diff --git a/home/common/default.nix b/home/common/default.nix
index bcc2249..7a094ae 100644
--- a/home/common/default.nix
+++ b/home/common/default.nix
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@
 {
   imports = [
     ./wm.nix
+    ./nodm.nix
   ];
 }
diff --git a/home/common/nodm.nix b/home/common/nodm.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..003c34b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/common/nodm.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+{ lib, pkgs, config, osConfig ? {}, options, ... }:
+let
+  cfg = config.nixfiles.common.nodm;
+in
+{
+  config = let
+    hyprland="${config.wayland.windowManager.hyprland.finalPackage}/bin/Hyprland";
+    tty="${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/tty";
+    initCommands =
+      ''
+        if [[ "$(${tty})" == "/dev/tty1" && -z "''${WAYLAND_DISPLAY:+x}" ]] ; then
+          ${hyprland}
+        fi
+      '';
+  in lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+    # auto start Hyprland on tty1
+    programs.zsh.initExtra = initCommands;
+    programs.bash.initExtra = initCommands;
+  };
+
+  options.nixfiles.common.nodm = {
+    enable = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      description = "Whether to automatically start a desktop session on TTY1, behaving like a rudimentary display manager.";
+      default = osConfig ? systemd
+        && config.nixfiles.meta.graphical
+        && (!(osConfig.systemd.services.display-manager.enable or false));
+      example = true;
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/hosts/nullbox/configuration.nix b/hosts/nullbox/configuration.nix
index e19ef5b..6ec7062 100644
--- a/hosts/nullbox/configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/nullbox/configuration.nix
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@
       packageSets.gaming.enable = true;
     };
 
+    services.xserver.displayManager.sddm.enable = false;
+    services.xserver.displayManager.startx.enable = true;
+
     # bootloader setup
     boot.loader = {
       efi = {
diff --git a/hosts/slab/home.nix b/hosts/slab/home.nix
index b850019..1b6ebb9 100644
--- a/hosts/slab/home.nix
+++ b/hosts/slab/home.nix
@@ -10,16 +10,6 @@
     };
     home.stateVersion = "23.11";
 
-    # auto start Hyprland on tty1
-    programs.zsh.initExtraFirst = let
-      hyprland="${config.wayland.windowManager.hyprland.finalPackage}/bin/Hyprland";
-      tty="${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/tty";
-    in lib.mkIf config.wayland.windowManager.hyprland.enable ''
-        if [[ "$(${tty})" == "/dev/tty1" && -z "''${WAYLAND_DISPLAY:+x}" ]] ; then
-          ${hyprland}
-        fi
-      '';
-
     wayland.windowManager.hyprland.settings = {
       monitor = ",preferred,auto,1.25";
     };