diff --git a/bin/omarchy-bar-text-color b/bin/omarchy-bar-text-color
index a2ce8cde..35cd0ead 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-bar-text-color
+++ b/bin/omarchy-bar-text-color
@@ -109,7 +109,10 @@ right)
   ;;
 esac
 
-pixel=$(magick "$background_path" -auto-orient \
+# Sample the first frame only. Without the selector a video background makes
+# ImageMagick decode the whole file and emit one value per frame, and the match
+# below then fails into the fallback colour.
+pixel=$(magick "$background_path[0]" -auto-orient \
   -resize "${screen_width}x${screen_height}^" \
   -gravity center -extent "${screen_width}x${screen_height}" \
   -gravity NorthWest -crop "$crop" +repage \
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-menu-images b/bin/omarchy-menu-images
index 8c316462..8305cb0f 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-menu-images
+++ b/bin/omarchy-menu-images
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ fi
 selection_file=$(mktemp)
 done_file=$(mktemp)
 pending_file=$(mktemp)
+pending_video_file=$(mktemp)
 rm -f "$done_file"
-trap 'rm -f "$selection_file" "$done_file" "$pending_file"' EXIT
+trap 'rm -f "$selection_file" "$done_file" "$pending_file" "$pending_video_file"' EXIT
 
 image_dirs_env=""
 for dir in "${image_dirs[@]}"; do
@@ -111,8 +112,8 @@ cache_key=$(printf '%s' "$image_dirs_env" | md5sum | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
 rows_cache_file="$cache_dir/$cache_key.rows"
 rows_signature_file="$cache_dir/$cache_key.signature"
 rows_fast_signature_file="$cache_dir/$cache_key.fast-signature"
-rows_signature="v3"$'\n'
-rows_fast_signature="v2"$'\n'
+rows_signature="v4"$'\n'
+rows_fast_signature="v3"$'\n'
 rows_cacheable=true
 rows_cache_hit=false
 image_files=()
@@ -133,17 +134,25 @@ else
         image_files+=("$image")
         image_signature=$(stat -Lc '%s:%Y' "$image") || continue
         rows_signature+="$image:$image_signature"$'\n'
-      done < <(find -L "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \) -print0 2>/dev/null | sort -z)
+      done < <(find -L "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
+        \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+           -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
+        -print0 2>/dev/null | sort -z)
     fi
   done
 fi
 
+is_video_path() {
+  [[ ${1,,} =~ \.(mp4|m4v|mov|webm|mkv|avi)$ ]]
+}
+
 generate_thumbnail() {
   local image="$1"
   local thumbnail="$2"
   local lock="$thumbnail.lock"
   local lock_fd
   local tmp="$thumbnail.$$.jpg"
+  local thumbnail_command
 
   # Older releases used directories as locks, which could survive a killed
   # generator and block this thumbnail forever. Only reap aged ones, so a
@@ -161,13 +170,29 @@ generate_thumbnail() {
 
   [[ -f $thumbnail ]] && return
 
-  # Callers fan out one generator per image, so keep each vips single-threaded.
-  # Close the lock fd for vips: an orphaned or hung vips must not keep holding
-  # the lock after this shell is killed.
-  if VIPS_CONCURRENCY=1 vipsthumbnail "$image" --size 1536x864 --smartcrop=centre --path "$tmp[Q=82,strip]" {lock_fd}>&-; then
+  # Callers fan out one generator per file, so keep each image conversion
+  # single-threaded. ffmpegthumbnailer provides a still preview for videos.
+  if is_video_path "$image"; then
+    # Videos are generated before the picker opens, so one unreadable or
+    # stalled file must not hold it shut. A failed run drops the row.
+    thumbnail_command=(timeout -k 5 10 ffmpegthumbnailer -i "$image" -o "$tmp" -s 1536 -q 8)
+  else
+    thumbnail_command=(env VIPS_CONCURRENCY=1 vipsthumbnail "$image" --size 1536x864 --smartcrop=centre --path "$tmp[Q=82,strip]")
+  fi
+
+  # Close the lock fd for the converter: an orphaned or hung child must not
+  # keep holding the lock after this shell is killed.
+  if "${thumbnail_command[@]}" {lock_fd}>&-; then
     mv -f "$tmp" "$thumbnail"
   else
+    status=$?
     rm -f "$tmp" "$thumbnail"
+    # Remember a video the converter rejected, so it costs nothing on the next
+    # open. The key covers size and mtime, so a repaired file starts clean. A
+    # timeout is left to retry: the machine may only have been busy.
+    if is_video_path "$image" && (( status != 124 && status != 137 )); then
+      : >"$thumbnail.failed"
+    fi
   fi
 }
 
@@ -186,7 +211,17 @@ thumbnail_for() {
   thumbnail="$cache_dir/$hash.jpg"
 
   if [[ ! -f $thumbnail ]]; then
-    if [[ $lazy_thumbnails == true && $cache_only != true ]]; then
+    # A video that already failed to convert has no row to offer. Hand the
+    # marker back so the caller can keep the rows uncached over its absence.
+    if is_video_path "$image" && [[ -f $thumbnail.failed ]]; then
+      printf '%s' "$thumbnail.failed"
+      return
+    fi
+
+    # A lazy row stands in with the media file itself, which the picker draws
+    # with an Image -- fine for a picture, blank for a video. Videos take the
+    # queue instead, which also keeps them under its narrower fan out.
+    if [[ $lazy_thumbnails == true && $cache_only != true ]] && ! is_video_path "$image"; then
       rows_cacheable=false
 
       if [[ $prepare_only != true ]]; then
@@ -197,19 +232,35 @@ thumbnail_for() {
       return
     fi
 
-    printf '%s\0%s\0' "$image" "$thumbnail" >>"$pending_file"
+    if is_video_path "$image"; then
+      printf '%s\0%s\0' "$image" "$thumbnail" >>"$pending_video_file"
+    else
+      printf '%s\0%s\0' "$image" "$thumbnail" >>"$pending_file"
+    fi
   fi
 
   printf '%s' "$thumbnail"
 }
 
-# Generate every queued thumbnail at once; each vips run is single-threaded.
+# Each vips run is single-threaded, so still images can fill every core.
+# ffmpegthumbnailer leaves FFmpeg's automatic threading on, so a full-width fan
+# out of those would put a codec thread pool on every core at once.
 drain_pending_thumbnails() {
-  [[ -s $pending_file ]] || return 0
+  local video_jobs
 
-  export -f generate_thumbnail
-  xargs -a "$pending_file" -0 -n 2 -P "$(nproc)" \
-    bash -c 'generate_thumbnail "$1" "$2"' _ >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  export -f generate_thumbnail is_video_path
+
+  if [[ -s $pending_file ]]; then
+    xargs -a "$pending_file" -0 -n 2 -P "$(nproc)" \
+      bash -c 'generate_thumbnail "$1" "$2"' _ >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  fi
+
+  if [[ -s $pending_video_file ]]; then
+    video_jobs=$(( $(nproc) / 4 ))
+    (( video_jobs > 0 )) || video_jobs=1
+    xargs -a "$pending_video_file" -0 -n 2 -P "$video_jobs" \
+      bash -c 'generate_thumbnail "$1" "$2"' _ >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  fi
 }
 
 if [[ $rows_cache_hit != true && -f $rows_cache_file && -f $rows_signature_file ]] && cmp -s "$rows_signature_file" <(printf '%s' "$rows_signature"); then
@@ -219,6 +270,12 @@ elif [[ $rows_cache_hit != true ]]; then
   for image in "${image_files[@]}"; do
     thumbnail=$(thumbnail_for "$image")
     [[ -n $thumbnail ]] || continue
+    # Cached rows are trusted on the directory's mtime alone, which a file
+    # repaired in place never changes. Leave them uncached instead.
+    if [[ $thumbnail == *.failed ]]; then
+      rows_cacheable=false
+      continue
+    fi
     if [[ $lazy_thumbnails == true && $cache_only != true && $thumbnail == $image ]]; then
       rows_cacheable=false
     fi
@@ -232,7 +289,7 @@ elif [[ $rows_cache_hit != true ]]; then
 
   drain_pending_thumbnails
 
-  if [[ -s $pending_file ]]; then
+  if [[ -s $pending_file || -s $pending_video_file ]]; then
     pruned=""
     while IFS=$'\t' read -r row_image row_thumbnail; do
       if [[ ! -e $row_thumbnail ]]; then
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-next b/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-next
index dfb3d3f0..f9907d7a 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-next
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-next
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK="$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/background"
 
 mapfile -d '' -t BACKGROUNDS < <(
   find -L "$USER_BACKGROUNDS_PATH" "$THEME_BACKGROUNDS_PATH" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
-    \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \) \
+    \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+       -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
     -print0 2>/dev/null | sort -z
 )
 TOTAL=${#BACKGROUNDS[@]}
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-set b/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-set
index 45b420df..835321d7 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-set
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-bg-set
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-# omarchy:summary=Set the current background image
-# omarchy:args=<path-to-image>
+# omarchy:summary=Set the current background image or video
+# omarchy:args=<path-to-media>
 # omarchy:examples=omarchy theme bg set ~/Pictures/background.png
 
 if [[ -z $1 ]]; then
-  echo "Usage: omarchy-theme-bg-set <path-to-image>" >&2
+  echo "Usage: omarchy-theme-bg-set <path-to-media>" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ if [[ ! -f $BACKGROUND ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-# Create symlink to the new background
+# Create symlink to the new background media
 ln -nsf "$BACKGROUND" "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK"
 
