diff --git a/base/breakerbox.zsh b/base/breakerbox.zsh
index a86c509..73e5afa 100644
--- a/base/breakerbox.zsh
+++ b/base/breakerbox.zsh
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@
 # ESPECIALLY DON'T EDIT this file if you're using zeesh near nuclear reactor
 # control software for whatever unimaginable reason.
 
-_zeeshdev_ignore_updates=0
-_zeeshdev_ticker_newlines=0
\ No newline at end of file
+_zeeshdev_ignore_updates=1
+_zeeshdev_ticker_newlines=0
+_zeeshdev_force_color_count=0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/base/zeesh.zsh b/base/zeesh.zsh
index e6ce115..fbeb8cd 100644
--- a/base/zeesh.zsh
+++ b/base/zeesh.zsh
@@ -6,25 +6,6 @@ fi
 
 setopt prompt_subst
 
-# color depth
-colordepth=4 
-if [[ "$COLORTERM" == "truecolor" || "$COLORTERM" == "24bit" ]]; then
-    colorcount=16000000
-else case $TERM in
-    iterm       |\
-    vte*        |\
-    *-truecolor )
-        export COLORTERM="truecolor" # environmental consistency
-        colorcount=16000000
-        ;;
-    *-256color  )
-        colorcount=256
-        ;;
-    *)
-        colorcount=$(tput colors | tr -d "\n")
-        ;;
-esac
-
 kitty_available=n
 if (( ${+KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION} )); then
     kitty_available=y
@@ -45,3 +26,29 @@ function ticker_message () {
 function ticker_finish () {
     [[ $_zeeshdev_ticker_newlines == 0 ]] && printf "\r${(l:$cols:: :)A}\r"
 }
+
+# color depth
+colordepth=4
+if [[ $_zeeshdev_force_color_count -gt 0 ]]; then
+    colorcount=$_zeeshdev_force_color_count
+    ticker_message "zeesh: color count set to $colorcount (fuse blown)"
+elif [[ "$COLORTERM" == "truecolor" || "$COLORTERM" == "24bit" ]]; then
+    ticker_message "zeesh: true color detected! (via COLORTERM)"
+    colorcount=16000000
+else case $TERM in
+    iterm       |\
+    vte*        |\
+    *-truecolor )
+        export COLORTERM="truecolor" # environmental consistency
+        ticker_message "zeesh: true color detected! (via TERM)"
+        colorcount=16000000
+        ;;
+    *-256color  )
+        ticker_message "256 colors detected (via TERM)"
+        colorcount=256
+        ;;
+    *)
+        colorcount=$(tput colors | tr -d "\n")
+        ticker_message "tput reports $colorcount colors"
+        ;;
+esac fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/base_prompt.zsh b/modules/base_prompt.zsh
index c41ab4c..229ca9b 100644
--- a/modules/base_prompt.zsh
+++ b/modules/base_prompt.zsh
@@ -2,7 +2,20 @@
 #    RPROMPT="%(?..%{$fg[red]%}%? )$RPROMPT"
 
 function prompt_userathost () {
-    print "%{$fg_bold[cyan]%}%n%{$fg_bold[white]%}@%{$fg_bold[magenta]%}%m %{$fg_bold[white]%}%~"
+    if [[ $colorcount -gt 256 ]]; then
+        fgcyan="%F{#5bcffa}"
+        fgmagenta="%F{#f5abb9}"
+        fgwhite="%F{#ffffff}"
+    elif [[ $colorcount -eq 256 ]]; then
+        fgcyan="\e[38;5;39m"
+        fgmagenta="\e[38;5;210m"
+        fgwhite="\e[38;5;255m"
+    else
+        fgcyan="$fg_bold[cyan]"
+        fgmagenta="$fg_bold[magenta]"
+        fgwhite="$fg_bold[white]"
+    fi
+    print "%{$fgcyan%}%n%{$fgwhite%}@%{$fgmagenta%}%m %{$fgwhite%}%~"
 }
 
 prompt_functions+=prompt_userathost