist toggle"; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
-"Mod+B"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call bar toggle name \"Main Bar\""; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
+"Mod+B"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call bar toggle name \"Main Bar\"; dms ipc call bar toggle name \"Bar 2\""; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
 "Mod+Shift+B"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call bar toggle name \"Bar 2\""; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
 "Mod+L"."spawn-sh" = "dms ipc call lock lock"; #TODO[epic=Binds] This should only be set if having dms
 
@@ -178,28 +179,55 @@ let
       // lib.optionalAttrs (windowRules != [ ]) {
         window-rules = windowRules;
       }
-      // lib.optionalAttrs (rpi5Extra != "" || (userExtra.extraConfig or "") != "") {
+      // lib.optionalAttrs (extraConfigMerged != "") {
         extraConfig = extraConfigMerged;
       }
     );
 in
 {
   flake.homeManagerModules.desktopNiri =
-    { lib, pkgs, osConfig ? { }, ... }:
+    { config, lib, pkgs, osConfig ? { }, ... }:
     let
+      home = config.home.homeDirectory;
       niriOs = osConfig.chiasson.desktop.niri or { };
       niriEnabled = osConfig.chiasson.desktop.niri.enable or false;
       keyringEnabled = osConfig.chiasson.desktop.keyring.enable or false;
-      mergedSettings = mergeNiriSettings pkgs niriOs keyringEnabled;
+      dmsEnabled = (osConfig.chiasson.desktop.shell or null) == "dms";
+      dmsWindowRulesPath = "${home}/.config/niri/dms/windowrules.kdl";
+      # wrapper-modules emits quoted KDL (`"include" "…"`) which DMS's parser ignores.
+      # config.kdl is a store symlink, so a relative include would not resolve to the real
+      # ~/.config/niri/dms/windowrules.kdl that DMS writes at runtime.
+      dmsWindowRulesInclude = lib.optionalString dmsEnabled ''
+        include "${dmsWindowRulesPath}"
+      '';
+      baseMergedSettings = mergeNiriSettings pkgs niriOs keyringEnabled;
+      mergedSettings = lib.recursiveUpdate baseMergedSettings {
+        extraConfig = dmsWindowRulesInclude + (baseMergedSettings.extraConfig or "");
+      };
       niriConfigPkg = inputs.wrapper-modules.wrappers.niri.wrap {
         inherit pkgs;
         settings = mergedSettings;
+        # User-owned rules path is not available during the Nix build.
+        disableConfigValidation = dmsEnabled;
       };
     in
     {
-      config = lib.mkIf niriEnabled {
-        xdg.configFile."niri/config.kdl".source = "${niriConfigPkg}/niri-config.kdl";
-      };
+      config = lib.mkIf niriEnabled (lib.mkMerge [
+        {
+          xdg.configFile."niri/config.kdl".source = "${niriConfigPkg}/niri-config.kdl";
+        }
+        (lib.mkIf dmsEnabled {
+          # Seed empty rules file so niri can load the include before DMS first deploy.
+          home.activation.dmsNiriWindowRulesSeed = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter [ "writeBoundary" ] ''
+            rulesDir="$HOME/.config/niri/dms"
+            rulesFile="$rulesDir/windowrules.kdl"
+            mkdir -p "$rulesDir"
+            if [ ! -e "$rulesFile" ]; then
+              ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/touch "$rulesFile"
+            fi
+          '';
+        })
+      ]);
     };
 
