diff --git a/common/desktop-node.nix b/common/desktop-node.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69725d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/desktop-node.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+{ pkgs, ... }:
+{
+  # Enable Hyprland (Wayland compositor)
+  programs.hyprland = {
+    enable = true;
+    xwayland.enable = true; # For compatibility with X11 apps if needed
+  };
+
+  # Essential desktop services
+  services.dbus.enable = true;
+
+  # polkit for privilege escalation
+  security.polkit.enable = true;
+
+  # Enable sound with pipewire
+  security.rtkit.enable = true;
+  services.pipewire = {
+    enable = true;
+    alsa.enable = true;
+    alsa.support32Bit = true;
+    pulse.enable = true;
+  };
+
+  # XDG portal for screen sharing, file pickers, etc.
+  xdg.portal = {
+    enable = true;
+    extraPortals = [ pkgs.xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland ];
+  };
+
+  # Fonts
+  fonts.packages = with pkgs; [
+    noto-fonts
+    noto-fonts-cjk-sans
+    noto-fonts-emoji
+    liberation_ttf
+    fira-code
+    fira-code-symbols
+  ];
+
+  # Enable GDM for login (can also use greetd or ly for lighter options)
+  services.greetd = {
+    enable = true;
+    settings = {
+      default_session = {
+        command = "${pkgs.greetd.tuigreet}/bin/tuigreet --time --cmd Hyprland";
+        user = "greeter";
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
+  # Environment variables for Wayland
+  environment.sessionVariables = {
+    NIXOS_OZONE_WL = "1"; # Hint electron apps to use Wayland
+    WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS = "1"; # Fix cursor rendering on some hardware
+  };
+}
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 1264a00..62a0dc2 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@
         };
       };
 
-      mkNixos =
-        system: modules:
+      mkHost =
+        system: profile: modules:
         nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
           system = system;
           modules = [
@@ -69,31 +69,30 @@
             disko.nixosModules.disko
             sops-nix.nixosModules.sops
             impermanence.nixosModules.impermanence
+            home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
+            {
+              home-manager = {
+                useGlobalPkgs = true;
+                useUserPackages = true;
+                users.ppetru = {
+                  imports = [
+                    (inputs.impermanence + "/home-manager.nix")
+                    inputs.nix-index-database.homeModules.nix-index
+                    inputs.nixvim.homeModules.nixvim
+                    ./home
+                  ];
+                };
+                extraSpecialArgs = {
+                  inherit profile;
+                };
+              };
+            }
           ] ++ modules;
           specialArgs = {
             inherit inputs self;
           };
         };
 
-      mkHMNixos =
-        system: modules:
-        mkNixos system ([
-          home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
-          {
-            home-manager = {
-              useGlobalPkgs = true;
-              useUserPackages = true;
-              users.ppetru = {
-                imports = [
-                  (inputs.impermanence + "/home-manager.nix")
-                  inputs.nix-index-database.homeModules.nix-index
-                  inputs.nixvim.homeModules.nixvim
-                  ./home
-                ];
-              };
-            };
-          }] ++ modules);
-
       pkgsFor =
         system:
         import nixpkgs {
@@ -119,16 +118,16 @@
     in
     {
       nixosConfigurations = {
-        c1 = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [ ./hosts/c1 ];
-        c2 = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [ ./hosts/c2 ];
-        c3 = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [ ./hosts/c3 ];
-        alo-cloud-1 = mkHMNixos "aarch64-linux" [ ./hosts/alo-cloud-1 ];
-        zippy = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [
+        c1 = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "server" [ ./hosts/c1 ];
+        c2 = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "server" [ ./hosts/c2 ];
+        c3 = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "server" [ ./hosts/c3 ];
+        alo-cloud-1 = mkHost "aarch64-linux" "server" [ ./hosts/alo-cloud-1 ];
+        zippy = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "workstation" [
           ethereum-nix.nixosModules.default
           ./hosts/zippy
         ];
-        chilly = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [ ./hosts/chilly ];
-        sparky = mkHMNixos "x86_64-linux" [ ./hosts/sparky ];
+        chilly = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "workstation" [ ./hosts/chilly ];
+        sparky = mkHost "x86_64-linux" "desktop" [ ./hosts/sparky ];
       };
 
