diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/conky/battery_estimate b/hosts/common/programs/conky/battery_estimate
index da73efe3..a05ef4ab 100755
--- a/hosts/common/programs/conky/battery_estimate
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/conky/battery_estimate
@@ -9,16 +9,21 @@ usage() {
   echo
   echo "options:"
   echo "  --debug: output additional information, to stderr"
+  echo "  --minute-suffix <string>:  use the provided string as a minutes suffix"
+  echo "  --hour-suffix <string>:  use the provided string as an hours suffix"
+  echo "  --icon-suffix <string>:  use the provided string as an icon suffix"
 }
 
 # these icons come from sxmo; they only render in nerdfonts
 icon_bat_chg=("󰢟" "󱊤" "󱊥" "󰂅")
 icon_bat_dis=("󰂎" "󱊡" "󱊢" "󱊣")
+suffix_icon=" "  # thin space
+# suffix_icon=" "
 
 # render time like: 2ʰ08ᵐ
 # unicode sub/super-scripts: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_subscripts_and_superscripts>
-symbol_hr="ʰ"
-symbol_min="ᵐ"
+# symbol_hr="ʰ"
+# symbol_min="ᵐ"
 
 # render time like: 2ₕ08ₘ
 # symbol_hr="ₕ"
@@ -32,6 +37,14 @@ symbol_min="ᵐ"
 # symbol_hr=":"
 # symbol_min=
 
+# render time like: 2꞉08⧗
+symbol_hr="꞉"
+symbol_min="⧗"
+# variants:
+# symbol_hr=":"
+# symbol_min="⧖"
+# symbol_min="⌛"
+
 # render time like: 2'08"
 # symbol_hr="'"
 # symbol_min='"'
@@ -110,7 +123,7 @@ fmt_minutes() {
     hr=$(($3 / 60))
     hr_in_min=$(($hr * 60))
     min=$(($3 - $hr_in_min))
-    printf "%s %d%s%02d%s" "$1" "$hr" "$symbol_hr" "$min" "$symbol_min"
+    printf "%s%s%d%s%02d%s" "$1" "$suffix_icon" "$hr" "$symbol_hr" "$min" "$symbol_min"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -135,6 +148,21 @@ while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
       shift
       BATTERY_ESTIMATE_DEBUG=1
       ;;
+    "--icon-suffix")
+      shift
+      suffix_icon="$1"
+      shift
+      ;;
+    "--hour-suffix")
+      shift
+      symbol_hr="$1"
+      shift
+      ;;
+    "--minute-suffix")
+      shift
+      symbol_min="$1"
+      shift
+      ;;
     *)
       usage
       exit 1
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/conky/conky.conf b/hosts/common/programs/conky/conky.conf
index 32d6feca..e814e3fc 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/conky/conky.conf
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/conky/conky.conf
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 -- - can also use #rrggbb syntax
 -- example configs: <https://forum.manjaro.org/t/conky-showcase-2022/97123>
 -- example configs: <https://www.reddit.com/r/Conkyporn/>
+--
+-- exec options:
+-- `exec <cmd>` => executes the command, synchronously, renders its output as text
+-- `texeci <interval_sec> <cmd>` => executes the command periodically, async (to not block render), renders as text
+-- `pexec <cmd>` => executes the command, synchronously, parses its output
 
 conky.config = {
     out_to_wayland = true,
@@ -33,18 +38,39 @@ conky.config = {
     default_color = '#ffffff',
     color1 = '000000',
     color2 = '404040',
+    -- Kbps = 'K/s',
+    Kbps = 'ᴷᐟˢ',
+    -- percent = '%',
+    -- percent = '﹪',
+    percent = '٪',
+    -- percent = '⁒',
+    -- percent = '％',
+    icon_suffix = nil,
+    hour_suffix = nil,
+    minute_suffix = '${font sans-serif:size=14}${color2}⧗',
 }
 
--- texeci <interval_sec> <cmd>: run the command periodically, _in a separate thread_ so as not to block rendering
+bat_args = ""
+if conky.config.icon_suffix ~= nil then
+  bat_args = bat_args .. " --icon-suffix '" .. conky.config.icon_suffix .. "'"
+end
+if conky.config.hour_suffix ~= nil then
+  bat_args = bat_args .. " --hour-suffix '" .. conky.config.hour_suffix .. "'"
+end
+if conky.config.minute_suffix ~= nil then
+  bat_args = bat_args .. " --minute-suffix '" .. conky.config.minute_suffix .. "'"
+end
+
+-- N.B.: `[[ <text> ]]` is Lua's multiline string literal
 conky.text = [[
 ${color1}${shadecolor 707070}${font sans-serif:size=50:style=Bold}${alignc}${exec date +"%H:%M"}${font}
 ${color2}${shadecolor a4d7d0}${font sans-serif:size=20}${alignc}${exec date +"%a %d %b"}${font}
 
 
-${color1}${shadecolor}${font sans-serif:size=22:style=Bold}${alignc}${exec @bat@ }${font}
+${color1}${shadecolor}${font sans-serif:size=22:style=Bold}${alignc}${execp @bat@ ]] .. bat_args .. [[ }${font}
 ${color1}${shadecolor}${font sans-serif:size=20:style=Bold}${alignc}${texeci 600 @weather@ }${font}
 
 
-${color2}${shadecolor a4d7d0}${font sans-serif:size=16}${alignc}⇅ ${downspeedf wlan0}K/s${font}
-${font sans-serif:size=16}${alignc}☵ $memperc%  $cpu%${font}
+${color2}${shadecolor a4d7d0}${font sans-serif:size=16}${alignc}⇅ ${downspeedf wlan0}${Kbps}${font}
+${font sans-serif:size=16}${alignc}☵ $memperc${percent}  $cpu${percent}${font}
 ]]