 # Update the live shell background immediately when it is running. The
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set b/bin/omarchy-theme-set
index b6733803..614a8a1b 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set
@@ -48,12 +48,17 @@ shell_ipc() {
   timeout 2 omarchy-shell "$@" >/dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
+is_video_path() {
+  [[ ${1,,} =~ \.(mp4|m4v|mov|webm|mkv|avi)$ ]]
+}
+
 snapshot_background_path() {
   local background="$1"
   local name="$2"
   local snapshot extension
 
   [[ -f $background ]] || return
+  is_video_path "$background" && return
 
   mkdir -p "$BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_CACHE"
   extension=${background##*.}
@@ -69,20 +74,35 @@ snapshot_current_background() {
   snapshot_background_path "$current_background" "previous"
 }
 
+background_transition_uses_snapshots() {
+  local next_background="$1"
+  local current_background
+
+  current_background=$(readlink -f "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  ! is_video_path "$current_background" && ! is_video_path "$next_background"
+}
+
 choose_theme_background() {
+  local theme_path="${1:-$CURRENT_THEME_PATH}"
+  local current_theme_backgrounds="$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds"
   local backgrounds=()
   local current_background index next_index i
 
   CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND=""
   mapfile -d '' -t backgrounds < <(
-    find -L "$HOME/.config/omarchy/backgrounds/$THEME_NAME/" "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
-      \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \) \
+    find -L "$HOME/.config/omarchy/backgrounds/$THEME_NAME/" "$theme_path/backgrounds/" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
+      \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+         -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
       -print0 2>/dev/null | sort -z
   )
 
   (( ${#backgrounds[@]} > 0 )) || return 1
 
   current_background=$(readlink "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  if [[ $theme_path != $CURRENT_THEME_PATH && ${current_background%/*} == $current_theme_backgrounds ]]; then
+    current_background="$theme_path/backgrounds/${current_background##*/}"
+  fi
+
   index=-1
   for i in "${!backgrounds[@]}"; do
     if [[ ${backgrounds[$i]} == $current_background ]]; then
@@ -99,6 +119,16 @@ choose_theme_background() {
   fi
 }
 
+choose_staged_theme_background() {
+  local next_theme_backgrounds="$NEXT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds"
+
+  choose_theme_background "$NEXT_THEME_PATH" || return 1
+
+  if [[ ${CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND%/*} == $next_theme_backgrounds ]]; then
+    CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND="$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/${CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND##*/}"
+  fi
+}
+
 set_theme_background_link() {
   choose_theme_background || return 1
   ln -nsf "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND" "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK"
@@ -107,14 +137,19 @@ set_theme_background_link() {
 set_theme_background() {
   local new_background new_background_snapshot
 
-  if ! choose_theme_background; then
-    omarchy-notification-send "No background was found for theme" -t 2000
-    shell_ipc shell applyTheme "$colors_payload" "$shell_payload" || true
-    return
+  if [[ -z $CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND || ! -f $CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND ]]; then
+    if ! choose_theme_background; then
+      omarchy-notification-send "No background was found for theme" -t 2000
+      shell_ipc shell applyTheme "$colors_payload" "$shell_payload" || true
+      return
+    fi
   fi
 
   new_background="$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND"
-  new_background_snapshot=$(snapshot_background_path "$new_background" "next")
+  new_background_snapshot=""
+  if [[ $BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS == "true" ]]; then
+    new_background_snapshot=$(snapshot_background_path "$new_background" "next")
+  fi
 
   if [[ -f $OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT && -f $new_background_snapshot ]]; then
     shell_ipc background themeTransition "$OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT" "$new_background_snapshot" "$new_background" "$colors_payload" "$shell_payload" || \
@@ -283,9 +318,19 @@ fi
 # Generate dynamic configs
 omarchy-theme-set-templates
 
+CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND=""
 OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT=""
+BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS=true
 if [[ $THEME_HEADLESS != "1" && $OMARCHY_THEME_SKIP_BACKGROUND != "1" ]]; then
-  OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT=$(snapshot_current_background)
+  # Resolve the staged choice while the old theme still exists. Video changes
+  # switch directly to the durable path in QML, so neither side needs a copy.
+  if choose_staged_theme_background; then
+    if background_transition_uses_snapshots "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND"; then
+      OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT=$(snapshot_current_background)
+    else
+      BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS=false
+    fi
+  fi
 fi
 
 # Swap next theme in as current
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-switcher b/bin/omarchy-theme-switcher
index 6d014dd5..49bc127c 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-switcher
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-switcher
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ find_preview() {
   local theme_path="$1"
   local preview preview_name
 
-  for preview_name in preview.png preview.jpg preview.jpeg preview.webp preview.gif preview.bmp; do
+  for preview_name in preview.png preview.jpg preview.jpeg preview.webp preview.gif preview.bmp preview.mp4 preview.m4v preview.mov preview.webm preview.mkv preview.avi; do
     preview=$(find -L "$theme_path" -maxdepth 1 -type f -iname "$preview_name" -print -quit 2>/dev/null)
 
     if [[ -n $preview ]]; then
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ find_preview() {
   done
 
   if [[ -d $theme_path/backgrounds ]]; then
-    find -L "$theme_path/backgrounds" -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \) -print 2>/dev/null | sort | head -n 1
+    find -L "$theme_path/backgrounds" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
+      \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+         -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
+      -print 2>/dev/null | sort | head -n 1
   fi
 }
 
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ add_theme_preview() {
   ln -s "$preview" "$preview_dir/$theme_name.$extension"
 }
 
-fast_signature="v1"$'\n'
+fast_signature="v2"$'\n'
 for theme_dir in "$USER_THEMES_PATH" "$OMARCHY_THEMES_PATH"; do
   if [[ -d $theme_dir ]]; then
     fast_signature+="$theme_dir:$(stat -Lc '%Y' "$theme_dir")"$'\n'
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ fi
 
 current_theme=$(cat "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme.name" 2>/dev/null)
 selected_preview=""
-for extension in png jpg jpeg webp gif bmp; do
+for extension in png jpg jpeg webp gif bmp mp4 m4v mov webm mkv avi; do
   if [[ -e $preview_dir/$current_theme.$extension ]]; then
     selected_preview="$preview_dir/$current_theme.$extension"
     break
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-upgrade-to-quattro b/bin/omarchy-upgrade-to-quattro
index 2e9bd759..4dedd961 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-upgrade-to-quattro
+++ b/bin/omarchy-upgrade-to-quattro
@@ -2078,7 +2078,10 @@ for file in \
 done
 ln -snf "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme/btop.theme" "$HOME/.config/btop/themes/current.theme"
 if [[ ! -e $HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/background && -d $HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme/backgrounds ]]; then
-  background=$(find "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme/backgrounds" -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.webp' \) | sort | head -n1)
+  background=$(find "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme/backgrounds" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
+    \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+       -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
+    | sort | head -n1)
   [[ -n ${background:-} ]] && ln -snf "$background" "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/background"
 fi
 
diff --git a/install/omarchy-base.packages b/install/omarchy-base.packages
index 03af6299..76e74110 100644
--- a/install/omarchy-base.packages
+++ b/install/omarchy-base.packages
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ ttfx
 qemu-user-static-binfmt
 qrencode
 qt6-imageformats
+qt6-multimedia
+qt6-multimedia-ffmpeg
 quickshell
 ripgrep
 ruby
diff --git a/manual/39-backgrounds.md b/manual/39-backgrounds.md
index 6edec391..f2cd51eb 100644
--- a/manual/39-backgrounds.md
+++ b/manual/39-backgrounds.md
@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@ Every theme ships with its own set of backgrounds, and you can add extras of you
 
 You can do this most easily by going to _Install > Style > Background_ in the Omarchy Menu. That'll bring up the folder where the backgrounds for that theme is stored. Hit `Super + Shift + F` to start another file manager, find your background, copy it over.  Now it'll be included in the choices of backgrounds you can select between using `Super + Ctrl + Space`.
 
