diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/config b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/config
index 135539b0..0376b9dc 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/config
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/config
@@ -95,18 +95,7 @@
       "angle": 0.0
     },
     "sway-workspaces": {
-      "numbers": [
-        "1",
-        "2",
-        "3",
-        "4",
-        "5",
-        "6",
-        "7",
-        "8",
-        "9",
-        "10"
-      ],
+      "numbers": @workspaceNumbers,
       "custom-labels": [],
       "focused-labels": [],
       "show-icon": @windowIcon@,
@@ -115,7 +104,7 @@
       "name-length": 40,
       "mark-autotiling": true,
       "mark-content": false,
-      "hide-empty": true,
+      "hide-empty": @workspaceHideEmpty@,
       "show-layout": false,
       "angle": 0.0
     },
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/default.nix b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/default.nix
index 5d83d77d..bf205fdd 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/default.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@ in
           mediaPrevNext = mkEnableOption' true "display prev/next button in media";
           windowIcon = mkEnableOption' true "display icon of active window";
           windowTitle = mkEnableOption' true "display title of active window";
+          workspaceNumbers = mkOption {
+            type = types.listOf types.str;
+            default = [
+              # TODO: workspace 10 should be rendered as "TV"
+              "1" "2" "3" "4" "5" "6" "7" "8" "9" "10"
+            ];
+            description = ''
+              workspaces to monitor
+            '';
+          };
+          workspaceHideEmpty = mkOption {
+            type = types.bool;
+            default = true;
+          };
         };
       };
     };
@@ -47,8 +61,9 @@ in
     # fs.".config/nwg-panel/style.css".symlink.target = ./style.css;
     fs.".config/nwg-panel/config".symlink.target = pkgs.substituteAll {
       src = ./config;
-      inherit (cfg.config) height windowIcon windowTitle;
+      inherit (cfg.config) height windowIcon windowTitle workspaceHideEmpty;
       playerctlChars = if cfg.config.mediaTitle then 30 else 0;
+      workspaceNumbers = builtins.toJSON cfg.config.workspaceNumbers;
     };
     fs.".config/nwg-panel/style.css".symlink.target = pkgs.substituteAll {
       src = ./style.css;
diff --git a/hosts/modules/roles/handheld.nix b/hosts/modules/roles/handheld.nix
index 53ebf8d8..93b8217f 100644
--- a/hosts/modules/roles/handheld.nix
+++ b/hosts/modules/roles/handheld.nix
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
       windowTitle = false;
       mediaPrevNext = false;
       mediaTitle = false;
+      workspaceNumbers = [ "1" "2" "3" "4" "5" ];
+      workspaceHideEmpty = false;
     };
 
     sane.programs.zsh.config.showDeadlines = false;  # unlikely to act on them when in shell