   flake.nixosModules.desktopNiri =
diff --git a/modules/desktop/shells/dms/_private/default-settings.nix b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/_private/default-settings.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7743f39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/_private/default-settings.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+# Defaults written once to ~/.config/DankMaterialShell/settings.json on first login.
+# After that, DMS settings are owned by the UI — rebuilds do not overwrite them.
+{
+  lib,
+  gpuTempEnabled ? true,
+  extraRightBarWidgets ? [ ],
+}:
+let
+  gpuTempBarWidget = {
+    id = "gpuTemp";
+    enabled = true;
+    selectedGpuIndex = 0;
+    pciId = "10de:1f07";
+  };
+in
+{
+  theme = "dark";
+  dynamicTheming = true;
+  currentThemeName = "dynamic";
+  matugenScheme = "scheme-tonal-spot";
+  runUserMatugenTemplates = true;
+  matugenTemplateVesktop = false;
+  showDock = false;
+  gtkThemingEnabled = true;
+  qtThemingEnabled = true;
+  terminalsAlwaysDark = true;
+  syncModeWithPortal = true;
+  configVersion = 5;
+
+  barConfigs = [
+    {
+      id = "default";
+      name = "Main Bar";
+      enabled = true;
+      position = 0;
+      screenPreferences = [ "all" ];
+      showOnLastDisplay = true;
+
+      leftWidgets =
+        [
+          {
+            id = "launcherButton";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "nixMonitor";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "cpuUsage";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "cpuTemp";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+        ]
+        ++ lib.optionals gpuTempEnabled [ gpuTempBarWidget ]
+        ++ [
+          {
+            id = "memUsage";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+        ];
+
+      centerWidgets = [
+        {
+          id = "workspaceSwitcher";
+          enabled = true;
+        }
+      ];
+
+      rightWidgets = extraRightBarWidgets
+        ++ [
+          {
+            id = "systemTray";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "notificationButton";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "battery";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "controlCenterButton";
+            enabled = true;
+          }
+          {
+            id = "clock";
+            enabled = true;
+            clockCompactMode = false;
+          }
+        ];
+
+      spacing = 0;
+      innerPadding = 4;
+      bottomGap = 0;
+      transparency = 1;
+      widgetTransparency = 0.45;
+      squareCorners = true;
+      maximizeDetection = true;
+      visible = true;
+    }
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/modules/desktop/shells/dms/default.nix b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/default.nix
index 9c4e826..7b7422e 100644
--- a/modules/desktop/shells/dms/default.nix
+++ b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/default.nix
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
       extraRightBarWidgets = lib.mkOption {
         type = lib.types.listOf lib.types.attrs;
         default = [ ];
-        description = "Extra right-bar widgets (prepended).";
+        description = "Extra right-bar widgets merged into the first-run DMS settings seed.";
       };
       enableWvkbdToggle = lib.mkEnableOption ''
         wvkbd DMS plugin + bar toggle (touch / uConsole).
diff --git a/modules/desktop/shells/dms/home-manager/default.nix b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/home-manager/default.nix
index e708558..73b64bc 100644
--- a/modules/desktop/shells/dms/home-manager/default.nix
+++ b/modules/desktop/shells/dms/home-manager/default.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@
   matugenOutputDirs =
     lib.optionals hyprlandEnabled [ "${home}/.config/hypr" ]
     ++ lib.optionals ohMyPoshEnabled [ "${home}/.config/oh-my-posh" ]
-    ++ lib.optionals discordEnabled [ "${home}/.config/vesktop/themes" ];
+    ++ lib.optionals discordEnabled [ "${home}/.config/vesktop/themes" ]
+    ++ [
+      "${home}/.config/qt6ct/colors"
+      "${home}/.config/qt5ct/colors"
+    ];
   ensureMatugenOutputDirsScript = pkgs.writeShellScript "dms-ensure-matugen-output-dirs" ''
     set -euo pipefail
     ${lib.concatStringsSep "\n" (map (dir: "mkdir -p ${lib.escapeShellArg dir}") matugenOutputDirs)}
@@ -54,6 +58,14 @@
     ${pkgs.systemd}/bin/systemctl --user try-restart dms.service 2>/dev/null || true
   '';
 
+  jsonFormat = pkgs.formats.json { };
+  dmsSeedSettings = import ../_private/default-settings.nix {
+    inherit lib gpuTempEnabled;
+    extraRightBarWidgets = cfg.extraRightBarWidgets;
+  };
+  dmsSeedFile = jsonFormat.generate "dms-settings-seed.json" dmsSeedSettings;
+  dmsSettingsPath = "${config.xdg.configHome}/DankMaterialShell/settings.json";
+
 in {
   options = {
     dms.enable = lib.mkOption {
@@ -104,7 +116,7 @@ in {
         { id = "wvkbdToggle"; enabled = true; }
         { id = "rbwLockToggle"; enabled = true; }
       ];
-      description = "Extra `{ id, enabled, … }` widgets, merged before defaults.";
+      description = "Extra `{ id, enabled, … }` widgets merged into the first-run settings seed.";
     };
 
     dms.enableWvkbdToggle = lib.mkEnableOption ''
@@ -167,6 +179,11 @@ in {
   programs.dank-material-shell = {
     enable = true;
 
