diff --git a/image-recipe/configs/archipelago-kiosk-launcher.sh b/image-recipe/configs/archipelago-kiosk-launcher.sh
index 7815578e..9b1afcf5 100644
--- a/image-recipe/configs/archipelago-kiosk-launcher.sh
+++ b/image-recipe/configs/archipelago-kiosk-launcher.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ if [ "$X_READY" != "true" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Settings-managed display overrides (system.kiosk-display.set writes this
+# file, then restarts the kiosk): may set ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_SCALE,
+# ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH or ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_MAX_WIDTH.
+[ -f /etc/archipelago/kiosk-display.conf ] && . /etc/archipelago/kiosk-display.conf
+
 KIOSK_SAFE_AREA_X_PX=${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_SAFE_AREA_X_PX:-}
 KIOSK_SAFE_AREA_Y_PX=${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_SAFE_AREA_Y_PX:-}
 
@@ -54,6 +59,25 @@ configure_display() {
     ' /tmp/archipelago-kiosk-xrandr.txt)
     [ -n "$mode" ] || mode=1920x1080
 
+    # Optional resolution cap for weak hardware: ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_MAX_WIDTH=1920
+    # drops a 4K panel to its best <=1920-wide mode (the TV upscales) so the
+    # software rasterizer paints 1/4 the pixels. Off by default — native mode
+    # is sharp and fits the tile budget now that --window-size is in DIPs.
+    local max_w=${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_MAX_WIDTH:-0}
+    if [ "$max_w" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null && [ "${mode%x*}" -gt "$max_w" ] 2>/dev/null; then
+        local capped
+        capped=$(awk -v out="$output" -v maxw="$max_w" '
+            $1 == out { active = 1; next }
+            active && /^[[:space:]]+[0-9]+x[0-9]+/ {
+                split($1, wh, "x")
+                if (wh[1] + 0 <= maxw && wh[1] + 0 > best_w) { best_w = wh[1] + 0; best = $1 }
+            }
+            active && /^[^[:space:]]/ { active = 0 }
+            END { if (best) print best }
+        ' /tmp/archipelago-kiosk-xrandr.txt)
+        [ -n "$capped" ] && mode=$capped
+    fi
+
     # Kiosk should use one native output. A spanning desktop makes Chromium land
     # on the laptop panel or stretch across both outputs.
     for internal in $(awk '/ connected/ && $1 ~ /^eDP|^LVDS/{print $1}' /tmp/archipelago-kiosk-xrandr.txt); do
@@ -90,9 +114,17 @@ configure_display
 # panel becomes a 3840px-wide viewport and the UI renders tiny — and a
 # keyboard-less kiosk can't zoom. Derive Chromium's device-scale-factor from
 # the detected panel width so the *effective* CSS viewport lands near a
-# comfortable across-the-room target, scaling the whole UI up on big screens:
-#   1920x1080 -> 1.50 | 2560x1440 -> 2.00 | 3840x2160 -> 3.00 (clamped 1.0-3.0)
-KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH=${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH:-1280}
+# comfortable target. Panels >=2560 wide get a 1920-wide layout (4K -> scale
+# 2.0 — user-validated on a 72" TV: spacious desktop layout, 2x sharp);
+# smaller panels get a 1280-wide layout (1920 -> 1.50, laptops -> 1.0).
+if [ -z "${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH:-}" ]; then
+    if [ "$KIOSK_MODE_W" -ge 2560 ] 2>/dev/null; then
+        ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH=1920
+    else
+        ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH=1280
+    fi
+fi
+KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH=$ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_TARGET_CSS_WIDTH
 if [ -n "${ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_SCALE:-}" ]; then
     KIOSK_SCALE=$ARCHIPELAGO_KIOSK_SCALE
 else
@@ -100,6 +132,14 @@ else
         'BEGIN{if(t<=0)t=1280; s=w/t; s=int(s*4+0.5)/4; if(s<1)s=1; if(s>3)s=3; printf "%.2f", s}')
 fi
 
+# Chromium's --window-size is in DIPs (CSS px), not physical pixels: at scale S
+# the window paints S x larger. This X session has no window manager, so
+# --kiosk/--start-fullscreen cannot snap an oversized window back to the panel
+# — it just hangs off the right/bottom edges (content cropped, background art
+# offscreen). Size the window in DIPs so DIPs x scale = the panel exactly.
+KIOSK_WIN_W=$(awk -v w="$KIOSK_MODE_W" -v s="$KIOSK_SCALE" 'BEGIN{printf "%d", w/s}')
+KIOSK_WIN_H=$(awk -v h="$KIOSK_MODE_H" -v s="$KIOSK_SCALE" 'BEGIN{printf "%d", h/s}')
+
 xhost +SI:localuser:archipelago 2>/dev/null || true
 xsetroot -solid black 2>/dev/null || true
 xset s off 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -157,7 +197,7 @@ while true; do
       --disable-component-update \
       $GPU_FLAGS \
       --renderer-process-limit=2 \
-      --window-size=${KIOSK_MODE_W},${KIOSK_MODE_H} \
+      --window-size=${KIOSK_WIN_W},${KIOSK_WIN_H} \
       --window-position=0,0 \
       --start-fullscreen \
       --force-device-scale-factor=${KIOSK_SCALE} \