diff --git a/settings/theming.nix b/settings/theming.nix
index 970d163..cd667de 100644
--- a/settings/theming.nix
+++ b/settings/theming.nix
@@ -485,6 +485,14 @@ in
       apply = themeApply;
     };
 
+    # stylix ships fish as BOTH a NixOS and a home-manager target, and this is
+    # the NixOS half — programs.fish.interactiveShellInit in /etc/fish. Turning
+    # off only the home-manager one left this still sourcing base16-fish, which
+    # printf's OSC 4 / OSC 10 / OSC 11 at every shell start and repaints the
+    # build-time palette over whatever ghostty just reloaded. Both halves have
+    # to go or the terminal never changes colour.
+    stylix.targets.fish.enable = false;
+
     home-manager.users.fred = { config, lib, pkgs, osConfig, ... }: {
       # These four targets write build-time files that theme-apply replaces
       # at runtime; leaving them on means stylix and the switcher fight over