+    # homeAssistantMonitor plugin (QtWebSockets) needs QML on DMS's import path, not just home.packages.
+    package = inputs.dms.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.dms-shell.override {
+      extraQtPackages = with pkgs.kdePackages; [ qtwebsockets ];
+    };
+
     systemd = {
       enable = true; # Systemd service for auto-start
       restartIfChanged = true; # Auto-restart dms.service when dankMaterialShell changes
@@ -181,391 +198,29 @@ in {
     enableCalendarEvents = false; # Disable calendar integration (khal/ikhal)
 
     # Leave `session` at {} — non-empty makes HM rewrite session.json every switch and nukes wallpaper/session state.
-    settings = {
-      theme = "dark";
-      dynamicTheming = true;
-
-      currentThemeName = "dynamic";
-      customThemeFile = "";
-      matugenScheme = "scheme-tonal-spot";
-      runUserMatugenTemplates = true;
-      # Stock DMS vesktop matugen output conflicts with our `templates/dank-discord.css` + config.toml entry.
-      matugenTemplateVesktop = false;
-      matugenTargetMonitor = "";
-      popupTransparency = 1;
-      dockTransparency = 0.85;
-      widgetBackgroundColor = "sch";
-      widgetColorMode = "default";
-      cornerRadius = 10;
-      use24HourClock = false;
-      showSeconds = true;
-      useFahrenheit = false;
-      nightModeEnabled = false;
-      animationSpeed = 1;
-      customAnimationDuration = 500;
-      wallpaperFillMode = "Fill";
-      blurredWallpaperLayer = false;
-      blurWallpaperOnOverview = false;
-
-      showLauncherButton = true;
-      showWorkspaceSwitcher = true;
-      showFocusedWindow = true;
-      showWeather = true;
-      showMusic = true;
-      showClipboard = true;
-      showCpuUsage = true;
-      showMemUsage = true;
-      showCpuTemp = true;
-      showGpuTemp = gpuTempEnabled;
-      showSystemTray = true;
-    }
-    // lib.optionalAttrs gpuTempEnabled {
-      selectedGpuIndex = 0;
-      enabledGpuPciIds = [];
-    }
-    // {
-      showClock = true;
-      showNotificationButton = true;
-      showBattery = true;
-      showControlCenterButton = true;
-      showCapsLockIndicator = true;
-
-      controlCenterShowNetworkIcon = true;
-      controlCenterShowBluetoothIcon = true;
-      controlCenterShowAudioIcon = true;
-      controlCenterShowVpnIcon = true;
-      controlCenterShowBrightnessIcon = false;
-      controlCenterShowMicIcon = false;
-      controlCenterShowBatteryIcon = false;
-      controlCenterShowPrinterIcon = false;
-
-      showPrivacyButton = true;
-      privacyShowMicIcon = false;
-      privacyShowCameraIcon = false;
-      privacyShowScreenShareIcon = false;
-
-      controlCenterWidgets = [
-        {
-          id = "volumeSlider";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "brightnessSlider";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "wifi";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "bluetooth";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "audioOutput";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "audioInput";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "nightMode";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-        {
-          id = "darkMode";
-          enabled = true;
-          width = 50;
-        }
-      ];
-
-      showWorkspaceIndex = true;
-      showWorkspacePadding = false;
-      workspaceScrolling = false;
-      showWorkspaceApps = true;
-      maxWorkspaceIcons = 10;
-      workspaceAppIconSizeOffset = 1;
-      workspacesPerMonitor = true;
-      showOccupiedWorkspacesOnly = false;
-      dwlShowAllTags = false;
-      workspaceNameIcons = {};
-
-      waveProgressEnabled = true;
-      scrollTitleEnabled = true;
-      clockCompactMode = false;
-      focusedWindowCompactMode = false;
-      runningAppsCompactMode = true;
-      keyboardLayoutNameCompactMode = false;
-      runningAppsCurrentWorkspace = false;
-      runningAppsGroupByApp = true;
-      centeringMode = "geometric";
-
-      clockDateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd";
-      lockDateFormat = "";
-      mediaSize = 1;
-
-      appLauncherViewMode = "list";
-      spotlightModalViewMode = "list";
-      sortAppsAlphabetically = false;
-      appLauncherGridColumns = 4;
-      spotlightCloseNiriOverview = true;
-      niriOverviewOverlayEnabled = true;
-      useAutoLocation = true;
-      weatherEnabled = true;
-
-      networkPreference = "auto";
-      vpnLastConnected = "";
-      iconTheme = "System Default";
-
-      launcherLogoMode = "os";
-      launcherLogoCustomPath = "";
-      launcherLogoColorOverride = "";
-      launcherLogoColorInvertOnMode = false;
-      launcherLogoBrightness = 0.5;
-      launcherLogoContrast = 1;
-      launcherLogoSizeOffset = 0;
-
-      fontFamily = "Inter Variable";
-      monoFontFamily = "Fira Code";
-      fontWeight = 400;
-      fontScale = 1;
-
-      notepadUseMonospace = true;
-      notepadFontFamily = "";
-      notepadFontSize = 14;
-      notepadShowLineNumbers = false;
-      notepadTransparencyOverride = -1;
-      notepadLastCustomTransparency = 0.7;
-
-      soundsEnabled = true;
-      useSystemSoundTheme = false;
-      soundNewNotification = true;
-      soundVolumeChanged = true;
-      soundPluggedIn = true;
-
-      acMonitorTimeout = 0;
-      acLockTimeout = 0;
-      acSuspendTimeout = 0;
-      acSuspendBehavior = 0;
-      acProfileName = "";
-
-      batteryMonitorTimeout = 0;
-      batteryLockTimeout = 0;
