diff --git a/configuration.nix b/configuration.nix
index cf0dc0a..e4b14d5 100644
--- a/configuration.nix
+++ b/configuration.nix
@@ -75,9 +75,10 @@ in
     };
     displayManager = {
       sddm.enable = conf.wm == "plasma" || conf.wm == "xmonad";
-      defaultSession = if conf.wm == "i3" then "xfce" else null;
+      defaultSession = if conf.wm == "i3" then "xfce+i3" else null;
     };
     windowManager = {
+      i3.enable = conf.wm == "i3";
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/home.nix b/home.nix
index 06cecfa..7f5050b 100644
--- a/home.nix
+++ b/home.nix
@@ -199,16 +199,10 @@ in
     enable = true;
     script = "polybar bar &";
     settings = import ./polybar.conf.nix;
-    config = {
-      client.focused =          ["#665c54" "#665c54" "#121212" "#665c54" "#a89984"];
-      client.unfocused =        ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
-      client.focused_inactive = ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
-      client.urgent =           ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
-    };
   } else {};
 
   xsession.windowManager.i3 = if wm == "i3"
   then {
-        enable = true;
+     enable = true;
   } else {};
 }
diff --git a/nvim.conf.nix b/nvim.conf.nix
index c3b0b48..e48541f 100644
--- a/nvim.conf.nix
+++ b/nvim.conf.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ''
+" TODO: really, really need to fix the whole path completion thing, i can see it but not actually do it
 let mapleader = ";"
 let maplocalleader = ";;"
 
diff --git a/polybar.conf.nix b/polybar.conf.nix
index 6083dc4..8e4d127 100644
--- a/polybar.conf.nix
+++ b/polybar.conf.nix
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ rec {
     label-empty-padding = "2";
   };
 
-  module.i3 = {
+  module.i3 = rec {
     type = "internal/i3";
     format = "<label-state> <label-mode>";
     index-sort = "true";
@@ -182,10 +182,10 @@ rec {
     label-unfocused-padding = "1";
 
     label-visible = "%index%";
-    label-visible-background = "${self.label-focused-background}";
-    label-visible-foreground = "${self.label-focused-foreground}";
-    label-visible-underline = "${self.label-focused-underline}";
-    label-visible-padding = "${self.label-focused-padding}";
+    label-visible-background = "${label-focused-background}";
+    label-visible-foreground = "${label-focused-foreground}";
+    label-visible-underline = "${label-focused-underline}";
+    label-visible-padding = "${label-focused-padding}";
 
     label-urgent = "%index%";
     label-urgent-background = "${colors.alert}";
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ rec {
 
     format-volume = "<label-volume> <bar-volume>";
     label-volume = "VOL";
-    label-volume-foreground = "${root.foreground}";
+    #label-volume-foreground = "${root.foreground}";
 
     format-muted-prefix = " ";
     format-muted-foreground = "${colors.foreground-alt}";
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ rec {
     bar-volume-empty-foreground = "${colors.foreground-alt}";
   };
 
-  module.battery = {
+  module.battery = rec {
     type = "internal/battery";
     battery = "BAT0";
     adapter = "AC";
@@ -360,12 +360,12 @@ rec {
     format-charging-underline = "#ffb52a";
 
     format-discharging = "<ramp-capacity> <label-discharging>";
-    format-discharging-underline = "${self.format-charging-underline}";
+    format-discharging-underline = "${format-charging-underline}";
 
     format-full-font = "3";
     format-full-prefix = " ";
     format-full-prefix-foreground = "${colors.foreground}";
-    format-full-underline = "${self.format-charging-underline}";
+    format-full-underline = "${format-charging-underline}";
 
 
     ramp-capacity-0 = "";
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ rec {
     animation-discharging-framerate = "750";
   };
 
-  module.temperature = {
+  module.temperature = rec {
     type = "internal/temperature";
     thermal-zone = "0";
     warn-temperature = "60";
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ rec {
     format = "<label>";
     format-underline = "#f50a4d";
     format-warn = "<ramp> <label-warn>";
-    format-warn-underline = "${self.format-underline}";
+    format-warn-underline = "${format-underline}";
 
     label = "%temperature-c%";
     label-warn = "%temperature-c%";
@@ -464,3 +464,10 @@ rec {
     margin-bottom = "5";
   };
 }
+# dumping this here
+# config = {
+#   client.focused          = ["#665c54" "#665c54" "#121212" "#665c54" "#a89984"];
+#   client.unfocused        = ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
+#   client.focused_inactive = ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
+#   client.urgent           = ["#282828" "#282828" "#a89984" "#282828" "#282828"];
+# };