diff --git a/hosts/goopnet-interface/apple-macbook-air-9-1.nix b/hosts/goopnet-interface/apple-macbook-air-9-1.nix
index 2fe9241..6737950 100644
--- a/hosts/goopnet-interface/apple-macbook-air-9-1.nix
+++ b/hosts/goopnet-interface/apple-macbook-air-9-1.nix
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@
 
   boot.kernelParams = [
     # enable the i915 sandybridge framebuffer compression (475mw savings)
-    "i915.i915_enable_fbc=1"
-    "i915.fastboot=1"
+    "i915.enable_fbc=1"
     "i915.enable_gvt=1"
   ];
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hosts/goopnet-interface/default.nix b/hosts/goopnet-interface/default.nix
index 0c3c598..5acb10c 100755
--- a/hosts/goopnet-interface/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/goopnet-interface/default.nix
@@ -60,8 +60,9 @@
       gammastep.enable = true;
       clipse.enable = true;
 
-      # display manager
+      # display manager + boot splash
       sddm.enable = true;
+      plymouth.enable = true;
 
       # theme, see `modules/desktop/themes`
       themes.active = "catppuccin";
diff --git a/modules/desktop/plymouth.nix b/modules/desktop/plymouth.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d1ca73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/desktop/plymouth.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+{ pkgs, lib, config, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+let
+  cfg = config.modules.desktop.plymouth;
+in {
+  options.modules.desktop.plymouth = {
+    enable = mkEnableOption "Enable plymouth, a graphical boot splash screen";
+  };
+
+  config = mkIf cfg.enable {
+    boot.plymouth = {
+      enable = true;
+      
+      themePackages = [ config.modules.desktop.themes.plymouthTheme.package ];
+      theme = config.modules.desktop.themes.plymouthTheme.name;
+    };
+
+    # smooth transition from plymouth to the login manager
+    # honestly, i have No Clue what this does, but it's in the arch wiki so it must be good
+    # https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Plymouth#Smooth_transition
+    # we aren't actually replacing anything here, nix merges it into the existing service for us :3
+    systemd.services.display-manager = {
+      conflicts = [ "plymouth-quit.service" ];
+      after = [
+        "plymouth-quit.service"
+        "plymouth-start.service"
+        "systemd-user-sessions.service"
+      ];
+      onFailure = [ "plymouth-quit.service" ];
+
+      serviceConfig = {
+        ExecStartPost = [
+          "-${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/sleep 30"
+          "-${pkgs.plymouth}/bin/plymouth quit --retain-splash"
+        ];
+      };
+    };
+  };
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/desktop/themes/catppuccin/default.nix b/modules/desktop/themes/catppuccin/default.nix
index edd6bbd..a3008bb 100644
--- a/modules/desktop/themes/catppuccin/default.nix
+++ b/modules/desktop/themes/catppuccin/default.nix
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@ in {
         });
       };
 
+      plymouthTheme = {
+        name = "catppuccin-${variant}";
+        package = (pkgs.catppuccin-plymouth.override {
+          variant = variant;
+        });
+      };
+
       editor = {
         vscode = {
           colorTheme = {
diff --git a/modules/desktop/themes/default.nix b/modules/desktop/themes/default.nix
index 65e03cf..3936375 100644
--- a/modules/desktop/themes/default.nix
+++ b/modules/desktop/themes/default.nix
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ in {
       name = mkOpt str "";
       package = mkPackageOption pkgs "sddm" {};
     };
+    plymouthTheme = {
+      name = mkOpt str "";
+      package = mkPackageOption pkgs "plymouth" {};
+    };
 
     editor = {
       vscode = {