-      batterySuspendTimeout = 0;
-      batterySuspendBehavior = 0;
-      batteryProfileName = "";
-
-      lockBeforeSuspend = false;
-      loginctlLockIntegration = true;
-      fadeToLockEnabled = false;
-      fadeToLockGracePeriod = 5;
-      launchPrefix = "";
-
-      brightnessDevicePins = {};
-      wifiNetworkPins = {};
-      bluetoothDevicePins = {};
-      audioInputDevicePins = {};
-      audioOutputDevicePins = {};
-
-      gtkThemingEnabled = false;
-      qtThemingEnabled = false;
-      syncModeWithPortal = true;
-      terminalsAlwaysDark = true;
-
-      showDock = false;
-      dockAutoHide = true;
-      dockGroupByApp = true;
-      dockOpenOnOverview = false;
-      dockPosition = 1;
-      dockSpacing = 3;
-      dockBottomGap = -16;
-      dockMargin = 2;
-      dockIconSize = 45;
-      dockIndicatorStyle = "circle";
-      dockBorderEnabled = true;
-      dockBorderColor = "primary";
-      dockBorderOpacity = 0.2;
-      dockBorderThickness = 2;
-
-      notificationOverlayEnabled = false;
-      modalDarkenBackground = true;
-      lockScreenShowPowerActions = true;
-      enableFprint = false;
-      maxFprintTries = 15;
-      lockScreenActiveMonitor = "all";
-      lockScreenInactiveColor = "#000000";
-      hideBrightnessSlider = false;
-
-      notificationTimeoutLow = 5000;
-      notificationTimeoutNormal = 5000;
-      notificationTimeoutCritical = 0;
-      notificationPopupPosition = 0;
-
-      osdAlwaysShowValue = false;
-      osdPosition = 5;
-      osdVolumeEnabled = true;
-      osdMediaVolumeEnabled = true;
-      osdBrightnessEnabled = true;
-      osdIdleInhibitorEnabled = true;
-      osdMicMuteEnabled = true;
-      osdCapsLockEnabled = true;
-      osdPowerProfileEnabled = false;
-      osdAudioOutputEnabled = true;
-
-      powerActionConfirm = true;
-      powerActionHoldDuration = 0.5;
-      powerMenuActions = ["reboot" "logout" "poweroff" "lock" "suspend" "restart"];
-      powerMenuDefaultAction = "logout";
-      powerMenuGridLayout = false;
-
-      customPowerActionLock = "";
-      customPowerActionLogout = "";
-      customPowerActionSuspend = "";
-      customPowerActionHibernate = "";
-      customPowerActionReboot = "";
-      customPowerActionPowerOff = "";
-
-      updaterUseCustomCommand = false;
-      updaterCustomCommand = "";
-      updaterTerminalAdditionalParams = "";
-
-      displayNameMode = "model";
-
-      showOnLastDisplay = {
-        dock = true;
-      };
-
-      barConfigs = [
-        {
-          id = "default";
-          name = "Main Bar";
-          enabled = true;
-          position = 0;
-          screenPreferences = ["all"];
-          showOnLastDisplay = true;
-
-          leftWidgets = [
-            {
-              id = "launcherButton";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "nixMonitor";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "cpuUsage";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "cpuTemp";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-          ]
-          ++ lib.optionals gpuTempEnabled [
-            {
-              id = "gpuTemp";
-              enabled = true;
-              selectedGpuIndex = 0;
-              pciId = "10de:1f07";
-            }
-          ]
-          ++ [
-            {
-              id = "memUsage";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "music";
-              enabled = false;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "focusedWindow";
-              enabled = false;
-            }
-          ];
-
-          centerWidgets = [
-            {
-              id = "privacyIndicator";
-              enabled = false;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "workspaceSwitcher";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "privacyIndicator";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-          ];
-
-          rightWidgets = cfg.extraRightBarWidgets
-          ++ [
-            {
-              id = "systemTray";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "notificationButton";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "battery";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "controlCenterButton";
-              enabled = true;
-            }
-            {
-              id = "clock";
-              enabled = true;
-              clockCompactMode = false;
-            }
-          ];
-
-          spacing = 0;
-          innerPadding = 4;
-          bottomGap = -4;
-          transparency = 0;
-          widgetTransparency = 0.45;
-          squareCorners = true;
-          noBackground = false;
-          gothCornersEnabled = true;
-          gothCornerRadiusOverride = false;
-          gothCornerRadiusValue = 12;
-          borderEnabled = false;
-          borderColor = "primary";
-          borderOpacity = 1;
-          borderThickness = 1;
-          widgetOutlineEnabled = true;
-          widgetOutlineColor = "secondary";
-          widgetOutlineOpacity = 0.25;
-          widgetOutlineThickness = 2;
-          fontScale = 1;
-          autoHide = false;
-          autoHideDelay = 250;
-          openOnOverview = false;
-          visible = true;
-          popupGapsAuto = true;
-          popupGapsManual = 22;
-          maximizeDetection = true;
-        }
-      ];
-
-      configVersion = 2;
-    };
+    # Leave `settings` at {} — UI-owned settings.json is seeded once on first run (see home.activation below).
+    settings = { };
+    session = { };
   };
 
