diff --git a/hosts/modules/gui/sxmo/default.nix b/hosts/modules/gui/sxmo/default.nix
index 35b541e1..74de4294 100644
--- a/hosts/modules/gui/sxmo/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/modules/gui/sxmo/default.nix
@@ -65,11 +65,13 @@ in
       type = types.bool;
     };
     sane.gui.sxmo.greeter = mkOption {
-      type = types.enum [ "lightdm-mobile" "sway" ];
+      type = types.enum [ "lightdm-mobile" "phog" "sway" ];
       default = "lightdm-mobile";
+      # default = "phog";
       description = ''
         which greeter to use.
         "lightdm-mobile" => keypad style greeter. can only enter digits 0-9 as password.
+        "phog" => phosh-based greeter. keypad (0-9) with option to open an on-screen keyboard.
         "sway" => layered sway greeter. behaves as if you booted to swaylock.
       '';
     };
@@ -343,6 +345,13 @@ in
         };
       })
 
+      (lib.mkIf (cfg.greeter == "phog") {
+        services.greetd = {
+          enable = true;
+          settings.default_session.command = "${pkgs.phog}/bin/phog";
+        };
+      })
+
       # old, greeterless options:
       # services.xserver.windowManager.session = [{
       #   name = "sxmo";
diff --git a/nixpatches/list.nix b/nixpatches/list.nix
index c51e1445..b085441c 100644
--- a/nixpatches/list.nix
+++ b/nixpatches/list.nix
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ in [
     hash = "sha256-CjVAFRcnTjA9DpOdwFwifgriQ9QFFGzchMB0tIVlAQM=";
   })
 
+  (fetchpatch' {
+    title = "phog: init at 0.1.3";
+    prUrl = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/251249";
+    hash = "sha256-e38Z7sO7xDQHzE9UOfbptc6vJuONE5eP9JFp2Nzx53E=";
+  })
+
   # (fetchpatch' {
   #   # TODO: check back in on this around 2023-10-01
   #   title = "libkiwix: 12.0.0 -> 12.1.0";
diff --git a/overlays/cross.nix b/overlays/cross.nix
index 7bcffaf6..435c5264 100644
--- a/overlays/cross.nix
+++ b/overlays/cross.nix
@@ -402,14 +402,6 @@ in {
   #   '';
   # });
 
-  # 2023/07/27: upstreaming is blocked on p11-kit, argyllcms, libavif cross compilation
-  colord = prev.colord.overrideAttrs (upstream: {
-    # fixes: (meson) ERROR: An exe_wrapper is needed but was not found. Please define one in cross file and check the command and/or add it to PATH.
-    nativeBuildInputs = upstream.nativeBuildInputs ++ lib.optionals (!prev.stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute prev.stdenv.hostPlatform) [
-      final.mesonEmulatorHook
-    ];
-  });
-
   # conky = ((useEmulatedStdenv prev.conky).override {
   #   # docbook2x dependency doesn't cross compile
   #   docsSupport = prev.stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute prev.stdenv.hostPlatform;
@@ -1324,6 +1316,37 @@ in {
   # fixes (meson) "Program 'glib-mkenums mkenums' not found or not executable"
   # 2023/07/27: upstreaming is blocked on p11-kit, argyllcms, libavif cross compilation
   phoc = mvToNativeInputs [ final.wayland-scanner final.glib ] prev.phoc;
+  phog = (addInputs
+    {
+      depsBuildBuild = [
+        final.pkg-config  # needed by build-aux/post_install.py
+      ];
+      nativeBuildInputs = [
+        final.glib
+        final.wayland-scanner
+        final.makeBinaryWrapper  # not makeWrapper only because nix complains
+      ];
+      # buildInputs = (upstream.buildInputs or []) ++ [
+      #   # see `data/phog.in`
+      #   # final.squeekboard
+      #   final.bash
+      # ];
+    }
+    prev.phog
+  ).overrideAttrs (upstream: {
+    DESTDIR = null;
+    # squeekboard takes 20min to compile because of emulation, so disable it.
+    # postPatch = (upstream.postPatch or "") + ''
+    #   substituteInPlace data/phog.in \
+    #     --replace " & squeekboard" ""
+    # '';
+    postPatch = (upstream.postPatch or "") + ''
+      sed -i /phog_plugins_dir/d build-aux/post_install.py
+    '';
+    postInstall = (upstream.postInstall or "") + ''
+      wrapProgram $out/bin/phog --prefix PATH : ${lib.makeBinPath [ final.bash final.squeekboard ]}
+    '';
+  });
   phosh = prev.phosh.overrideAttrs (upstream: {
     buildInputs = upstream.buildInputs ++ [
       final.libadwaita  # "plugins/meson.build:41:2: ERROR: Dependency "libadwaita-1" not found, tried pkgconfig"
@@ -1703,47 +1726,49 @@ in {
     ];
   });
 
