diff --git a/hosts/common/home/firefox.nix b/hosts/common/home/firefox.nix
index a6e1072a..2f6092cc 100644
--- a/hosts/common/home/firefox.nix
+++ b/hosts/common/home/firefox.nix
@@ -146,58 +146,61 @@ in
     };
   };
 
-  config = {
-    sane.programs.web-browser = {
-      inherit package;
-      # TODO: define the persistence & fs config here
-    };
-    sane.programs.guiApps.suggestedPrograms = [ "web-browser" ];
+  config = mkMerge [
+    ({
+      sane.programs.guiApps.suggestedPrograms = [ "web-browser" ];
+      sane.programs.web-browser = {
+        inherit package;
 
-    # uBlock filter list configuration.
-    # specifically, enable the GDPR cookie prompt blocker.
-    # data.toOverwrite.filterLists is additive (i.e. it supplements the default filters)
-    # this configuration method is documented here:
-    # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/2986#issuecomment-364035002>
-    # the specific attribute path is found via scraping ublock code here:
-    # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/src/js/storage.js>
-    # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/assets/assets.json>
-    sane.user.fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/managed-storage/uBlock0@raymondhill.net.json" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
-      {
-       "name": "uBlock0@raymondhill.net",
-       "description": "ignored",
-       "type": "storage",
-       "data": {
-          "toOverwrite": "{\"filterLists\": [\"fanboy-cookiemonster\"]}"
-       }
-      }
-    '';
-    sane.user.fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/${cfg.browser.libName}.overrides.cfg" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
-      // if we can't query the revocation status of a SSL cert because the issuer is offline,
-      // treat it as unrevoked.
-      // see: <https://librewolf.net/docs/faq/#im-getting-sec_error_ocsp_server_error-what-can-i-do>
-      defaultPref("security.OCSP.require", false);
-    '';
-    # flush the cache to disk to avoid it taking up too much tmp
-    sane.user.persist.byPath."${cfg.browser.cacheDir}" = lib.mkIf (cfg.persistCache != null) {
-      store = cfg.persistCache;
-    };
+        # uBlock filter list configuration.
+        # specifically, enable the GDPR cookie prompt blocker.
+        # data.toOverwrite.filterLists is additive (i.e. it supplements the default filters)
+        # this configuration method is documented here:
+        # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/2986#issuecomment-364035002>
+        # the specific attribute path is found via scraping ublock code here:
+        # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/src/js/storage.js>
+        # - <https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/assets/assets.json>
+        fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/managed-storage/uBlock0@raymondhill.net.json" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
+          {
+           "name": "uBlock0@raymondhill.net",
+           "description": "ignored",
+           "type": "storage",
+           "data": {
+              "toOverwrite": "{\"filterLists\": [\"fanboy-cookiemonster\"]}"
+           }
+          }
+        '';
+        fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/${cfg.browser.libName}.overrides.cfg" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
+          // if we can't query the revocation status of a SSL cert because the issuer is offline,
+          // treat it as unrevoked.
+          // see: <https://librewolf.net/docs/faq/#im-getting-sec_error_ocsp_server_error-what-can-i-do>
+          defaultPref("security.OCSP.require", false);
+        '';
+        fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/default" = sane-lib.fs.wantedDir;
+        # instruct Firefox to put the profile in a predictable directory (so we can do things like persist just it).
+        # XXX: the directory *must* exist, even if empty; Firefox will not create the directory itself.
+        fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/profiles.ini" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
+          [Profile0]
+          Name=default
+          IsRelative=1
+          Path=default
+          Default=1
 
-    sane.user.persist.byPath."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/default" = lib.mkIf (cfg.persistData != null) {
-      store = cfg.persistData;
-    };
-    sane.user.fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/default" = sane-lib.fs.wantedDir;
-    # instruct Firefox to put the profile in a predictable directory (so we can do things like persist just it).
-    # XXX: the directory *must* exist, even if empty; Firefox will not create the directory itself.
-    sane.user.fs."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/profiles.ini" = sane-lib.fs.wantedText ''
-      [Profile0]
-      Name=default
-      IsRelative=1
-      Path=default
-      Default=1
+          [General]
+          StartWithLastProfile=1
+        '';
+      };
+    })
+    (mkIf config.sane.programs.web-browser.enabled {
+      # TODO: move the persistence into the sane.programs API (above)
+      # flush the cache to disk to avoid it taking up too much tmp
+      sane.user.persist.byPath."${cfg.browser.cacheDir}" = lib.mkIf (cfg.persistCache != null) {
+        store = cfg.persistCache;
+      };
 
-      [General]
-      StartWithLastProfile=1
-    '';
-
-  };
+      sane.user.persist.byPath."${cfg.browser.dotDir}/default" = lib.mkIf (cfg.persistData != null) {
+        store = cfg.persistData;
+      };
+    })
+  ];
 }