+Backgrounds can be videos as well as stills. Drop an `mp4`, `m4v`, `mov`, `webm`, `mkv`, or `avi` file in the same folder and it appears alongside the images, playing on a loop. Only your first monitor's wallpaper plays a video's sound track, through the default audio output at the system volume, and the lock screen stays silent. Playback stops on its own whenever nothing can see it — while a fullscreen window covers that monitor, while the screensaver is up, and once a locked screen has gone dark — but a video wallpaper still costs far more power than a still one, and each monitor decodes its own copy.
+
 You can find a huge collection of cool curated backgrounds on https://github.com/dharmx/walls.
diff --git a/migrations/1786609204.sh b/migrations/1786609204.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7833092
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/1786609204.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+echo "Install native video wallpaper playback dependencies"
+
+omarchy-pkg-add qt6-multimedia qt6-multimedia-ffmpeg
diff --git a/shell/Commons/Util.qml b/shell/Commons/Util.qml
index ca265acd..14af44fe 100644
--- a/shell/Commons/Util.qml
+++ b/shell/Commons/Util.qml
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ QtObject {
     return "file://" + String(path).split("/").map(encodeURIComponent).join("/")
   }
 
+  function isVideoPath(path) {
+    return /\.(mp4|m4v|mov|webm|mkv|avi)$/i.test(String(path || ""))
+  }
+
   // Single-quote a string for bash. The replace handles embedded single
   // quotes by closing, escaping, and re-opening the literal.
   function shellQuote(value) {
diff --git a/shell/Ui/BackgroundMedia.qml b/shell/Ui/BackgroundMedia.qml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b281ae22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/Ui/BackgroundMedia.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import QtQuick
+import qs.Commons
+
+Item {
+  id: root
+
+  property string path: ""
+  property int version: 0
+  property bool playbackEnabled: true
+  property bool audioEnabled: false
+  // Bumped when the file behind an unchanged path may have been replaced.
+  // Images cache-bust through version; a video is rebuilt, since FFmpeg
+  // would read a query as part of the filename.
+  property int reloads: 0
+  property bool reloading: false
+  readonly property var current: video ? videoLoader.item : imageLoader.item
+  readonly property bool ready: current ? current.ready : false
+  readonly property bool video: Util.isVideoPath(path)
+  // Cache-bust images selected in a running lock session. FFmpeg treats the
+  // query as part of a local filename, so videos must keep their plain URL.
+  // Each URL is empty for the other kind, so a switch never hands the still
+  // loader a video, or the player a still, in the moment before it unloads.
+  // Both test the path directly: going through `video` lets a URL evaluate
+  // against the stale flag and leak the wrong file for one pass.
+  readonly property url imageUrl: path && !Util.isVideoPath(path) ? Util.fileUrl(path) + (version ? "?v=" + version : "") : ""
+  readonly property url videoUrl: path && Util.isVideoPath(path) ? Util.fileUrl(path) : ""
+
+  Loader {
+    id: imageLoader
+    anchors.fill: parent
+    active: root.path !== "" && !root.video
+    sourceComponent: imageComponent
+  }
+
+  // Loaded by URL rather than from a Component here, so QtMultimedia and its
+  // audio dependency closure never map into a session that only shows images.
+  Loader {
+    id: videoLoader
+    anchors.fill: parent
+    active: root.path !== "" && root.video && !root.reloading
+    source: "BackgroundVideo.qml"
+  }
+
+  onReloadsChanged: {
+    if (!video) return
+    reloading = true
+    Qt.callLater(function() { root.reloading = false })
+  }
+
+  // A player on its way out keeps its source: pushing an empty one starts a
+  // load of nothing that its destructor then cancels, which FFmpeg logs.
+  Binding {
+    target: videoLoader.item
+    property: "mediaSource"
+    value: root.videoUrl
+    when: videoLoader.item !== null && Util.isVideoPath(root.path)
+    restoreMode: Binding.RestoreNone
+  }
+
+  Binding {
+    target: videoLoader.item
+    property: "playbackEnabled"
+    value: root.playbackEnabled
+    when: videoLoader.item !== null
+  }
+
+  Binding {
+    target: videoLoader.item
+    property: "audioEnabled"
+    value: root.audioEnabled
+    when: videoLoader.item !== null
+  }
+
+  Component {
+    id: imageComponent
+
+    Image {
+      readonly property bool ready: status === Image.Ready
+      source: root.imageUrl
+      fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
+      asynchronous: true
+      cache: root.version === 0
+      sourceSize.width: root.version > 0 ? width : 0
+      sourceSize.height: root.version > 0 ? height : 0
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/shell/Ui/BackgroundVideo.qml b/shell/Ui/BackgroundVideo.qml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..519e8bd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/Ui/BackgroundVideo.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import QtQuick
+import QtMultimedia
+
+// Deliberately a bare MediaPlayer and VideoOutput rather than the Video
+// convenience type: Video always builds an AudioOutput, and a muted sink still
+// decodes the audio stream and opens an audio client on every output.
+Item {
+  id: root
+
+  property url mediaSource: ""
+  property bool playbackEnabled: true
+  property bool audioEnabled: false
+  property int mediaGeneration: 0
+  property bool priming: false
+  property int primingGeneration: -1
+  property bool frameReceived: false
+  readonly property bool ready: player.hasVideo
+
+  onMediaSourceChanged: {
+    mediaGeneration += 1
+    priming = false
+    primingGeneration = -1
+    frameReceived = false
+    primePauseTimer.stop()
+    framePauseTimer.stop()
+    output.clearOutput()
+  }
+
+  onPlaybackEnabledChanged: {
+    priming = false
+    frameReceived = false
+    primePauseTimer.stop()
+    framePauseTimer.stop()
+    if (playbackEnabled) player.play()
+    else player.pause()
+  }
+
+  function pauseAfterPrimedFrame() {
+    if (!priming
+        || root.playbackEnabled
+        || primingGeneration !== root.mediaGeneration) return
+
+    priming = false
+    primePauseTimer.stop()
+    framePauseTimer.stop()
+    player.pause()
+  }
+
+  // A paused MediaPlayer can load a source without presenting its first frame.
+  // Prime it until VideoOutput receives a frame, with a timeout so a stalled
+  // decoder cannot keep running indefinitely on battery.
+  Timer {
+    id: primePauseTimer
+    interval: 1000
+    repeat: false
+
+    onTriggered: root.pauseAfterPrimedFrame()
+  }
+
+  // Receiving a frame means the decoder has produced it, but the scene graph
+  // may not have committed it yet. Give VideoOutput a render cycle before
+  // pausing so the first frame is not lost on a source switch.
+  Timer {
+    id: framePauseTimer
+    interval: 50
+    repeat: false
+
+    onTriggered: root.pauseAfterPrimedFrame()
+  }
+
+  VideoOutput {
+    id: output
+    anchors.fill: parent
+    fillMode: VideoOutput.PreserveAspectCrop
+  }
+
+  // Sound is opted into per output: with a player per monitor, every output
+  // playing the track would layer copies of it. The sink is only built once
+  // the media reports a sound track, so a silent file never opens an audio
+  // client or its threads. Priming a paused player must not be heard.
+  Loader {
+    id: audioLoader
+    active: root.audioEnabled && player.hasAudio
+    sourceComponent: AudioOutput {
+      muted: root.priming || !root.playbackEnabled
+    }
+  }
+
+  MediaPlayer {
+    id: player
+    source: root.mediaSource
+    videoOutput: output
+    audioOutput: audioLoader.item
+    loops: MediaPlayer.Infinite
+    autoPlay: root.playbackEnabled
+    onMediaStatusChanged: {
+      if (mediaStatus !== MediaPlayer.LoadedMedia) return
+
+      if (!root.playbackEnabled) {
+        root.priming = true
+        root.primingGeneration = root.mediaGeneration
+        root.frameReceived = false
+        primePauseTimer.restart()
+      }
+      player.play()
+    }
+  }
+
+  Connections {
+    target: output.videoSink
+    function onVideoFrameChanged() {
+      if (player.mediaStatus !== MediaPlayer.BufferedMedia) return
+      if (!root.priming
+          || root.playbackEnabled
+          || root.primingGeneration !== root.mediaGeneration
+          || root.frameReceived) return
+
+      root.frameReceived = true
+      framePauseTimer.restart()
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/shell/Ui/qmldir b/shell/Ui/qmldir
index b25bf5ca..63e82639 100644
--- a/shell/Ui/qmldir
+++ b/shell/Ui/qmldir
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ module qs.Ui
 BarIndicator 1.0 BarIndicator.qml
 BarIconButton 1.0 BarIconButton.qml
 BarWidget 1.0 BarWidget.qml
+BackgroundMedia 1.0 BackgroundMedia.qml
+BackgroundVideo 1.0 BackgroundVideo.qml
 BorderOverlay 1.0 BorderOverlay.qml
 BorderSurface 1.0 BorderSurface.qml
 Button 1.0 Button.qml
diff --git a/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml b/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
index 21e1b0a9..dea93a4c 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Quickshell
+import Quickshell.Hyprland
 import Quickshell.Io
 import Quickshell.Wayland
 import QtQuick
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ Item {
 
   property string currentBackground: ""
   property string displayedBackground: ""
+  property int displayedReloads: 0
   property string incomingBackground: ""
   property string oldBackground: ""
   property bool finishingTransition: false
@@ -26,6 +28,27 @@ Item {
   property string pendingShellRaw: ""
   property real revealProgress: 1
 
