diff --git a/hosts/by-name/lappy/default.nix b/hosts/by-name/lappy/default.nix
index 8efd21413..ea515226b 100644
--- a/hosts/by-name/lappy/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/by-name/lappy/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ config, pkgs, ... }:
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
 {
   imports = [
     ./fs.nix
@@ -30,18 +30,10 @@
   # 1024 solves *most* crackles, but still noticable under heavier loads.
   sane.programs.pipewire.config.min-quantum = 2048;
 
-  # TODO: enable snapper (need to make `/nix` or `/nix/persist` a subvolume, somehow).
-  # default config: https://man.archlinux.org/man/snapper-configs.5
-  # defaults to something like:
-  #   - hourly snapshots
-  #   - auto cleanup; keep the last 10 hourlies, last 10 daylies, last 10 monthlys.
-  # to list snapshots: `sudo snapper --config nix list`
-  # to take a snapshot: `sudo snapper --config nix create`
-  # services.snapper.configs.nix = {
-  #   # TODO: for the impermanent setup, we'd prefer to just do /nix/persist,
-  #   # but that also requires setting up the persist dir as a subvol
-  #   SUBVOLUME = "/nix";
-  #   # TODO: ALLOW_USERS doesn't seem to work. still need `sudo snapper -c nix list`
-  #   ALLOW_USERS = [ "colin" ];
-  # };
+  # limit how many snapshots we keep, due to extremely limited disk space (TODO: remove this override after upgrading lappy hard drive)
+  services.snapper.configs.root.TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY = lib.mkForce 2;
+  services.snapper.configs.root.TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY = lib.mkForce 2;
+  services.snapper.configs.root.TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY = lib.mkForce 0;
+  services.snapper.configs.root.TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY = lib.mkForce 0;
+  services.snapper.configs.root.TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY = lib.mkForce 0;
 }
diff --git a/hosts/common/snapper.nix b/hosts/common/snapper.nix
index 7070c41ba..8c44b411c 100644
--- a/hosts/common/snapper.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/snapper.nix
@@ -21,18 +21,11 @@
     TIMELINE_CLEANUP = true;  # remove old snapshots every 24h
     TIMELINE_CREATE = true;  # take a snapshot every hour
 
-    TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY = 2;
-    TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY = 2;
-    TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY = 0;
+    TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY = 12;
+    TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY = 7;  # keep snapshots for 1d ago, 2d ago, ... 7day ago
+    TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY = 4;  # keep snapshots for 7d ago, 14d ago, 21d ago, 28d ago
     TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY = 0;
     TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY = 0;
-
-    # TODO: enable these better settings, but i need higher capacity drives first!
-    # TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY = 12;
-    # TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY = 7;  # keep snapshots for 1d ago, 2d ago, ... 7day ago
-    # TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY = 4;  # keep snapshots for 7d ago, 14d ago, 21d ago, 28d ago
-    # TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY = 0;
-    # TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY = 0;
   };
 
   services.snapper.cleanupInterval = "2h";  # how frequently to gc snapshots no longer covered by the above policy (default: daily)