diff --git a/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/context.py b/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/context.py
index 9b5c50f..02494b0 100644
--- a/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/context.py
+++ b/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/context.py
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ class InstallContext:
         user_configuration = json.loads(config_path.read_text())
         omarchy_install = user_configuration.get("omarchy_install") or _default_omarchy_install(user_configuration)
 
+        # Autoinstall configs may omit kernels, which makes archinstall default
+        # to stock linux. Apply the same hardware default as the configurator,
+        # while honoring an explicit selection (including storage-only configs).
+        if not user_configuration.get("kernels"):
+            kernel = (omarchy_install.get("storage") or {}).get("kernel") or _default_kernel()
+            user_configuration["kernels"] = [kernel]
+
         # Deferred provisioning: the whole system installs but user creation is deferred to
         # first boot. Selected by the configurator (omarchy_install.defer_provisioning) or by
         # an `defer-provisioning` marker file on an autoinstall drive, which also replaces the
@@ -175,6 +182,18 @@ def _inject_provisioning_encryption_password(arch_configuration: dict, user_cred
     user_credentials["encryption_password"] = password
 
 
+def _default_kernel(pci_devices: Path = Path("/sys/bus/pci/devices")) -> str:
+    for device in pci_devices.glob("*"):
+        try:
+            vendor = (device / "vendor").read_text().strip().lower()
+            device_id = (device / "device").read_text().strip().lower()
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+        if vendor == "0x106b" and device_id in {"0x1801", "0x1802"}:
+            return "linux-t2"
+    return "linux-omarchy"
+
+
 def _default_omarchy_install(user_configuration: dict) -> dict[str, Any]:
     disk_config = user_configuration.get("disk_config", {})
     mode = "protected" if disk_config.get("config_type") == "pre_mounted_config" else "full_disk"
diff --git a/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/phases_impl.py b/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/phases_impl.py
index e489ee4..1ebd4ce 100644
--- a/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/phases_impl.py
+++ b/configs/airootfs/usr/share/omarchy-iso/orchestrator/phases_impl.py
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@ def arch_install_system(ctx: InstallContext) -> None:
                 pacman_config=config.pacman_config,
             )
 
+            # Headers are optional kernel dependencies. Install them before any
+            # DKMS package so generic installs have them too, and module builds
+            # use the target kernel instead of the live ISO's kernel.
+            installer.add_additional_packages([f"{kernel}-headers" for kernel in config.kernels])
+
             if not configure_keyboard(installer.target, kb_layout):
                 error(f"Invalid keyboard language specified: {kb_layout}")
 
@@ -1644,6 +1649,7 @@ def _tailscale_authkey(path: Path) -> str:
 
 def validate_boot(ctx: InstallContext) -> None:
     _assert_boot_hooks_restored(ctx)
+    _validate_kernel_headers(ctx)
 
     boot = _boot_intent(ctx)
     storage = _storage_intent(ctx)
@@ -1742,6 +1748,19 @@ def _assert_boot_hooks_restored(ctx: InstallContext) -> None:
             raise RuntimeError(f"{path} is missing — future kernel updates would ship no UKI")
 