+  // Injected by the first-party service loader; used to reach the lock and idle
+  // services so playback can stop whenever nothing can see the wallpaper.
+  property var shell: null
+
+  // Stop a video wallpaper's decoding whenever it is covered. Qt's FFmpeg
+  // engine drives its own clock, so an unseen player keeps decoding until it
+  // is told not to — a locked laptop would otherwise decode until it died.
+  readonly property var lockService: shell && shell.services ? shell.firstPartyServiceFor("omarchy.lock") : null
+  readonly property var idleService: shell && shell.services ? shell.firstPartyServiceFor("omarchy.idle") : null
+  readonly property var batteryService: shell && shell.services ? shell.firstPartyServiceFor("omarchy.battery") : null
+  readonly property bool lockActive: lockService ? lockService.locked : false
+  readonly property bool screensaverActive: idleService ? idleService.screensaverWindowCount > 0 : false
+  readonly property bool powerSaverActive: batteryService ? batteryService.powerSaverOnBattery : false
+  // A lock or a screensaver covers every output, so it is decided once here.
+  // Fullscreen is decided per output below, because it only covers its own.
+  readonly property bool sessionObscured: lockActive || screensaverActive
+
+  function isVideo(path) {
+    return Util.isVideoPath(path)
+  }
+
   function imageUrl(path) {
     return Util.fileUrl(path)
   }
@@ -50,10 +73,15 @@ Item {
     revealAnimation.stop()
     finishingTransition = false
 
-    if (instant || !displayedBackground) {
+    // Video frames are not fed through the image-only reveal stack. Switching
+    // instantly also avoids decoding two full videos during a transition.
+    if (instant || !displayedBackground || isVideo(path) || isVideo(displayedBackground)) {
       oldBackground = ""
       incomingBackground = ""
-      displayedBackground = path
+      // A theme switch can replace the file behind an unchanged path, which
+      // an unchanged property would never pick up.
+      if (displayedBackground === finalPath) displayedReloads += 1
+      displayedBackground = finalPath
       revealProgress = 1
       return
     }
@@ -196,11 +224,24 @@ Item {
       color: "transparent"
       // Keep render updates enabled. The background layer has been observed to
       // lose its committed buffer while parked with updatesEnabled=false,
-      // leaving a black desktop until omarchy-shell is restarted. The wallpaper
-      // itself is static, so this favors correctness over a small render-loop
-      // optimization.
+      // leaving a black desktop until omarchy-shell is restarted. A still
+      // wallpaper costs nothing to keep enabled, and a video one is throttled
+      // by pausing playback rather than by parking the layer.
       updatesEnabled: true
 
+      // Pausing every wallpaper for one fullscreen window would freeze the one
+      // still on show next to it, which costs a viewer more than it saves. The
+      // workspace on show here knows whether a fullscreen window covers it,
+      // wherever focus happens to be.
+      readonly property var hyprlandMonitor: Hyprland.monitorFor(modelData)
+      readonly property var visibleWorkspace: hyprlandMonitor ? hyprlandMonitor.activeWorkspace : null
+      readonly property bool fullscreenHere: visibleWorkspace ? visibleWorkspace.hasFullscreen : false
+
+      // A sound track plays from one output only, or every monitor would
+      // layer its own copy of it.
+      readonly property bool firstScreen: Quickshell.screens.length > 0
+        && String(Quickshell.screens[0].name || "") === String(modelData.name || "")
+
       property bool maskReady: false
 
       function maybeStartReveal() {
@@ -218,15 +259,15 @@ Item {
       WlrLayershell.keyboardFocus: WlrKeyboardFocus.None
       exclusionMode: ExclusionMode.Ignore
 
-      Image {
+      BackgroundMedia {
         id: base
         anchors.fill: parent
-        source: root.imageUrl(root.displayedBackground)
-        fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
-        asynchronous: true
-        cache: true
-        onStatusChanged: {
-          if (status === Image.Ready && root.finishingTransition) {
+        path: root.displayedBackground
+        reloads: root.displayedReloads
+        playbackEnabled: !root.sessionObscured && !root.powerSaverActive && !panel.fullscreenHere
+        audioEnabled: panel.firstScreen
+        onReadyChanged: {
+          if (ready && root.finishingTransition) {
             root.incomingBackground = ""
             root.oldBackground = ""
             root.finishingTransition = false
diff --git a/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh b/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh
index a30e4743..0fb74117 100755
--- a/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh
+++ b/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh
@@ -3,12 +3,18 @@
 image_dirs=${1:-}
 cache_dir=${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/omarchy/image-selector
 index_file="$cache_dir/index.tsv"
+pending_video_file=$(mktemp)
 
 mkdir -p "$cache_dir"
+trap 'rm -f "$pending_video_file"' EXIT
 
-thumbnail_for() {
+is_video_path() {
+  [[ ${1,,} =~ \.(mp4|m4v|mov|webm|mkv|avi)$ ]]
+}
+
+thumbnail_path_for() {
   local image="$1"
-  local signature hash thumbnail legacy_hash
+  local signature hash
 
   signature=$(stat -Lc '%s:%Y' "$image") || return
   hash=$(awk -F '\t' -v path="$image" -v sig="$signature" '$1 == path && $2 == sig { print $3; exit }' "$index_file" 2>/dev/null)
@@ -17,9 +23,58 @@ thumbnail_for() {
     hash=$(printf '%s\t%s' "$image" "$signature" | md5sum | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
   fi
 
-  thumbnail="$cache_dir/$hash.jpg"
+  printf '%s/%s.jpg' "$cache_dir" "$hash"
+}
 
-  if [[ ! -f $thumbnail ]]; then
+generate_video_thumbnail() {
+  local image="$1"
+  local thumbnail="$2"
+  local lock="$thumbnail.lock"
+  local lock_fd
+  local tmp="$thumbnail.$$.jpg"
+
+  if [[ -d $lock ]] && (( $(date +%s) - $(stat -c '%Y' "$lock" 2>/dev/null || date +%s) > 120 )); then
+    rmdir "$lock" 2>/dev/null
+  fi
+
+  exec {lock_fd}>"$lock" || return
+  flock -w 30 "$lock_fd" || return
+  rm -f "$thumbnail".*.jpg
+
+  [[ -f $thumbnail ]] && return
+
+  if timeout -k 5 10 ffmpegthumbnailer -i "$image" -o "$tmp" -s 1536 -q 8 {lock_fd}>&-; then
+    mv -f "$tmp" "$thumbnail"
+  else
+    status=$?
+    rm -f "$tmp" "$thumbnail"
+    # Remember a rejected video so it costs nothing on the next scan; the key
+    # covers size and mtime, so a repaired file starts clean. A timeout is
+    # left to retry: the machine may only have been busy.
+    (( status == 124 || status == 137 )) || : >"$thumbnail.failed"
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+drain_pending_video_thumbnails() {
+  local video_jobs
+
+  [[ -s $pending_video_file ]] || return 0
+
+  video_jobs=$(( $(nproc) / 4 ))
+  (( video_jobs > 0 )) || video_jobs=1
+  export -f generate_video_thumbnail
+  xargs -a "$pending_video_file" -0 -n 2 -P "$video_jobs" \
+    bash -c 'generate_video_thumbnail "$1" "$2"' _ >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+}
+
+thumbnail_for() {
+  local image="$1"
+  local thumbnail legacy_hash
+
+  thumbnail=$(thumbnail_path_for "$image") || return
+
+  if [[ ! -f $thumbnail ]] && ! is_video_path "$image"; then
     # Older on-demand picker code keyed fallback thumbnails by file content.
     # Keep finding those if a user still has them cached.
     legacy_hash=$(md5sum "$image" 2>/dev/null | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
@@ -28,17 +83,31 @@ thumbnail_for() {
 
   if [[ -f $thumbnail ]]; then
     printf '%s' "$thumbnail"
-  else
+  elif ! is_video_path "$image"; then
     printf '%s' "$image"
   fi
 }
 
