diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 4b8798a5..0a45d9e2 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
         specialArgs = { inherit home-manager; inherit nurpkgs; secrets = import ./secrets/default.nix; };
         modules = [
           ./configuration.nix
+          ./modules
           ./machines/${name}
           (import ./helpers/set-hostname.nix name)
           (self.overlaysModule system)
diff --git a/helpers/gui/sway.nix b/helpers/gui/sway.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 79602d00..00000000
--- a/helpers/gui/sway.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
- 
-# docs: https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Sway
-{
-  programs.sway = {
-    # we configure sway with home-manager, but this enable gets us e.g. opengl and fonts
-    enable = true;
-  };
-
-  # TODO: should be able to use SDDM to get interactive login
-  services.greetd = {
-    enable = true;
-    settings = rec {
-      initial_session = {
-        command = "${pkgs.sway}/bin/sway";
-        user = "colin";
-      };
-      default_session = initial_session;
-    };
-  };
-
-  # unlike other DEs, sway configures no audio stack
-  # administer with pw-cli, pw-mon, pw-top commands
-  services.pipewire = {
-    enable = true;
-    alsa.enable = true;
-    alsa.support32Bit = true;  # ??
-    pulse.enable = true;
-  };
-
-  networking.useDHCP = false;
-  networking.networkmanager.enable = true;
-  networking.wireless.enable = lib.mkForce false;
-}
-
diff --git a/machines/desko/default.nix b/machines/desko/default.nix
index 64039597..1bd960d8 100644
--- a/machines/desko/default.nix
+++ b/machines/desko/default.nix
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
     ./../../helpers/hardware-x86_64.nix
     # ./../../helpers/gui/gnome.nix
     #./../../helpers/gui/i3.nix
-    ./../../helpers/gui/sway.nix
     ./fs.nix
   ];
 
@@ -20,6 +19,8 @@
     ];
   };
 
+  colinsane.gui.sway.enable = true;
+
   # docs: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/options.html#opt-system.stateVersion
   system.stateVersion = "21.05";
 }
diff --git a/machines/lappy/default.nix b/machines/lappy/default.nix
index 9245c38f..d947b21b 100644
--- a/machines/lappy/default.nix
+++ b/machines/lappy/default.nix
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
     ./../../helpers/universal
     ./../../helpers/hardware-x86_64.nix
     # ./../../helpers/gui/gnome.nix
-    ./../../helpers/gui/sway.nix
     ./fs.nix
   ];
 
@@ -15,6 +14,8 @@
     gui = "sway";
   };
 
+  colinsane.gui.sway.enable = true;
+
   # docs: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/options.html#opt-system.stateVersion
   system.stateVersion = "21.05";
 }
diff --git a/modules/default.nix b/modules/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e485de1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{ ... }:
+
+{
+  imports = [
+    ./gui
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/modules/gui/default.nix b/modules/gui/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0af1997f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/gui/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{ ... }:
+
+{
+  imports = [
+    ./sway.nix
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/modules/gui/sway.nix b/modules/gui/sway.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e51c030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/gui/sway.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+{ pkgs, lib, config, ... }:
+ 
+# docs: https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Sway
+with lib;
+let
+  cfg = config.colinsane.gui.sway;
+in
+{
+  options = {
+    colinsane.gui.sway.enable = mkOption {
+      default = false;
+      type = types.bool;
+    };
+  };
+  config = mkIf cfg.enable {
+    programs.sway = {
+      # we configure sway with home-manager, but this enable gets us e.g. opengl and fonts
+      enable = true;
+    };
+
+    # TODO: should be able to use SDDM to get interactive login
+    services.greetd = {
+      enable = true;
+      settings = rec {
+        initial_session = {
+          command = "${pkgs.sway}/bin/sway";
+          user = "colin";
+        };
+        default_session = initial_session;
+      };
+    };
+
+    # unlike other DEs, sway configures no audio stack
+    # administer with pw-cli, pw-mon, pw-top commands
+    services.pipewire = {
+      enable = true;
+      alsa.enable = true;
+      alsa.support32Bit = true;  # ??
+      pulse.enable = true;
+    };
+
+    networking.useDHCP = false;
+    networking.networkmanager.enable = true;
+    networking.wireless.enable = lib.mkForce false;
+  };
+}
+