 
+def _validate_kernel_headers(ctx: InstallContext) -> None:
+    kernels = sorted((ctx.target / "usr/lib/modules").glob("*/pkgbase"))
+    if not kernels:
+        raise RuntimeError("no installed kernel found in target")
+    for pkgbase in kernels:
+        release = pkgbase.parent.name
+        header_release = pkgbase.parent / "build/include/config/kernel.release"
+        if not header_release.is_file():
+            raise RuntimeError(f"{pkgbase.read_text().strip()} ({release}) has no kernel headers")
+        if header_release.read_text().strip() != release:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"{pkgbase.read_text().strip()} headers do not match kernel {release}")
+
+
 # Every kernel package leaves its pkgbase next to its modules, which is also
 # the name limine-mkinitcpio-hook builds the UKI under.
 def _installed_kernels(ctx: InstallContext) -> list[str]:
diff --git a/test/integration.d/base-test.sh b/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
index 10d4d2e..df2d6ba 100644
--- a/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
+++ b/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ EOF
             "efi_binary": "limine_x64.efi",
             "enable_fallback": true
         },
-        "storage": { "kernel": "linux" }
+        "storage": { "kernel": "linux-omarchy" }
     },
     "disk_config": {
         "config_type": "default_layout",
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ EOF
         ]
     },
     "hostname": "$GUEST_HOSTNAME",
-    "kernels": [ "linux" ],
+    "kernels": [ "linux-omarchy" ],
     "network_config": { "type": "iso" },
     "ntp": true,
     "parallel_downloads": 8,
diff --git a/test/unit/test_kernel_selection.py b/test/unit/test_kernel_selection.py
index 773e419..5e01f73 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_kernel_selection.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_kernel_selection.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Fresh installs use the Omarchy kernel, except for T2 Macs."""
 
+import json
 import os
 import re
 import subprocess
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@ import sys
 import tempfile
 import types
 import unittest
+from contextlib import ExitStack
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
 
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ sys.modules.setdefault(
     "orchestrator.archinstall_adapter",
     types.ModuleType("orchestrator.archinstall_adapter"),
 )
-from orchestrator import phases_impl  # noqa: E402
+from orchestrator import context, phases_impl  # noqa: E402
 
 
 class KernelSelectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -42,6 +44,115 @@ class KernelSelectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 )
                 self.assertEqual(result.stdout.strip(), expected)
 