+  # Detach store symlink so UI edits survive rebuilds; seed defaults only on a fresh profile.
+  home.activation.dmsMaterializeSettings = lib.hm.dag.entryBefore [ "writeBoundary" ] ''
+    settingsFile=${lib.escapeShellArg dmsSettingsPath}
+    if [ -L "$settingsFile" ]; then
+      mkdir -p "$(dirname "$settingsFile")"
+      ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/cp --remove-destination -L "$settingsFile" "$settingsFile"
+    fi
+  '';
+
+  home.activation.dmsSeedSettings = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter [ "writeBoundary" ] ''
+    settingsFile=${lib.escapeShellArg dmsSettingsPath}
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$settingsFile")"
+    if [ ! -e "$settingsFile" ]; then
+      ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/cp ${lib.escapeShellArg dmsSeedFile} "$settingsFile"
+      chmod u+w "$settingsFile"
+    fi
+  '';
+
   # matugen won't create missing output_path parents; run before DMS theme generation.
   systemd.user.services.dms.serviceConfig.ExecStartPre =
     lib.mkOrder 100 "${ensureMatugenOutputDirsScript}";
@@ -582,12 +237,6 @@ in {
     input_path = '${home}/.config/matugen/templates/hyprland-colors.conf'
     output_path = '${home}/.config/hypr/colors.conf'
     ''
-    + ''
-
-    [templates.kdeglobals]
-    input_path = '${home}/.config/matugen/templates/kdeglobals.conf'
-    output_path = '${home}/.config/kdeglobals'
-    ''
     + lib.optionalString ohMyPoshEnabled ''
 