       deploy = {
diff --git a/home/default.nix b/home/default.nix
index 1868a9a..b43817c 100644
--- a/home/default.nix
+++ b/home/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{ pkgs, ... }:
+{ pkgs, profile ? "cli", ... }:
 {
   home = {
-    packages = (import ./packages.nix { inherit pkgs; }).packages;
+    packages = (import ./packages.nix { inherit pkgs profile; }).packages;
     stateVersion = "24.05"; # TODO: unify this with the references in flake.nix:inputs
 
     sessionVariables = {
diff --git a/home/packages.nix b/home/packages.nix
index b428c3f..6d499b7 100644
--- a/home/packages.nix
+++ b/home/packages.nix
@@ -1,38 +1,7 @@
-{ pkgs }:
+{ pkgs, profile ? "workstation" }:
 let
-  corePkgs = with pkgs; [
-    unstable.claude-code
-    unstable.codex
-    unstable.chromium
-    unstable.gemini-cli
-    unstable.playwright
-    unstable.playwright-driver.browsers
-    unstable.playwright-mcp
-    direnv
-    fzf
-    git
-    mosh
-    ripgrep
-    tmux
-    zsh
-  ];
-
-  pythonEnv = pkgs.unstable.python3.withPackages (ps: [
-    # unstable only
-    # ps.aider-chat
-    ps.google-generativeai
-    ps.ipython
-    ps.llm
-    ps.llm-gemini
-  ]);
-
-  fishPkgs = with pkgs.fishPlugins; [
-    pure
-    # don't add failed commands to history
-    sponge
-    transient-fish
-  ];
+  profilePackages = import ./profiles/${profile}.nix { inherit pkgs; };
 in
 {
-  packages = corePkgs ++ [ pythonEnv ] ++ fishPkgs;
+  packages = profilePackages.packages;
 }
diff --git a/home/profiles/desktop.nix b/home/profiles/desktop.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f97f9ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/profiles/desktop.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{ pkgs }:
+let
+  workstationProfile = import ./workstation.nix { inherit pkgs; };
+
+  desktopPkgs = with pkgs; [
+    unstable.chromium
+    foot # Wayland-native terminal emulator
+  ];
+in
+{
+  packages = workstationProfile.packages ++ desktopPkgs;
+}
diff --git a/home/profiles/server.nix b/home/profiles/server.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79c0774
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/profiles/server.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{ pkgs }:
+let
+  corePkgs = with pkgs; [
+    direnv
+    fzf
+    git
+    mosh
+    ripgrep
+    tmux
+    zsh
+  ];
+
+  pythonEnv = pkgs.unstable.python3.withPackages (ps: [
+    ps.google-generativeai
+    ps.ipython
+  ]);
+
+  fishPkgs = with pkgs.fishPlugins; [
+    pure
+    # don't add failed commands to history
+    sponge
+    transient-fish
+  ];
+in
+{
+  packages = corePkgs ++ [ pythonEnv ] ++ fishPkgs;
+}
diff --git a/home/profiles/workstation.nix b/home/profiles/workstation.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e339f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/profiles/workstation.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{ pkgs }:
+let
+  serverProfile = import ./server.nix { inherit pkgs; };
+
+  cliPkgs = with pkgs; [
+    unstable.claude-code
+    unstable.codex
+    unstable.gemini-cli
+  ];
+
+  pythonEnv = pkgs.unstable.python3.withPackages (ps: [
+    ps.google-generativeai
+    ps.ipython
+    ps.llm
+    ps.llm-gemini
+  ]);
+in
+{
+  packages = serverProfile.packages ++ cliPkgs ++ [ pythonEnv ];
+}
diff --git a/hosts/sparky/default.nix b/hosts/sparky/default.nix
index 7b536de..76236e5 100644
--- a/hosts/sparky/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/sparky/default.nix
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     ../../common/global
     ../../common/base-node.nix
     ../../common/dev-node.nix
+    ../../common/desktop-node.nix
     ./hardware.nix
   ];