diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-desktop/build.sh
--- a/base/hammerhead-desktop/build.sh	Fri Jul 24 10:40:57 2026 -0500
+++ b/base/hammerhead-desktop/build.sh	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -88,3 +88,9 @@
 # ~/.xsession setup.
 mkdir -p "$PKGDIR/etc/skel"
 install -m 755 "$PORTDIR/dot-xsession" "$PKGDIR/etc/skel/.xsession"
+
+# --- Step 12: hh-desktop-init (per-user ~/.config seed, CBPP-style) ---
+# openbox-autostart only reads ~/.config or /etc/xdg (not our /usr/local/etc/xdg),
+# so the X session entrypoints call this to seed ~/.config on login for new AND
+# existing users (copy-if-missing).
+install -m 755 "$PORTDIR/hh-desktop-init" "$PKGDIR$PREFIX/bin/hh-desktop-init"
diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-desktop/dot-xsession
--- a/base/hammerhead-desktop/dot-xsession	Fri Jul 24 10:40:57 2026 -0500
+++ b/base/hammerhead-desktop/dot-xsession	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -7,4 +7,7 @@
 # run ~/.xsession directly, get the branded desktop too.)
 export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="/usr/local/etc/xdg:${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:-/etc/xdg}"
 export XDG_DATA_DIRS="/usr/local/share:${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share}"
+# Seed ~/.config so openbox-autostart (which only reads ~/.config or /etc/xdg)
+# runs our autostart -> tint2/conky/wallpaper. See hh-desktop-init.
+/usr/local/bin/hh-desktop-init
 exec /usr/local/bin/openbox-session
diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-desktop/hh-desktop-init
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/base/hammerhead-desktop/hh-desktop-init	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# hh-desktop-init - seed the user's ~/.config with the Hammerhead desktop
+# defaults if absent, then return. Called from the X session entrypoint
+# (xdm Xsession / ~/.xsession) BEFORE openbox-session.
+#
+# Why: openbox-autostart (run by openbox-session) only executes
+# /etc/xdg/openbox/autostart or ~/.config/openbox/autostart -- it does NOT
+# honor XDG_CONFIG_DIRS, so it never runs the autostart we ship under
+# /usr/local/etc/xdg. Likewise tint2/conky look in ~/.config first. A fresh
+# user (no ~/.config) therefore gets a bare desktop: no wallpaper, panel, or
+# monitor. This mirrors CrunchBang++/BunsenLabs, whose session copies the
+# default config from the system skel when the user has none.
+#
+# Copy-if-missing only: never clobbers a user's own customizations.
+TMPL=/usr/local/etc/xdg
+CFG="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"
+
+for d in openbox tint2 conky; do
+	if [ ! -e "$CFG/$d" ] && [ -d "$TMPL/$d" ]; then
+		mkdir -p "$CFG/$d" 2>/dev/null || continue
+		cp -R "$TMPL/$d/." "$CFG/$d/" 2>/dev/null
+	fi
+done
+exit 0
diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-desktop/package.toml
--- a/base/hammerhead-desktop/package.toml	Fri Jul 24 10:40:57 2026 -0500
+++ b/base/hammerhead-desktop/package.toml	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 [package]
 name = "hammerhead-desktop"
-version = "1.4.0"
+version = "1.5.0"
 release = 1
 description = "Zygaena marine-dark desktop branding: wallpaper, Openbox theme, tint2/conky configs, categorized menu w/ CBPP-style Places/Recent pipemenus, autostart"
 url = "https://git.sharkos.one/zygaena/hammerhead"
diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-xdm/Xsession
--- a/base/hammerhead-xdm/Xsession	Fri Jul 24 10:40:57 2026 -0500
+++ b/base/hammerhead-xdm/Xsession	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="/usr/local/etc/xdg:${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:-/etc/xdg}"
 export XDG_DATA_DIRS="/usr/local/share:${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share}"
 
+# Seed ~/.config with the Hammerhead desktop defaults if absent, so the
+# openbox autostart (tint2/conky/wallpaper) fires even for a fresh user.
+/usr/local/bin/hh-desktop-init
+
 # Prefer the user's own ~/.xsession; otherwise the Hammerhead Openbox session.
 if [ -x "$HOME/.xsession" ]; then
 	exec "$HOME/.xsession"
diff -r ccd8c9f06cc5 -r 7512ccfa0367 base/hammerhead-xdm/package.toml
--- a/base/hammerhead-xdm/package.toml	Fri Jul 24 10:40:57 2026 -0500
+++ b/base/hammerhead-xdm/package.toml	Fri Jul 24 11:11:39 2026 -0500
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "hammerhead-xdm"
 version = "1.0.0"
-release = 5
+release = 6
 description = "Zygaena marine-dark xdm greeter branding, system Xsession/Xservers wiring, and a disabled zyginit xdm service"
 url = "https://git.sharkos.one/zygaena/hammerhead"
 license = "CDDL-1.0"