diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index bda7b7e7a..57c250519 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 
 ## REFACTORING:
 - fold hosts/modules/ into toplevel modules/
-- define moby kernel via the nixpkgs options instead of `linux-armbian` package.
 - add import checks to my Python nix-shell scripts
 - consolidate ~/dev and ~/ref
   - ~/dev becomes a link to ~/ref/cat/mine
diff --git a/hosts/modules/hal/pine64-pinephone-pro/default.nix b/hosts/modules/hal/pine64-pinephone-pro/default.nix
index 66f58ebef..d8f19bb7c 100644
--- a/hosts/modules/hal/pine64-pinephone-pro/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/modules/hal/pine64-pinephone-pro/default.nix
@@ -28,10 +28,29 @@ in
     #   - cameras, sound, etc untested
     # - linux-sane-pinephonepro (6.11.0; pmos config + nixpkgs config): FAILS TO BOOT
     # boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackagesFor pkgs.linux-postmarketos-pinephonepro;
-    boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackagesFor pkgs.linux-sane-pinephonepro;
+    # boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackagesFor pkgs.linux-sane-pinephonepro;
     # boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackagesFor myCustomKernel;
     # boot.initrd.extraFiles."/lib".source = "${config.system.modulesTree}/lib";
 
+    boot.kernelPatches = [
+      {
+        # TODO: upstream into nixpkgs. <repo:nixos/nixpkgs:pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix>
+        name = "fix-module-builtin-mismatch";
+        patch = null;
+        extraStructuredConfig = with lib.kernel; {
+          # nixpkgs specifies `SUN8I_DE2_CCU = yes`, but that in turn requires `SUNXI_CCU = yes` and NOT `= module`
+          #   symptom: config fails to eval
+          SUNXI_CCU = yes;
+          # nixpkgs specifies `DRM = yes`, which causes `DRM_PANEL=y`.
+          # in <repo:kernel.org/linux:include/drm/drm_panel.h> they branch based on if `CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_DEVICE` is a *builtin*,
+          # hence we need to build it as a builtin to actually have a backlight!
+          # same logic happens with nixpkgs `DRM_FBDEV_EMULATION = yes` => implies `CONFIG_DRM_KMS_HELPER=y`
+          # and <repo:kernel.org/linux:include/drm/display/drm_dp_helper.h>
+          BACKLIGHT_CLASS_DEVICE = yes;
+        };
+      }
+    ];
+
     hardware.deviceTree.overlays = [
       {
         name = "rk3399-pinephone-pro";