-while IFS= read -r dir; do
-  [[ -n $dir && -d $dir ]] || continue
-  find -L "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
-    \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \) \
-    -print0 2>/dev/null
-done <<<"$image_dirs" | sort -z | while IFS= read -r -d '' image; do
+mapfile -d '' -t images < <(
+  while IFS= read -r dir; do
+    [[ -n $dir && -d $dir ]] || continue
+    find -L "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type f \
+      \( -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' -o -iname '*.bmp' -o -iname '*.webp' \
+         -o -iname '*.mp4' -o -iname '*.m4v' -o -iname '*.mov' -o -iname '*.webm' -o -iname '*.mkv' -o -iname '*.avi' \) \
+      -print0 2>/dev/null
+  done <<<"$image_dirs" | sort -z
+)
+
+for image in "${images[@]}"; do
+  if is_video_path "$image"; then
+    thumbnail=$(thumbnail_path_for "$image") || continue
+    [[ -f $thumbnail || -f $thumbnail.failed ]] || printf '%s\0%s\0' "$image" "$thumbnail" >>"$pending_video_file"
+  fi
+done
+
+drain_pending_video_thumbnails
+
+for image in "${images[@]}"; do
   thumbnail=$(thumbnail_for "$image")
   [[ -n $thumbnail ]] || continue
   printf '%s\t%s\n' "$image" "$thumbnail"
diff --git a/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml b/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
index c2deae0f..e7a430ac 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ Item {
   property int failedAttempts: 0
   property bool inputEnabled: true
   property bool loadBackground: true
+  // A locked session blanks the displays after a few seconds. Nothing is
+  // visible from then until the user wakes it, so a video must not keep
+  // decoding through what is usually the longest part of a lock.
+  property bool displaysBlank: false
+  property bool powerSaverActive: false
   property string passwordText: ""
   property bool syncingPasswordText: false
 
@@ -43,15 +48,6 @@ Item {
   signal clearFailureRequested()
   signal wakeRequested()
 
-  // Cache-busts the lock background by appending `?v=`. Adding a query
-  // string keeps Image's loader happy while forcing it to reload when the
-  // user picks a new background mid-session.
-  function fileUrl(path) {
-    if (!path) return ""
-    var encoded = String(path).split("/").map(encodeURIComponent).join("/")
-    return "file://" + encoded + "?v=" + backgroundVersion
-  }
-
   function forcePasswordFocus() {
     passwordInput.forceActiveFocus()
   }
@@ -90,28 +86,34 @@ Item {
     anchors.fill: parent
     color: Color.background
 
-    Image {
+    BackgroundMedia {
       id: wallpaper
       anchors.fill: parent
-      source: root.loadBackground ? root.fileUrl(root.backgroundPath) : ""
-      fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
-      asynchronous: true
-      cache: false
-      sourceSize.width: width
-      sourceSize.height: height
+      path: root.loadBackground ? root.backgroundPath : ""
+      version: root.backgroundVersion
+      playbackEnabled: root.loadBackground && !root.displaysBlank && !root.powerSaverActive
     }
 
     MultiEffect {
       anchors.fill: wallpaper
-      source: wallpaper
+      source: wallpaper.video ? null : wallpaper
+      visible: !wallpaper.video
       autoPaddingEnabled: false
-      blurEnabled: root.loadBackground && wallpaper.status === Image.Ready
+      blurEnabled: root.loadBackground && wallpaper.ready
       blur: 1.0
       blurMax: 128
       blurMultiplier: 1.25
       contrast: -0.08
     }
 
+    // Qt's video output cannot be sampled by MultiEffect on every renderer.
+    // Keep video wallpapers visible and darken them slightly for legibility.
+    Rectangle {
+      anchors.fill: wallpaper
+      visible: wallpaper.video
+      color: "#22000000"
+    }
+
     MouseArea {
       anchors.fill: parent
       hoverEnabled: true
diff --git a/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
index 9ecb1cc0..94d43b68 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
@@ -31,11 +31,21 @@ Item {
   property int backgroundVersion: 0
   property string lastEvent: "init"
   property string lastEventAt: ""
+  property bool displaysBlank: false
+  // displaysBlank tracks what the lock asked for; Hyprland reports what each
+  // panel actually did. While a video is on show the two are reconciled, so a
+  // blank that failed keeps playing and a panel woken behind the lock's back
+  // (a resume that kept the same outputs) resumes instead of freezing.
+  property var monitorDpms: ({})
+  property bool monitorDpmsKnown: false
+  readonly property bool videoBackground: Util.isVideoPath(backgroundPath)
   property bool strandedLock: false
   property bool strandedLockResolved: false
 
   readonly property bool locked: lockRequested || sessionLock.locked || sessionLock.secure
   readonly property bool authenticating: authenticatingPassword || fingerprintAuthenticating
+  readonly property var batteryService: shell && shell.services ? shell.firstPartyServiceFor("omarchy.battery") : null
+  readonly property bool powerSaverActive: batteryService ? batteryService.powerSaverOnBattery : false
 
   function realScreenCount() {
     var screens = Quickshell.screens || []
@@ -165,14 +175,42 @@ Item {
   }
 
   function runWake() {
+    root.displaysBlank = false
+    root.monitorDpmsKnown = false
     if (!wakeProcess.running) wakeProcess.running = true
     if (lockRequested) armBlankTimer()
   }
 
   function runBlank() {
+    root.displaysBlank = true
+    root.monitorDpmsKnown = false
     if (!blankProcess.running) blankProcess.running = true
   }
 
+  function screenBlank(screenName) {
+    var name = String(screenName || "")
+    if (!monitorDpmsKnown || !(name in monitorDpms)) return displaysBlank
+    return !monitorDpms[name]
+  }
+
+  function applyMonitorDpms(text) {
+    var monitors
+    try {
+      monitors = JSON.parse(String(text || ""))
+    } catch (error) {
+      return
+    }
+    if (!Array.isArray(monitors)) return
+
+    var dpms = {}
+    for (var i = 0; i < monitors.length; i++) {
+      var monitor = monitors[i]
+      if (monitor && monitor.name && !monitor.disabled) dpms[String(monitor.name)] = !!monitor.dpmsStatus
+    }
+    monitorDpms = dpms
+    monitorDpmsKnown = true
+  }
+
   function submitPassword(value) {
     var password = String(value || "")
     if (!lockRequested || authenticatingPassword || password.length === 0) return
@@ -276,6 +314,8 @@ Item {
         failedAttempts: root.failedAttempts
         inputEnabled: root.lockRequested
         loadBackground: root.locked
+        displaysBlank: root.screenBlank(lockSurface.screen ? lockSurface.screen.name : "")
+        powerSaverActive: root.powerSaverActive
         passwordText: root.enteredPassword
         onPasswordTextEdited: function(password) { root.enteredPassword = password }
         onSubmitPassword: function(password) { root.submitPassword(password) }
@@ -306,6 +346,7 @@ Item {
       failedAttempts: 0
       inputEnabled: false
       loadBackground: root.previewVisible
+      powerSaverActive: root.powerSaverActive
       passwordText: ""
     }
 
@@ -411,6 +452,31 @@ Item {
     command: ["bash", "-c", "omarchy-brightness-keyboard off; omarchy-brightness-display off"]
   }
 
+  // Quickshell exposes no DPMS signal, so the panel state is polled while a
+  // video is the locked wallpaper. A wake or blank request drops the last
+  // answer, so its optimistic state applies until the next poll confirms it.
+  Process {
+    id: monitorDpmsProcess
+    command: ["hyprctl", "monitors", "-j"]
+    stdout: StdioCollector {
+      onStreamFinished: root.applyMonitorDpms(text)
+    }
+  }
+
+  Timer {
+    id: monitorDpmsTimer
+    interval: 3000
+    repeat: true
+    triggeredOnStart: true
+    running: root.locked && root.videoBackground
+    onTriggered: {
+      if (!monitorDpmsProcess.running) monitorDpmsProcess.running = true
+    }
+    onRunningChanged: {
+      if (!running) root.monitorDpmsKnown = false
+    }
+  }
+
   Timer {
     id: idleBlankTimer
     interval: 5000
@@ -467,6 +533,10 @@ Item {
   Connections {
     target: Quickshell
     function onScreensChanged() {
+      // A panel coming back is a display turning on that runWake did not ask
+      // for, so the blank state has to be given up here or a visible lock
+      // wallpaper stays frozen until the next keypress.
+      root.displaysBlank = false
       root.requestSessionLock()
 