-  # squeekboard = prev.squeekboard.overrideAttrs (upstream: {
-  #   # fixes: "meson.build:1:0: ERROR: 'rust' compiler binary not defined in cross or native file"
-  #   # new error: "meson.build:1:0: ERROR: Rust compiler rustc --target aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu -C linker=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu-gcc can not compile programs."
-  #   # NB(2023/03/04): upstream nixpkgs has a new squeekboard that's closer to cross-compiling; use that
-  #   mesonFlags =
-  #     let
-  #       # ERROR: 'rust' compiler binary not defined in cross or native file
-  #       crossFile = final.writeText "cross-file.conf" ''
-  #         [binaries]
-  #         rust = [ 'rustc', '--target', '${final.rust.toRustTargetSpec final.stdenv.hostPlatform}' ]
-  #       '';
-  #     in
-  #       # upstream.mesonFlags or [] ++
-  #       [
-  #         "-Dtests=false"
-  #         "-Dnewer=false"
-  #         "-Donline=false"
-  #       ]
-  #       ++ lib.optional
-  #         (final.stdenv.hostPlatform != final.stdenv.buildPlatform)
-  #         "--cross-file=${crossFile}"
-  #       ;
+  squeekboard = prev.squeekboard.overrideAttrs (upstream: {
+    # fixes: "meson.build:1:0: ERROR: 'rust' compiler binary not defined in cross or native file"
+    # new error: "meson.build:1:0: ERROR: Rust compiler rustc --target aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu -C linker=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu-gcc can not compile programs."
+    # NB(2023/03/04): upstream nixpkgs has a new squeekboard that's closer to cross-compiling; use that
+    # NB(2023/08/24): this emulates the entire rust build process
+    mesonFlags =
+      let
+        # ERROR: 'rust' compiler binary not defined in cross or native file
+        crossFile = final.writeText "cross-file.conf" ''
+          [binaries]
+          rust = [ 'rustc', '--target', '${final.rust.toRustTargetSpec final.stdenv.hostPlatform}' ]
+        '';
+      in
+        # upstream.mesonFlags or [] ++
+        [
+          "-Dtests=false"
+          "-Dnewer=true"
+          "-Donline=false"
+        ]
+        ++ lib.optional
+          (final.stdenv.hostPlatform != final.stdenv.buildPlatform)
+          "--cross-file=${crossFile}"
+        ;
 
-  #   cargoDeps = null;
-  #   cargoVendorDir = "vendor";
+    # cargoDeps = null;
+    # cargoVendorDir = "vendor";
 
-  #   depsBuildBuild = upstream.depsBuildBuild or [] ++ [
-  #     final.pkg-config
-  #   ];
-  #   nativeBuildInputs = with final; [
-  #     meson
-  #     ninja
-  #     pkg-config
-  #     glib
-  #     wayland
-  #     wrapGAppsHook
-  #     rustPlatform.cargoSetupHook
-  #     cargo
-  #     rustc
-  #   ];
-  # });
+    depsBuildBuild = upstream.depsBuildBuild or [] ++ [
+      final.pkg-config
+    ];
+    # this looks to be identical to upstream: probably not needed?
+    nativeBuildInputs = with final; [
+      meson
+      ninja
+      pkg-config
+      glib
+      wayland
+      wrapGAppsHook
+      rustPlatform.cargoSetupHook
+      cargo
+      rustc
+    ];
+  });
 
   # squeekboard = prev.squeekboard.override {
   #   inherit (emulated)