diff --git a/hosts/common/home/mime.nix b/hosts/common/home/mime.nix
index 63650aac..49f94bd1 100644
--- a/hosts/common/home/mime.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/home/mime.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,25 @@
 { config, lib, ...}:
 
+let
+  # ProgramConfig -> { "<mime-type>" = { priority, desktop }; }
+  weightedMimes = prog: builtins.mapAttrs (_key: desktop: { priority = prog.mime.priority; desktop = desktop; }) prog.mime.associations;
+  # [ { "<mime-type>" = { priority, desktop } ]; } ] -> { "<mime-type>" = [ { priority, desktop } ... ]; }
+  mergeMimes = mimes: lib.foldAttrs (item: acc: [item] ++ acc) [] mimes;
+  # [ { priority, desktop } ... ] -> Self
+  sortOneMimeType = associations: builtins.sort (l: r: assert l.priority != r.priority; l.priority < r.priority) associations;
+  sortMimes = mimes: builtins.mapAttrs (_k: sortOneMimeType) mimes;
+  removePriorities = mimes: builtins.mapAttrs (_k: associations: builtins.map (a: a.desktop) associations) mimes;
+
+  # [ ProgramConfig ]
+  enabledPrograms = builtins.filter (p: p.enabled) (builtins.attrValues config.sane.programs);
+  # [ { "<mime-type>" = { prority, desktop } ]
+  enabledWeightedMimes = builtins.map weightedMimes enabledPrograms;
+in
 {
   # the xdg mime type for a file can be found with:
   # - `xdg-mime query filetype path/to/thing.ext`
   # we can have single associations or a list of associations.
   # there's also options to *remove* [non-default] associations from specific apps
   xdg.mime.enable = true;
-  xdg.mime.defaultApplications = lib.mkMerge (
-    builtins.map
-      (p: lib.mkIf p.enabled p.mime)
-      (builtins.attrValues config.sane.programs)
-  );
+  xdg.mime.defaultApplications = removePriorities (sortMimes (mergeMimes enabledWeightedMimes));
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/aerc.nix b/hosts/common/programs/aerc.nix
index 64ce5117..42b9c8c4 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/aerc.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/aerc.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 {
   sane.programs.aerc = {
     secrets.".config/aerc/accounts.conf" = ../../../secrets/common/aerc_accounts.conf.bin;
-    mime."x-scheme-handler/mailto" = "aerc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."x-scheme-handler/mailto" = "aerc.desktop";
   };
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/epiphany.nix b/hosts/common/programs/epiphany.nix
index 4e834936..a37c65b4 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/epiphany.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/epiphany.nix
@@ -31,5 +31,15 @@
       ".local/share/epiphany"
       # also .config/epiphany, but appears empty
     ];
+    mime.priority = 200;  # default priority is 100: install epiphany only as a fallback
+    mime.associations = let
+      desktop = "org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop";
+    in {
+      "text/html" = desktop;
+      "x-scheme-handler/http" = desktop;
+      "x-scheme-handler/https" = desktop;
+      "x-scheme-handler/about" = desktop;
+      "x-scheme-handler/unknown" = desktop;
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/evince.nix b/hosts/common/programs/evince.nix
index 9866b807..22017149 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/evince.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/evince.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 { ... }:
 {
-  sane.programs.evince.mime."application/pdf" = "org.gnome.Evince.desktop";
+  sane.programs.evince.mime.associations."application/pdf" = "org.gnome.Evince.desktop";
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/firefox.nix b/hosts/common/programs/firefox.nix
index b8727c78..e9c14884 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/firefox.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/firefox.nix
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ in
       sane.programs.firefox = {
         inherit package;
 
-        mime = let
+        mime.associations = let
           inherit (cfg.browser) desktop;
         in {
           "text/html" = desktop;
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/gthumb.nix b/hosts/common/programs/gthumb.nix
index 59524ae6..01084602 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/gthumb.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/gthumb.nix
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
   sane.programs.gthumb = {
     # compile without webservices to avoid the expensive webkitgtk dependency
     package = pkgs.gthumb.override { withWebservices = false; };
-    mime."image/heif" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";  # apple codec
-    mime."image/png" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";
-    mime."image/jpeg" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";
+    mime.associations."image/heif" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";  # apple codec
+    mime.associations."image/png" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";
+    mime.associations."image/jpeg" = "org.gnome.gThumb.desktop";
   };
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/obsidian.nix b/hosts/common/programs/obsidian.nix
index 152ebae5..d33d0ab3 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/obsidian.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/obsidian.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 { ... }:
 {
-  sane.programs.obsidian.mime."text/markdown" = "obsidian.desktop";
+  sane.programs.obsidian.mime.associations."text/markdown" = "obsidian.desktop";
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/vlc.nix b/hosts/common/programs/vlc.nix
index 45db412d..c8d36c40 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/vlc.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/vlc.nix
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ in
       qt-privacy-ask=0
     '';
 
-    mime."audio/flac" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."audio/mpeg" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."audio/x-vorbis+ogg" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."video/mp4" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."video/quicktime" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."video/webm" = "vlc.desktop";
-    mime."video/x-matroska" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."audio/flac" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."audio/mpeg" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."audio/x-vorbis+ogg" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."video/mp4" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."video/quicktime" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."video/webm" = "vlc.desktop";
+    mime.associations."video/x-matroska" = "vlc.desktop";
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/programs.nix b/modules/programs.nix
index b6f2f119..1d8adc52 100644
--- a/modules/programs.nix
+++ b/modules/programs.nix
@@ -79,7 +79,14 @@ let
         type = types.bool;
         default = true;
       };
-      mime = mkOption {
+      mime.priority = mkOption {
+        type = types.int;
+        default = 100;
+        description = ''
+          program with the numerically lower priority takes precedence whenever two mime associations overlap.
+        '';
+      };
+      mime.associations = mkOption {
         type = types.attrsOf types.str;
         default = {};
         description = ''