       // A monitor still coming up has no workspace, so cannot answer yet.
diff --git a/shell/plugins/services/battery/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/services/battery/Service.qml
index 37fdf5c7..a1b01cff 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/services/battery/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/services/battery/Service.qml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ Item {
 
   readonly property int batteryThreshold: 10
   property string pendingPowerSource: ""
+  property string activePowerProfile: ""
+  readonly property bool powerSaverOnBattery: UPower.onBattery && activePowerProfile === "power-saver"
 
   PersistentProperties {
     id: persisted
@@ -53,11 +55,38 @@ Item {
     powerProfileProcess.running = true
   }
 
+  function refreshPowerProfile() {
+    if (!powerProfileReadProcess.running) powerProfileReadProcess.running = true
+  }
+
   Process { id: warningProcess }
 
   Process {
     id: powerProfileProcess
-    onExited: if (root.pendingPowerSource !== "") root.runPendingPowerProfile()
+    onExited: {
+      if (root.pendingPowerSource !== "") root.runPendingPowerProfile()
+      root.refreshPowerProfile()
+    }
+  }
+
+  Process {
+    id: powerProfileReadProcess
+    command: ["powerprofilesctl", "get"]
+    stdout: StdioCollector {
+      waitForEnd: true
+      onStreamFinished: root.activePowerProfile = String(text || "").trim()
+    }
+  }
+
+  Timer {
+    // powerprofilesctl has no portable monitor subcommand; keep profile changes
+    // visible to consumers such as the wallpaper service without requiring the
+    // power panel to be open.
+    interval: 2000
+    running: true
+    repeat: true
+    triggeredOnStart: true
+    onTriggered: root.refreshPowerProfile()
   }
 
   Timer {
@@ -73,6 +102,9 @@ Item {
     function onOnBatteryChanged() {
       root.checkBattery()
       root.applyPowerProfile()
+      root.refreshPowerProfile()
     }
   }
+
+  Component.onCompleted: root.refreshPowerProfile()
 }
diff --git a/shell/shell.qml b/shell/shell.qml
index 7e1cf75d..37a0fe6e 100644
--- a/shell/shell.qml
+++ b/shell/shell.qml
@@ -272,6 +272,10 @@ ShellRoot {
 
   property var _services: ({})
 
+  // Reassigned as each service registers, so a binding that reads this before
+  // looking a service up by id re-evaluates once that service exists.
+  readonly property var services: _services
+
   function serviceFor(pluginId) {
     return _services[String(pluginId)] || null
   }
diff --git a/test/shell.d/bar-text-color-test.sh b/test/shell.d/bar-text-color-test.sh
index b7626c2b..d22a289c 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/bar-text-color-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/bar-text-color-test.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
 
