diff --git a/eve/configuration.nix b/eve/configuration.nix
index b61f788..681a1dd 100644
--- a/eve/configuration.nix
+++ b/eve/configuration.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     [ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
       <nixos-hardware/google/pixelbook>
       ./hardware-configuration.nix
+      ./sway.nix
     ];
 
   # Bootloader.
@@ -49,11 +50,11 @@
   }];
 
   # Enable the X11 windowing system.
-  services.xserver.enable = true;
+  services.xserver.enable = false;
 
   # Enable the GNOME Desktop Environment.
   services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
-  services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;
+  services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = false;
 
   # Configure keymap in X11
   services.xserver = {
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@
     tailscale
     tmux
     tmuxp
+    topgrade
     vim
     wget
     zoom-us
diff --git a/eve/sway.nix b/eve/sway.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97b3fd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eve/sway.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+{ config, pkgs, lib, ... }:
+
+let
+  # bash script to let dbus know about important env variables and
+  # propogate them to relevent services run at the end of sway config
+  # see
+  # https://github.com/emersion/xdg-desktop-portal-wlr/wiki/"It-doesn't-work"-Troubleshooting-Checklist
+  # note: this is pretty much the same as  /etc/sway/config.d/nixos.conf but also restarts  
+  # some user services to make sure they have the correct environment variables
+  dbus-sway-environment = pkgs.writeTextFile {
+    name = "dbus-sway-environment";
+    destination = "/bin/dbus-sway-environment";
+    executable = true;
+
+    text = ''
+  dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd WAYLAND_DISPLAY XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=sway
+  systemctl --user stop pipewire pipewire-media-session xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-wlr
+  systemctl --user start pipewire pipewire-media-session xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-wlr
+      '';
+  };
+
+  # currently, there is some friction between sway and gtk:
+  # https://github.com/swaywm/sway/wiki/GTK-3-settings-on-Wayland
+  # the suggested way to set gtk settings is with gsettings
+  # for gsettings to work, we need to tell it where the schemas are
+  # using the XDG_DATA_DIR environment variable
+  # run at the end of sway config
+  configure-gtk = pkgs.writeTextFile {
+      name = "configure-gtk";
+      destination = "/bin/configure-gtk";
+      executable = true;
+      text = let
+        schema = pkgs.gsettings-desktop-schemas;
+        datadir = "${schema}/share/gsettings-schemas/${schema.name}";
+      in ''
+        export XDG_DATA_DIRS=${datadir}:$XDG_DATA_DIRS
+        gnome_schema=org.gnome.desktop.interface
+        gsettings set $gnome_schema gtk-theme 'Dracula'
+        '';
+  };
+
+
+in
+{
+  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
+    alacritty # gpu accelerated terminal
+    sway
+    dbus-sway-environment
+    configure-gtk
+    wayland
+    glib # gsettings
+    dracula-theme # gtk theme
+    gnome3.adwaita-icon-theme  # default gnome cursors
+    swaylock
+    swayidle
+    grim # screenshot functionality
+    slurp # screenshot functionality
+    wl-clipboard # wl-copy and wl-paste for copy/paste from stdin / stdout
+    bemenu # wayland clone of dmenu
+    mako # notification system developed by swaywm maintainer
+    waybar
+  ];
+
+
+  services.pipewire = {
+    enable = true;
+    alsa.enable = true;
+    pulse.enable = true;
+  };
+
+
+  # xdg-desktop-portal works by exposing a series of D-Bus interfaces
+  # known as portals under a well-known name
+  # (org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop) and object path
+  # (/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop).
+  # The portal interfaces include APIs for file access, opening URIs,
+  # printing and others.
+  services.dbus.enable = true;
+  xdg.portal = {
+    enable = true;
+    wlr.enable = true;
+    # gtk portal needed to make gtk apps happy
+    extraPortals = [ pkgs.xdg-desktop-portal-gtk ];
+    gtkUsePortal = true;
+  };
+
+  # enable sway window manager
+  programs.sway = {
+    enable = true;
+    wrapperFeatures.gtk = true;
+  };
+}