diff --git a/hosts/by-name/desko/default.nix b/hosts/by-name/desko/default.nix
index 1284a13f..7bcda3e8 100644
--- a/hosts/by-name/desko/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/by-name/desko/default.nix
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   sane.programs.consoleUtils.suggestedPrograms = [ "consoleMediaUtils" "desktopConsoleUtils" ];
   # sane.programs.devPkgs.enableFor.user.colin = true;
 
+  sane.programs.signal-desktop.config.autostart = true;
   sane.programs."gnome.geary".config.autostart = true;
 
   boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = false;
diff --git a/hosts/by-name/moby/default.nix b/hosts/by-name/moby/default.nix
index 3dbd8aa1..f8ad889a 100644
--- a/hosts/by-name/moby/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/by-name/moby/default.nix
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 
   # sane.programs.ntfy-sh.config.autostart = true;
   sane.programs.dino.config.autostart = true;
+  # sane.programs.signal-desktop.config.autostart = true;
   # sane.programs."gnome.geary".config.autostart = true;
   # sane.programs.calls.config.autostart = true;
   sane.programs.mpv.config.vo = "wlshm";  #< see hosts/common/programs/mpv.nix for details
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/signal-desktop.nix b/hosts/common/programs/signal-desktop.nix
index 728138b8..ebfdf425 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/signal-desktop.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/signal-desktop.nix
@@ -1,10 +1,35 @@
-{ pkgs, ... }:
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+let
+  cfg = config.sane.programs.signal-desktop;
+in
 {
   sane.programs.signal-desktop = {
+    configOption = with lib; mkOption {
+      default = {};
+      type = types.submodule {
+        options.autostart = mkOption {
+          type = types.bool;
+          default = false;
+        };
+      };
+    };
+
     package = pkgs.signal-desktop-from-src;
+
     # creds, media
     persist.byStore.private = [
       ".config/Signal"
     ];
+
+    services.signal-desktop = {
+      description = "Signal Messenger";
+      wantedBy = lib.mkIf cfg.config.autostart [ "default.target" ];
+      serviceConfig = {
+        ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/signal-desktop";
+        Type = "simple";
+        Restart = "always";
+        RestartSec = "20s";
+      };
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/swaynotificationcenter.nix b/hosts/common/programs/swaynotificationcenter.nix
index 8e745e0f..a52d6d28 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/swaynotificationcenter.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/swaynotificationcenter.nix
@@ -358,6 +358,13 @@ in
               command = "${systemctl-toggle}/bin/systemctl-toggle --user geary";
               active = "${pkgs.systemd}/bin/systemctl is-active --user geary";
             }
+          ] ++ lib.optionals config.sane.programs.signal-desktop.enabled [
+            {
+              type = "toggle";
+              label = "💬";  # Signal messenger
+              command = "${systemctl-toggle}/bin/systemctl-toggle --user signal-desktop";
+              active = "${pkgs.systemd}/bin/systemctl is-active --user signal-desktop";
+            }
           ] ++ lib.optionals config.sane.programs.dino.enabled [
             {
               type = "toggle";
diff --git a/hosts/modules/gui/sway/sway-config b/hosts/modules/gui/sway/sway-config
index 9442b78e..cd86077f 100644
--- a/hosts/modules/gui/sway/sway-config
+++ b/hosts/modules/gui/sway/sway-config
@@ -142,11 +142,13 @@ bar {
 for_window [app_id="pinentry-.*"] floating true
 for_window [app_id="foot" title=".*sxmo/modem/.*/draft.txt.*"] resize set height 25
 for_window [title="megapixels"] inhibit_idle open
-# Dino (XMPP) is ordinarily started for the purpose of daemonizing (but still visible). keep it on a predictable, out-of-the-way workspace
-# TODO: could be neat to somehow do this in a way that it never steals focus from anything...
+
+# workspace assignments
+# mostly, messengers belong on WS 1
 for_window [app_id="im.dino.Dino"] move container to workspace number 1
 for_window [app_id="org.gnome.Fractal"] move container to workspace number 1
 for_window [app_id="geary"] move container to workspace number 1
+for_window [class="Signal"] move container to workspace number 1
 
 ### displays
 ## DESKTOP