 require_command magick
+require_command ffmpeg
 
 TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
 trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT
@@ -28,3 +29,15 @@ pass "transparent bar text keeps text color on dark wallpaper"
 result=$(HOME="$TMPDIR" omarchy-bar-text-color top 20 '#ffffff' '#101010' --background "$TMPDIR/missing.png" --screen 100x100)
 [[ $result == "#ffffff" ]] || fail "transparent bar text falls back to text color when sampling fails" "expected #ffffff, got $result"
 pass "transparent bar text falls back to text color when sampling fails"
+
+# A video background must be sampled one frame at a time. Reading the whole file
+# emits a value per frame, which parses as nothing and silently falls back —
+# and decodes the entire wallpaper to find that out.
+light_top_video="$TMPDIR/light-top.mp4"
+ffmpeg -y -f lavfi -i "testsrc=size=640x360:rate=10:duration=2" \
+  -vf "drawbox=x=0:y=0:w=640:h=40:color=0xf5f5f5:t=fill" \
+  -c:v libx264 -preset ultrafast -pix_fmt yuv420p "$light_top_video" -loglevel error
+
+result=$(HOME="$TMPDIR" omarchy-bar-text-color top 40 '#ffffff' '#101010' --background "$light_top_video" --screen 640x360)
+[[ $result == "#101010" ]] || fail "transparent bar text samples one frame of a video wallpaper" "expected #101010, got $result"
+pass "transparent bar text samples one frame of a video wallpaper"
diff --git a/test/shell.d/menu-images-test.sh b/test/shell.d/menu-images-test.sh
index ac20a8ca..179dcb6b 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/menu-images-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/menu-images-test.sh
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ PATH="$stub_bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$cache_home" \
   fail "image menu recovers thumbnails from stranded locks"
 (( $(awk 'END { print NR }' "$cache_dir/$cache_key.rows") == 3 )) ||
   fail "image menu rebuilds every row after cache invalidation"
-[[ $(head -n 1 "$cache_dir/$cache_key.signature") == "v3" ]] ||
+[[ $(head -n 1 "$cache_dir/$cache_key.signature") == "v4" ]] ||
   fail "image menu invalidates stale row caches"
 [[ ! -e $stale_tmp ]] ||
   fail "image menu clears partial thumbnails left by killed generators"
diff --git a/test/shell.d/video-background-test.sh b/test/shell.d/video-background-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..1a15dace
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/video-background-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,366 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+
+run_node_test <<'JS'
+const fs = require('fs')
+
+const utilQml = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/Commons/Util.qml'), 'utf8')
+const mediaQml = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/Ui/BackgroundMedia.qml'), 'utf8')
+const videoQml = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/Ui/BackgroundVideo.qml'), 'utf8')
+const backgroundQml = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/background/Background.qml'), 'utf8')
+const lockQml = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml'), 'utf8')
+const themeSwitcher = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin/omarchy-theme-switcher'), 'utf8')
+const quattroUpgrade = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin/omarchy-upgrade-to-quattro'), 'utf8')
+const multimediaMigration = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'migrations/1786609204.sh'), 'utf8')
+const barTextColor = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin/omarchy-bar-text-color'), 'utf8')
+const menuImages = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin/omarchy-menu-images'), 'utf8')
+const lockView = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml'), 'utf8')
+const lockService = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml'), 'utf8')
+const batteryService = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/services/battery/Service.qml'), 'utf8')
+const themeSet = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin/omarchy-theme-set'), 'utf8')
+const directImageList = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh'), 'utf8')
+
+assert(
+  /function isVideoPath\(path\)[\s\S]*\.test\(String\(path \|\| ""\)\)/.test(utilQml) &&
+    !utilQml.includes('split(/[?#]/)'),
+  'shared media helper identifies video paths without truncating valid local names'
+)
+assert(
+  videoQml.includes('loops: MediaPlayer.Infinite') &&
+    videoQml.includes('autoPlay: root.playbackEnabled') &&
+    videoQml.includes('fillMode: VideoOutput.PreserveAspectCrop') &&
+    /imageUrl: path && !Util\.isVideoPath\(path\) \? Util\.fileUrl\(path\) \+ \(version \? "\?v=" \+ version : ""\) : ""/.test(mediaQml) &&
+    /videoUrl: path && Util\.isVideoPath\(path\) \? Util\.fileUrl\(path\) : ""/.test(mediaQml),
+  'background media plays aspect-cropped videos on a loop, and hands each loader only its own kind of file'
+)
+assert(
+  videoQml.includes('MediaPlayer.LoadedMedia') &&
+    videoQml.includes('primePauseTimer') &&
+    videoQml.includes('mediaGeneration') &&
+    videoQml.includes('videoSink') &&
+    videoQml.includes('onVideoFrameChanged') &&
+    videoQml.includes('MediaPlayer.BufferedMedia') &&
+    videoQml.includes('mediaStatus !== MediaPlayer.BufferedMedia') &&
+    videoQml.includes('interval: 1000') &&
+    videoQml.includes('interval: 50') &&
+    videoQml.includes('frameReceived') &&
+    videoQml.includes('output.clearOutput()') &&
+    !videoQml.includes('KeepLastFrame') &&
+    /onPlaybackEnabledChanged:[\s\S]*?if \(playbackEnabled\) player\.play\(\)[\s\S]*?else player\.pause\(\)/.test(videoQml) &&
+    videoQml.includes('primingGeneration') &&
+    videoQml.includes('player.play()') &&
+    videoQml.includes('player.pause()'),
+  'paused video sources are primed to display their first frame'
+)
+assert(
+  !/^\s*import QtMultimedia/m.test(mediaQml) &&
+    mediaQml.includes('source: "BackgroundVideo.qml"'),
+  'the still-image path never imports QtMultimedia, so image-only sessions do not map it'
+)
+assert(
+  !/^\s*Video\s*\{/m.test(videoQml) &&
+    /property bool audioEnabled: false/.test(videoQml) &&
+    /property bool audioEnabled: false/.test(mediaQml) &&
+    /active: root\.audioEnabled && player\.hasAudio/.test(videoQml) &&
+    /audioOutput: audioLoader\.item/.test(videoQml) &&
+    /muted: root\.priming \|\| !root\.playbackEnabled/.test(videoQml) &&
+    /property: "audioEnabled"\s*\n\s*value: root\.audioEnabled/.test(mediaQml) &&
+    /firstScreen: Quickshell\.screens\.length > 0\s*\n\s*&& String\(Quickshell\.screens\[0\]\.name/.test(backgroundQml) &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('audioEnabled: panel.firstScreen') &&
+    !lockQml.includes('audioEnabled'),
+  'a sound track plays from the first monitor only, a silent file builds no audio output, and the lock stays quiet'
+)
+assert(
+  /property: "mediaSource"[\s\S]*?when: videoLoader\.item !== null && Util\.isVideoPath\(root\.path\)\s*\n\s*restoreMode: Binding\.RestoreNone/.test(mediaQml) &&
+    !videoQml.includes('Component.onDestruction'),
+  'a player on its way out keeps its source, so nothing is left loading for its destructor to cancel'
+)
+assert(
+  !mediaQml.includes('mipmap'),
+  'the shared image path leaves mipmapping off, as the desktop background had it'
+)
+assert(
+  /instant \|\| !displayedBackground \|\| isVideo\(path\) \|\| isVideo\(displayedBackground\)[\s\S]*displayedBackground = finalPath/.test(backgroundQml),
+  'video switches bypass the image-only reveal stack and use the durable background path'
+)
+assert(backgroundQml.includes('BackgroundMedia {') && lockQml.includes('BackgroundMedia {'), 'desktop and lock screen share video-capable media rendering')
+assert(
+  lockQml.includes('source: wallpaper.video ? null : wallpaper') &&
+    lockQml.includes('visible: !wallpaper.video') &&
+    lockQml.includes('visible: wallpaper.video'),
+  'lock screen bypasses its image effect for video output'
+)
+assert(
+  /sessionObscured:\s*lockActive \|\| screensaverActive/.test(backgroundQml) &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('playbackEnabled: !root.sessionObscured && !root.powerSaverActive && !panel.fullscreenHere') &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('omarchy.lock') &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('omarchy.idle') &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('omarchy.battery'),
+  'desktop playback stops while covered or on battery power-saver'
+)
+assert(
+  backgroundQml.includes('Hyprland.monitorFor(modelData)') &&
+    /fullscreenHere: visibleWorkspace \? visibleWorkspace\.hasFullscreen : false/.test(backgroundQml) &&
+    !backgroundQml.includes('ToplevelManager.activeToplevel'),
+  'a fullscreen window pauses only the output it covers, wherever focus is'
+)
+assert(
+  /if \(displayedBackground === finalPath\) displayedReloads \+= 1/.test(backgroundQml) &&
+    backgroundQml.includes('reloads: root.displayedReloads') &&
+    /active: root\.path !== "" && root\.video && !root\.reloading/.test(mediaQml) &&
+    /onReloadsChanged: \{[\s\S]*?reloading = true/.test(mediaQml),
+  'a theme switch that keeps the video path still reopens the replaced file'
+)
+assert(
+  barTextColor.includes('magick "$background_path[0]"'),
+  'bar colour sampling reads one frame instead of decoding a whole video'
+)
+assert(
+  menuImages.includes('pending_video_file') && /video_jobs=\$\(\( \$\(nproc\) \/ 4 \)\)/.test(menuImages),
+  'video thumbnails fan out narrower than single-threaded vips jobs'
+)
+assert(
+  themeSwitcher.includes('fast_signature="v2"'),
+  'the theme preview cache rebuilds after preview discovery learned about video'
+)
+assert(
+  /lazy_thumbnails == true && \$cache_only != true \]\] && ! is_video_path/.test(menuImages),
+  'a video never stands in as its own lazy thumbnail, so the fan out cap always applies'
+)
+assert(
+  /thumbnail_command=\(timeout -k \d+ \d+ ffmpegthumbnailer/.test(menuImages),
+  'a stalled video cannot hold the picker shut, because its generator is time bounded'
+)
+assert(
+  directImageList.includes('generate_video_thumbnail') &&
+    /timeout -k \d+ \d+ ffmpegthumbnailer/.test(directImageList) &&
+    /if \[\[ ! -f \$thumbnail \]\] && ! is_video_path/.test(directImageList),
+  'a direct picker scan generates bounded video thumbnails without content-hashing the media'
+)
+assert(
+  themeSet.includes('choose_staged_theme_background') &&
+    themeSet.includes('background_transition_uses_snapshots') &&
+    themeSet.includes('BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS=false') &&
+    /if \[\[ \$BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS == "true" \]\]/.test(themeSet) &&
+    /if \[\[ -z \$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND \|\| ! -f \$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND \]\]/.test(themeSet),
+  'theme changes disable both transition snapshots whenever either side is a video'
+)
+assert(
+  /function onScreensChanged\(\) \{[\s\S]*?root\.displaysBlank = false/.test(lockService),
+  'a display coming back gives up the blank state instead of freezing a visible wallpaper'
+)
+assert(
+  lockService.includes('function screenBlank(screenName)') &&
+    lockService.includes('function applyMonitorDpms(text)') &&
+    lockService.includes('command: ["hyprctl", "monitors", "-j"]') &&
+    lockService.includes('running: root.locked && root.videoBackground') &&
+    /displaysBlank: root\.screenBlank\(lockSurface\.screen/.test(lockService) &&
+    /function runWake\(\) \{[\s\S]*?root\.monitorDpmsKnown = false/.test(lockService) &&
+    /function runBlank\(\) \{[\s\S]*?root\.monitorDpmsKnown = false/.test(lockService),
+  'a locked video wallpaper follows what each panel actually did, not only what the lock asked for'
+)
+assert(