     [templates.ohmyposh]
@@ -612,10 +261,6 @@ in {
     )
     ;
 
-  home.activation.dmsEnsureMatugenOutputDirs = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter ["writeBoundary"] ''
-    ${ensureMatugenOutputDirsScript}
-  '';
-
   # Obsidian snippet dirs for matugen: mkdir here instead of tmpfiles (no chmod fights on weird mounts).
   home.activation.dmsEnsureObsidianSnippetDirs = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter ["writeBoundary"] (
     let
@@ -669,97 +314,6 @@ in {
     }
   '';
 
-  # matugen template → KDE globals file used by KDE/Qt apps (e.g. Dolphin).
-  # Uses DMS-provided matugen color variables; keep `.default` for mode-aware colors.
-  xdg.configFile."matugen/templates/kdeglobals.conf".text = ''
-    [General]
-    ColorScheme=DMSDynamic
-    TerminalApplication=kitty
-    TerminalService=kitty.desktop
-
-    # Keep Qt/KDE app icons on WhiteSur (this is what Dolphin reads via KDE config)
-    [Icons]
-    Theme=WhiteSur-dark
-
-    [Colors:Window]
-    BackgroundNormal=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    BackgroundAlternate=#{{colors.surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationFocus=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationHover=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNormal=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundInactive=#{{colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundActive=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundLink=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundVisited=#{{colors.tertiary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNegative=#{{colors.error.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNeutral=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundPositive=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-
-    [Colors:View]
-    BackgroundNormal=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    BackgroundAlternate=#{{colors.surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationFocus=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationHover=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNormal=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundInactive=#{{colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundActive=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundLink=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundVisited=#{{colors.tertiary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNegative=#{{colors.error.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNeutral=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundPositive=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-
-    [Colors:Button]
-    BackgroundNormal=#{{colors.surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    BackgroundAlternate=#{{colors.surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationFocus=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationHover=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNormal=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundInactive=#{{colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundActive=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundLink=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundVisited=#{{colors.tertiary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNegative=#{{colors.error.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNeutral=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundPositive=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-
-    [Colors:Selection]
-    BackgroundNormal=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    BackgroundAlternate=#{{colors.primary_container.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationFocus=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationHover=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNormal=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundInactive=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundActive=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundLink=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundVisited=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNegative=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNeutral=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundPositive=#{{colors.on_primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-
-    [Colors:Tooltip]
-    BackgroundNormal=#{{colors.surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    BackgroundAlternate=#{{colors.surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationFocus=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    DecorationHover=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNormal=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundInactive=#{{colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundActive=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundLink=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundVisited=#{{colors.tertiary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNegative=#{{colors.error.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundNeutral=#{{colors.secondary.default.hex_stripped}}
-    ForegroundPositive=#{{colors.primary.default.hex_stripped}}
-
-    [WM]
-    activeBackground=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    activeBlend=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    activeForeground=#{{colors.on_surface.default.hex_stripped}}
-    inactiveBackground=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    inactiveBlend=#{{colors.background.default.hex_stripped}}
-    inactiveForeground=#{{colors.on_surface_variant.default.hex_stripped}}
-  '';
-
   # matugen → Oh My Posh JSON; hex in the base theme swapped for matugen tokens.
   xdg.configFile."matugen/templates/ohmyposh-theme.omp.json".text = ''
     {
diff --git a/modules/hosts/desktop-home-base.nix b/modules/hosts/desktop-home-base.nix
index 13bc1ac..ffc7330 100644
--- a/modules/hosts/desktop-home-base.nix
+++ b/modules/hosts/desktop-home-base.nix
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
                     enable = lib.mkDefault true;
                     swiftshareApiKeyFile = "/run/secrets/swiftshare/API_KEY"; #TODO[epic=sops] redo this by passing sops file output directly
                   };
-                  # WhiteSur GTK/icons, Phinger cursor, Qt via KDE platform theme; imports DMS matugen `dank-colors.css`.
+                  # WhiteSur GTK/icons, Phinger cursor, DMS matugen for GTK (+ qt6ct for Qt apps).
                   theming.enable = lib.mkDefault true;
                 };
 