+    def test_unattended_kernel_default_uses_pci_hardware(self):
+        for vendor, device, expected in [
+            ("0x8086", "0xb080", "linux-omarchy"),
+            ("0x106b", "0x2001", "linux-omarchy"),
+            ("0x106b", "0x1801", "linux-t2"),
+            ("0x106b", "0x1802", "linux-t2"),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(device=device), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+                pci = Path(tmp)
+                slot = pci / "0000:00:00.0"
+                slot.mkdir()
+                (slot / "vendor").write_text(vendor + "\n")
+                (slot / "device").write_text(device + "\n")
+                self.assertEqual(context._default_kernel(pci), expected)
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            self.assertEqual(context._default_kernel(Path(tmp)), "linux-omarchy")
+
+    def test_context_passes_effective_kernels_to_archinstall(self):
+        for config, default, expected in [
+            ({}, "linux-omarchy", ["linux-omarchy"]),
+            ({"kernels": []}, "linux-omarchy", ["linux-omarchy"]),
+            ({"kernels": None}, "linux-t2", ["linux-t2"]),
+            ({}, "linux-t2", ["linux-t2"]),
+            ({"kernels": ["linux-lts"]}, "linux-omarchy", ["linux-lts"]),
+            ({"kernels": ["linux-omarchy", "linux-lts"]}, "linux-t2", ["linux-omarchy", "linux-lts"]),
+            ({"omarchy_install": {"storage": {"kernel": "linux-t2"}}}, "linux-omarchy", ["linux-t2"]),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(config=config, default=default), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+                root = Path(tmp)
+                config_path = root / "config.json"
+                creds_path = root / "creds.json"
+                config_path.write_text(json.dumps(config))
+                creds_path.write_text(json.dumps({"users": [{"username": "test"}]}))
+                with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                    "OMARCHY_INSTALL_CONFIG": str(config_path),
+                    "OMARCHY_INSTALL_CREDS": str(creds_path),
+                    "OMARCHY_INSTALL_STATE_DIR": str(root / "state"),
+                }, clear=True), mock.patch.object(context, "_default_kernel", return_value=default):
+                    ctx = context.InstallContext.from_env()
+                self.assertEqual(ctx.user_configuration["kernels"], expected)
+                self.assertEqual(json.loads(ctx.arch_config_path.read_text())["kernels"], expected)
+
+    def test_headers_install_before_dkms_packages(self):
+        for kernels in (["linux-omarchy"], ["linux-t2"], ["linux-omarchy", "linux-lts"]):
+            for fail_headers in (False, True):
+                with self.subTest(kernels=kernels, fail_headers=fail_headers), ExitStack() as stack:
+                    events = []
+                    installer = mock.MagicMock()
+                    installer.minimal_installation.side_effect = lambda **kwargs: events.append("base")
+
+                    def install_packages(packages):
+                        events.append(packages)
+                        if fail_headers:
+                            raise RuntimeError("header install failed")
+
+                    installer.add_additional_packages.side_effect = install_packages
+                    config = types.SimpleNamespace(
+                        kernels=kernels, locale_config=None, mirror_config=None,
+                        swap=None, auth_config=None, app_config=None, timezone=None,
+                        ntp=False, hostname="test", pacman_config="/etc/pacman.conf",
+                    )
+                    ctx = types.SimpleNamespace(
+                        state={"arch_config_handler": types.SimpleNamespace(config=config), "mirror_handler": None},
+                        target=Path("/unused"), tailscale_authkey_path=None,
+                    )
+                    for name in ("_mount_offline_package_cache", "_mask_mkinitcpio_pacman_hooks",
+                                 "_configure_limine_boot", "_write_pre_mounted_fstab"):
+                        stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, name))
+                    unmask = stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, "_unmask_mkinitcpio_pacman_hooks"))
+                    unmount = stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, "_unmount_offline_package_cache"))
+                    stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, "configure_keyboard", return_value=True))
+                    stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, "_install_early_packages", side_effect=lambda inst: events.append("early")))
+                    stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl, "_runtime_package_list", return_value=["omarchy"]))
+                    stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl.arch, "is_pre_mount", return_value=True, create=True))
+                    stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl.arch, "root_user", return_value=None, create=True))
+                    opened = stack.enter_context(mock.patch.object(phases_impl.arch, "open_installer", create=True))
+                    opened.return_value.__enter__.return_value = installer
+                    if fail_headers:
+                        with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "header install failed"):
+                            phases_impl.arch_install_system(ctx)
+                    else:
+                        phases_impl.arch_install_system(ctx)
+                    expected = ["base", [f"{kernel}-headers" for kernel in kernels]]
+                    if not fail_headers:
+                        expected += ["early", ["omarchy"]]
+                    self.assertEqual(events, expected)
+                    unmask.assert_called_once_with(ctx)
+                    unmount.assert_called_once_with(ctx)
+
+    def test_validation_rejects_missing_or_mismatched_headers(self):
+        for kernel in ("linux-omarchy", "linux-t2"):
+            with self.subTest(kernel=kernel), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+                target = Path(tmp)
+                ctx = types.SimpleNamespace(target=target)
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "no installed kernel"):
+                    phases_impl._validate_kernel_headers(ctx)
+                modules = target / "usr/lib/modules/7.2-test"
+                modules.mkdir(parents=True)
+                (modules / "pkgbase").write_text(kernel + "\n")
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "no kernel headers"):
+                    phases_impl._validate_kernel_headers(ctx)
+                header_release = modules / "build/include/config/kernel.release"
+                header_release.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+                header_release.write_text("7.2-stock\n")
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "headers do not match"):
+                    phases_impl._validate_kernel_headers(ctx)
+                header_release.write_text("7.2-test\n")
+                phases_impl._validate_kernel_headers(ctx)
+
     def test_boot_validation_uses_default_or_explicit_kernel(self):
         for storage, configuration, expected in [
             ({}, {}, "linux-omarchy"),
@@ -52,6 +163,8 @@ class KernelSelectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
             with self.subTest(kernel=expected, storage=storage), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
                 target = Path(tmp)
                 files = {
+                    f"usr/lib/modules/7.2-test/pkgbase": expected + "\n",
+                    "usr/lib/modules/7.2-test/build/include/config/kernel.release": "7.2-test\n",
                     "boot/limine.conf": "/Omarchy\n",
                     "etc/kernel/cmdline": "root=UUID=test\n",
                     "etc/default/limine": "CUSTOM_UKI_NAME=omarchy\n",