diff --git a/hosts/llynx/configuration.nix b/hosts/llynx/configuration.nix
index 21a600b..5905c49 100644
--- a/hosts/llynx/configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/llynx/configuration.nix
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@
     audio.enable = false;
   };
 
+  snowhawk.plymouth = {
+    enable = true;
+    theme = "owl";
+  };
+
   specialisation = {
     plasma.configuration = {
       environment.etc."specialisation".text = "plasma";
diff --git a/hosts/llynx/hardware-configuration.nix b/hosts/llynx/hardware-configuration.nix
index 30aa39b..bd9f903 100644
--- a/hosts/llynx/hardware-configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/llynx/hardware-configuration.nix
@@ -10,7 +10,25 @@
   boot.initrd.kernelModules = [ ];
   boot.kernelModules = [ ];
   boot.extraModulePackages = [ ];
-  boot.kernelParams = [ "apple_dcp.show_notch=1" ];
+  # FIXME: was previously only "apple_dcp.show_notch=1"
+  # wish I could predict the commit hash
+  boot.kernelParams = lib.mkForce [
+    "earlycon"
+    "console=tty0"
+    "boot.shell_on_fail"
+    "nvme_apple.flush_interval=0"
+    "quiet"
+    "splash"
+    "boot.shell_on_fail"
+    "loglevel=3"
+    "rd.systemd.show_status=false"
+    "rd.udev.log_level=3"
+    "udev.log_priority=3"
+    "apple_dcp.show_notch=1"
+    "root=fstab"
+    "splash"
+    "loglevel=0"
+  ];
 
   hardware.asahi.peripheralFirmwareDirectory = ./firmware;
   hardware.asahi.useExperimentalGPUDriver = true;