+  lockView.includes('playbackEnabled: root.loadBackground && !root.displaysBlank') &&
+    lockView.includes('&& !root.powerSaverActive') &&
+    /displaysBlank: root\.screenBlank\(/.test(lockService) &&
+    /powerSaverActive: root\.powerSaverActive/.test(lockService) &&
+    /function runBlank\(\) \{\s*\n\s*root\.displaysBlank = true/.test(lockService) &&
+    /function runWake\(\) \{\s*\n\s*root\.displaysBlank = false/.test(lockService),
+  'the lock screen stops playback once displays go dark or power-saver is active'
+)
+assert(
+  batteryService.includes('property string activePowerProfile') &&
+    batteryService.includes('UPower.onBattery && activePowerProfile === "power-saver"') &&
+    batteryService.includes('["powerprofilesctl", "get"]') &&
+    batteryService.includes('interval: 2000'),
+  'the battery service tracks the active power-saver profile'
+)
+assert(
+  themeSwitcher.includes("-iname '*.mp4'") &&
+    themeSwitcher.includes('mp4 m4v mov webm mkv avi') &&
+    themeSwitcher.includes('preview.mp4'),
+  'theme switcher previews video-only themes, named preview files included'
+)
+assert(quattroUpgrade.includes("-iname '*.mp4'"), 'Quattro upgrade can seed a video-only theme background')
+assert(
+  multimediaMigration.includes('omarchy-pkg-add qt6-multimedia qt6-multimedia-ffmpeg'),
+  'existing Quattro installations receive video playback dependencies'
+)
+JS
+
+test_tmp=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$test_tmp"' EXIT
+mkdir -p "$test_tmp/bin" "$test_tmp/backgrounds" "$test_tmp/generator-cache" "$test_tmp/direct-cache"
+printf 'not a real video\n' >"$test_tmp/backgrounds/sample.mp4"
+
+cat >"$test_tmp/bin/ffmpegthumbnailer" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+while (( $# > 0 )); do
+  case "$1" in
+    -i) input=$2; shift 2 ;;
+    -o) output=$2; shift 2 ;;
+    *) shift ;;
+  esac
+done
+printf 'thumbnail for %s\n' "$input" >"$output"
+SH
+chmod +x "$test_tmp/bin/ffmpegthumbnailer"
+
+cat >"$test_tmp/bin/md5sum" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+if (( $# > 0 )); then
+  printf 'unexpected file hash: %s\n' "$*" >>"$MD5_FILE_CALLS"
+fi
+exec /usr/bin/md5sum "$@"
+SH
+chmod +x "$test_tmp/bin/md5sum"
+
+md5_file_calls="$test_tmp/md5-file-calls"
+PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$test_tmp/generator-cache" MD5_FILE_CALLS="$md5_file_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-menu-images" --prepare-only "$test_tmp/backgrounds"
+
+generator_thumbnail=$(find "$test_tmp/generator-cache/omarchy/image-selector" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.jpg' -print -quit)
+[[ -s $generator_thumbnail ]] || fail "menu image generator creates a video thumbnail"
+
+generator_row=$(XDG_CACHE_HOME="$test_tmp/generator-cache" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$test_tmp/backgrounds")
+IFS=$'\t' read -r generator_row_path generator_row_thumbnail <<<"$generator_row"
+[[ $generator_row_path == "$test_tmp/backgrounds/sample.mp4" && $generator_row_thumbnail == "$generator_thumbnail" ]] || \
+  fail "direct picker consumes the menu image generator thumbnail" "$generator_row"
+
+row=$(PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$test_tmp/direct-cache" MD5_FILE_CALLS="$md5_file_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$test_tmp/backgrounds")
+
+IFS=$'\t' read -r row_path row_thumbnail <<<"$row"
+[[ $row_path == "$test_tmp/backgrounds/sample.mp4" && $row_thumbnail == *.jpg && -s $row_thumbnail ]] || \
+  fail "image picker lists videos with their cached thumbnail" "$row"
+[[ ! -s $md5_file_calls ]] || fail "direct video scans avoid hashing the complete media file" "$(<"$md5_file_calls")"
+
+failed_backgrounds="$test_tmp/failed-backgrounds"
+failed_cache="$test_tmp/failed-cache"
+mkdir -p "$failed_backgrounds" "$failed_cache"
+printf 'broken video\n' >"$failed_backgrounds/broken.mp4"
+cat >"$test_tmp/bin/ffmpegthumbnailer" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+exit 1
+SH
+
+cached_row=$(PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$test_tmp/direct-cache" MD5_FILE_CALLS="$md5_file_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$test_tmp/backgrounds")
+[[ $cached_row == "$row" ]] || fail "direct picker reuses its cached video thumbnail" "$cached_row"
+
+failed_rows=$(PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$failed_cache" MD5_FILE_CALLS="$md5_file_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$failed_backgrounds")
+[[ -z $failed_rows ]] || fail "direct picker omits a video whose thumbnail fails" "$failed_rows"
+
+failed_marker=$(find "$failed_cache/omarchy/image-selector" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.failed' -print -quit)
+[[ -n $failed_marker ]] || fail "direct picker remembers a video the converter rejected"
+
+thumbnailer_calls="$test_tmp/thumbnailer-calls"
+cat >"$test_tmp/bin/ffmpegthumbnailer" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\n' "$*" >>"$THUMBNAILER_CALLS"
+exit 1
+SH
+
+failed_rows=$(PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$failed_cache" THUMBNAILER_CALLS="$thumbnailer_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$failed_backgrounds")
+[[ -z $failed_rows && ! -e $thumbnailer_calls ]] || fail "direct picker skips a rejected video on the next scan" "$(cat "$thumbnailer_calls" 2>/dev/null)"
+
+generator_failed_cache="$test_tmp/generator-failed-cache"
+PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$generator_failed_cache" THUMBNAILER_CALLS="$thumbnailer_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-menu-images" --prepare-only "$failed_backgrounds"
+[[ -s $thumbnailer_calls ]] || fail "menu image generator tries a video it has not seen"
+generator_marker=$(find "$generator_failed_cache/omarchy/image-selector" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.failed' -print -quit)
+[[ -n $generator_marker ]] || fail "menu image generator remembers a video the converter rejected"
+rm -f "$thumbnailer_calls"
+PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$generator_failed_cache" THUMBNAILER_CALLS="$thumbnailer_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-menu-images" --prepare-only "$failed_backgrounds"
+[[ ! -e $thumbnailer_calls ]] || fail "menu image generator skips a rejected video on the next open" "$(<"$thumbnailer_calls")"
+
+# A repaired file gets a fresh key, so the old marker no longer applies, and
+# the rows are not cached over its absence, so an in-place repair that leaves
+# the directory's mtime alone is still noticed.
+touch -d '2 minutes' "$failed_backgrounds/broken.mp4"
+PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$generator_failed_cache" THUMBNAILER_CALLS="$thumbnailer_calls" \
+  "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-menu-images" --prepare-only "$failed_backgrounds"
+[[ -s $thumbnailer_calls ]] || fail "menu image generator retries a video that changed since it was rejected"
+
+timeout_backgrounds="$test_tmp/timeout-backgrounds"
+timeout_cache="$test_tmp/timeout-cache"
+mkdir -p "$timeout_backgrounds"
+printf 'slow video\n' >"$timeout_backgrounds/slow.mp4"
+cat >"$test_tmp/bin/ffmpegthumbnailer" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+exit 124
+SH
+timeout_rows=$(PATH="$test_tmp/bin:$PATH" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$timeout_cache" \
+  "$ROOT/shell/plugins/image-picker/list.sh" "$timeout_backgrounds")
+[[ -z $timeout_rows ]] || fail "direct picker omits a video whose thumbnail timed out" "$timeout_rows"
+timeout_marker=$(find "$timeout_cache/omarchy/image-selector" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.failed' -print -quit)
+[[ -z $timeout_marker ]] || fail "a timed out video is left to retry rather than remembered as failed"
+
+grep -qx 'qt6-multimedia' "$ROOT/install/omarchy-base.packages" || fail "Qt Multimedia runtime is a base package"
+grep -qx 'qt6-multimedia-ffmpeg' "$ROOT/install/omarchy-base.packages" || fail "Qt Multimedia FFmpeg backend is a base package"
+
+pass "menu image generator creates thumbnails consumed by the picker"
+pass "direct picker generates and reuses still thumbnails"
+pass "direct picker omits videos whose thumbnails cannot be generated"
+pass "a rejected video is remembered so it costs nothing on the next open"
+pass "a timed out video is left to retry"
+pass "a locked video wallpaper follows the panels' real DPMS state"
+pass "Qt Multimedia playback dependencies are declared"
+
+source <(awk '
+  /^(is_video_path|snapshot_background_path|background_transition_uses_snapshots|choose_theme_background|choose_staged_theme_background|set_theme_background)\(\) \{/ { copying=1 }
+  copying { print }
+  copying && /^}$/ { copying=0 }
+' "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-theme-set")
+
+transition_home="$test_tmp/transition-home"
+CURRENT_THEME_PATH="$transition_home/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme"
+NEXT_THEME_PATH="$transition_home/.local/state/omarchy/current/next-theme"
+CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK="$transition_home/.local/state/omarchy/current/background"
+BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_CACHE="$transition_home/.cache/omarchy/background-transitions"
+THEME_NAME="video-test"
+HOME="$transition_home"
+mkdir -p "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds" "$NEXT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds" "$HOME/.config/omarchy/backgrounds/$THEME_NAME"
+printf 'old image\n' >"$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.png"
+printf 'old image staged\n' >"$NEXT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.png"
+printf 'new video\n' >"$NEXT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/new.mp4"
+ln -s "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.png" "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK"
+
+choose_staged_theme_background || fail "staged video background is selected before the theme swap"
+expected_staged_background="$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/new.mp4"
+[[ $CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND == $expected_staged_background ]] || \
+  fail "staged background resolves to its durable post-swap path" "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND"
+if background_transition_uses_snapshots "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND"; then
+  fail "image to video theme transitions skip snapshots"
+fi
+background_transition_uses_snapshots "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/new.png" || \
+  fail "image to image theme transitions retain snapshots"
+
+rm "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK"
+printf 'old video\n' >"$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.mp4"
+ln -s "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.mp4" "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK"
+if background_transition_uses_snapshots "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/new.png"; then
+  fail "video to image theme transitions skip snapshots"
+fi
+
+video_snapshot=$(snapshot_background_path "$CURRENT_THEME_PATH/backgrounds/old.mp4" "video")
+[[ -z $video_snapshot && ! -e $BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_CACHE ]] || fail "video files are never snapshotted"
+
+CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND="$transition_home/disappeared.mp4"
+BACKGROUND_TRANSITION_SNAPSHOTS=false
+OLD_BACKGROUND_SNAPSHOT=""
+colors_payload=""
+shell_payload=""
+shell_ipc() { :; }
+set_theme_background
+[[ -f $CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND && $(readlink "$CURRENT_BACKGROUND_LINK") == "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND" ]] || \
+  fail "theme changes recover when a preselected background disappears" "$CHOSEN_THEME_BACKGROUND"
+
+pass "theme transitions skip snapshots whenever either side is a video"
+pass "theme changes recover from a missing preselected background"