diff --git a/modules/ssh/home-manager/default.nix b/modules/ssh/home-manager/default.nix
index d84c8b9..5711b66 100644
--- a/modules/ssh/home-manager/default.nix
+++ b/modules/ssh/home-manager/default.nix
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
         ];
       }
       {
-        home.packages = [ pkgs.rbw pkgs.pinentry-qt ];
+        home.packages = with pkgs; [ rbw pinentry-gtk2 ];
         home.sessionVariables.SSH_AUTH_SOCK = "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/rbw/ssh-agent-socket";
         home.file = inventory.mkIdentityFiles selectedHosts;
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ EOF
         };
 
         home.activation.rbwPinentryConfig = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter [ "writeBoundary" ] ''
-          ${pkgs.rbw}/bin/rbw config set pinentry "${pkgs.pinentry-qt}/bin/pinentry-qt" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+          ${pkgs.rbw}/bin/rbw config set pinentry "${pkgs.pinentry-gtk2}/bin/pinentry-gtk-2" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
         '';
       }
     ]);
diff --git a/modules/wisdom/desktop/gtk-qt-theming.nix b/modules/wisdom/desktop/gtk-qt-theming.nix
index 8e1e269..094e568 100644
--- a/modules/wisdom/desktop/gtk-qt-theming.nix
+++ b/modules/wisdom/desktop/gtk-qt-theming.nix
@@ -1,25 +1,24 @@
 { ... }: {
   flake.homeManagerModules.wisdomDesktopGtkQtTheming =
-    { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+    { config, lib, pkgs, osConfig ? { }, ... }:
     let
       root = config.chiasson.home;
       cfg = config.chiasson.home.desktop.theming;
+      dmsShell = (lib.attrByPath [ "chiasson" "desktop" "shell" ] null osConfig) == "dms";
+      qtPlatformTheme = if dmsShell then "qt6ct" else cfg.qt.platformTheme;
     in
     {
       options.chiasson.home.desktop.theming = {
         enable = lib.mkEnableOption ''
-          WhiteSur GTK + icon themes, Phinger cursor, and Qt via the KDE platform theme — same idea as
-          the old `home-shared.nix` stack for Hyprland/Niri (no full Plasma session required). Optional
-          `dank-colors.css` import for DMS/matugen GTK accents.
+          WhiteSur GTK + icon themes, Phinger cursor, and Qt via qt6ct (DMS) or KDE platform theme.
+          Matugen accent colors load via gtk3/gtk4 extraCss when matugenGtkColors is enabled.
         '';
 
         matugenGtkColors = lib.mkOption {
           type = lib.types.bool;
           default = true;
           description = ''
-            Add `@import url("dank-colors.css");` to gtk3/gtk4 extraCss. DMS/matugen writes
-            `~/.config/gtk-3.0` / `gtk-4.0` `dank-colors.css` when dynamic theming is on — disable if
-            you use this module without DMS.
+            Add `@import url("dank-colors.css");` to gtk3/gtk4 extraCss (DMS matugen writes the file).
           '';
         };
 
@@ -65,23 +64,30 @@
             type = lib.types.str;
             default = "kde";
             description = ''
-              `QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME` (e.g. `kde` for Qt/KDE integration, matches previous flake).
+              `QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME` when not using DMS shell. DMS hosts use qt6ct automatically.
             '';
           };
           extraPackages = lib.mkOption {
             type = lib.types.listOf lib.types.package;
-            default = [ pkgs.whitesur-kde pkgs.qt6Packages.qt6ct ];
-            description = "Extra packages (KDE look-and-feel + qt6ct GUI).";
+            default = [ pkgs.kdePackages.qt6ct ];
+            description = "Qt platform integration packages.";
           };
         };
       };
 
       config = lib.mkIf (root.enable && cfg.enable) (lib.mkMerge [
         {
-          home.packages = cfg.qt.extraPackages;
+          home.packages =
+            if dmsShell then
+              [ pkgs.kdePackages.qt6ct ]
+            else
+              cfg.qt.extraPackages;
 
           home.sessionVariables = {
-            QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME = cfg.qt.platformTheme;
+            QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME = qtPlatformTheme;
+          }
+          // lib.optionalAttrs (qtPlatformTheme == "qt6ct") {
+            QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME_QT6 = "qt6ct";
           };
 
           home.pointerCursor = {