diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index 8f618f9..762dfa9 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -59,6 +59,38 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
+    "cachyos-kernel": {
+      "flake": false,
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1775145950,
+        "narHash": "sha256-AfVja9nvYHm0BHbuTvn+K8rKfLmPl5QjoiNecp9HOJU=",
+        "owner": "CachyOS",
+        "repo": "linux-cachyos",
+        "rev": "b91624f68ceaf5394ef1571f60290dca6ba22b45",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "CachyOS",
+        "repo": "linux-cachyos",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
+    "cachyos-kernel-patches": {
+      "flake": false,
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1775157685,
+        "narHash": "sha256-g8HgH7gADoEnrBN30BK3pz7+M2pT/p3xtfRFEuEov5w=",
+        "owner": "CachyOS",
+        "repo": "kernel-patches",
+        "rev": "c1ba300617a12d257b5721572b9bbe28efae182f",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "CachyOS",
+        "repo": "kernel-patches",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "crane": {
       "locked": {
         "lastModified": 1773189535,
@@ -210,6 +242,22 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
+    "flake-compat_3": {
+      "flake": false,
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1767039857,
+        "narHash": "sha256-vNpUSpF5Nuw8xvDLj2KCwwksIbjua2LZCqhV1LNRDns=",
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "repo": "flake-compat",
+        "rev": "5edf11c44bc78a0d334f6334cdaf7d60d732daab",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "repo": "flake-compat",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "flake-parts": {
       "inputs": {
         "nixpkgs-lib": [
@@ -231,6 +279,24 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
+    "flake-parts_2": {
+      "inputs": {
+        "nixpkgs-lib": "nixpkgs-lib"
+      },
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1775087534,
+        "narHash": "sha256-91qqW8lhL7TLwgQWijoGBbiD4t7/q75KTi8NxjVmSmA=",
+        "owner": "hercules-ci",
+        "repo": "flake-parts",
+        "rev": "3107b77cd68437b9a76194f0f7f9c55f2329ca5b",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "hercules-ci",
+        "repo": "flake-parts",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "flake-utils": {
       "inputs": {
         "systems": "systems_2"
@@ -481,6 +547,31 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
+    "nix-cachyos-kernel": {
+      "inputs": {
+        "cachyos-kernel": "cachyos-kernel",
+        "cachyos-kernel-patches": "cachyos-kernel-patches",
+        "flake-compat": "flake-compat_3",
+        "flake-parts": "flake-parts_2",
+        "nixpkgs": [
+          "nixpkgs"
+        ]
+      },
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1775239578,
+        "narHash": "sha256-MKJmDHlaxwBcnfCUEA89AwKOOONjOjbjHNNWdSdg5RA=",
+        "owner": "xddxdd",
+        "repo": "nix-cachyos-kernel",
+        "rev": "beaf7a533ae106c2681de2624da94707f9857f1f",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "xddxdd",
+        "ref": "release",
+        "repo": "nix-cachyos-kernel",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "nix-doom-emacs-unstraightened": {
       "inputs": {
         "doomemacs": "doomemacs",
@@ -575,6 +666,21 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
+    "nixpkgs-lib": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1774748309,
+        "narHash": "sha256-+U7gF3qxzwD5TZuANzZPeJTZRHS29OFQgkQ2kiTJBIQ=",
+        "owner": "nix-community",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs.lib",
+        "rev": "333c4e0545a6da976206c74db8773a1645b5870a",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "nix-community",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs.lib",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "noctalia": {
       "inputs": {
         "nixpkgs": [
@@ -655,6 +761,7 @@
         "lanzaboote": "lanzaboote",
         "llm-agents": "llm-agents",
         "niri": "niri",
+        "nix-cachyos-kernel": "nix-cachyos-kernel",
         "nix-doom-emacs-unstraightened": "nix-doom-emacs-unstraightened",
         "nix-flatpak": "nix-flatpak",
         "nixos-hardware": "nixos-hardware",
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index aaad4f1..9ad3e0b 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@
       inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
     };
 
+    nix-cachyos-kernel = {
+      url = "github:xddxdd/nix-cachyos-kernel/release";
+      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
+    };
     llm-agents = {
       url = "github:numtide/llm-agents.nix";
       inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
diff --git a/system/common.nix b/system/common.nix
index 0004c80..74189a4 100644
--- a/system/common.nix
+++ b/system/common.nix
@@ -94,10 +94,11 @@
     };
   };
 
+  # cachyos kernel overlay
+  nixpkgs.overlays = [ inputs.nix-cachyos-kernel.overlays.default ];
+
   # kernel options
   boot = {
-    kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_testing;
-    # kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_latest;
 
     # aes_generic is built-in as of linux 7.0, no longer a loadable module
     initrd.luks.cryptoModules = lib.mkForce (
diff --git a/system/system-mreow.nix b/system/system-mreow.nix
index 16d7902..eddf970 100644
--- a/system/system-mreow.nix
+++ b/system/system-mreow.nix
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@
     inputs.nixos-hardware.nixosModules.framework-amd-ai-300-series
   ];
 
+  # cachyos kernel: bore scheduler, full lto, zen 4 (amd ai 340)
+  boot.kernelPackages =
+    let
+      helpers = pkgs.callPackage "${inputs.nix-cachyos-kernel}/helpers.nix" { };
+      kernel = pkgs.cachyosKernels.linux-cachyos-bore-lto.override {
+        lto = "full";
+        processorOpt = "zen4";
+      };
+    in
+    helpers.kernelModuleLLVMOverride (pkgs.linuxKernel.packagesFor kernel);
+
   hardware.framework.laptop13.audioEnhancement.rawDeviceName =
     lib.mkDefault "alsa_output.pci-0000_c1_00.6.analog-stereo";
 
diff --git a/system/system-yarn.nix b/system/system-yarn.nix
index 549ddb7..8b0f064 100644
--- a/system/system-yarn.nix
+++ b/system/system-yarn.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,22 @@
     inputs.jovian-nixos.nixosModules.default
   ];
 
+  # cachyos kernel: bore scheduler, full lto, zen 3 (5800x)
+  boot.kernelPackages =
+    let
+      helpers = pkgs.callPackage "${inputs.nix-cachyos-kernel}/helpers.nix" { };
+      kernel = pkgs.cachyosKernels.linux-cachyos-bore-lto.override {
+        lto = "full";
+        processorOpt = "x86_64-v3";
+        structuredExtraConfig = with lib.kernel; {
+          # x86_64-v3 is the ISA level; pin to zen 3 for microarch tuning
+          GENERIC_CPU = lib.mkForce no;
+          MZEN3 = lib.mkForce yes;
+        };
+      };
+    in
+    helpers.kernelModuleLLVMOverride (pkgs.linuxKernel.packagesFor kernel);
+
   fileSystems."/media/games" = {
     device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/1878136e-765d-4784-b204-3536ab4fdac8";
     fsType = "f2fs";