diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f032072..e1bdc37 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ two tables below are split along exactly that line.
 | `nomarchy.rofi.enable` | `true` | Themed rofi launcher + `nomarchy-menu` dispatcher |
 | `nomarchy.swaync.enable` | `true` | swaync notifications, themed |
 | `nomarchy.batteryNotify.enable` | `true` | Low-battery toasts at the bar's thresholds — 25% low, 10% critical (stays up until dismissed); silent no-op on machines without a battery |
+| `nomarchy.firstBootWelcome.enable` | `true` | One dismissible “you're set” toast on the first session (SUPER+M / SUPER+T / SUPER+? + network pointer); marker is `settings.firstBootShown` in the flake checkout |
 | `nomarchy.idle.enable` | `true` | hyprlock + hypridle (idle lock 5 min, display off 10, suspend 15 min — battery-only) |
 | `nomarchy.yazi.enable` | `true` | yazi TUI file manager, themed + curated plugins |
 | `nomarchy.osd.enable` | `true` | swayosd on-screen display for volume/brightness/mute |
diff --git a/agent/BACKLOG.md b/agent/BACKLOG.md
index d5e4620..8192304 100644
--- a/agent/BACKLOG.md
+++ b/agent/BACKLOG.md
@@ -55,13 +55,6 @@ runtime-computed `resume_offset` into the boot cmdline, and the dev box runs
 exactly this layout (`/proc/cmdline` verified) but isn't Nomarchy. Steps in
 HARDWARE-QUEUE. Close #76 on PASS.
 
-### 81. First-boot welcome card (`VISION § B`)
-One dismissible "you're set" toast on the first session (SUPER+M menu,
-SUPER+T themes, SUPER+? keys, network pointer) — a notification, **not**
-a wizard. Needs a one-shot marker that respects "no state outside the
-checkout": key off HM generation №1 or a `settings.firstBootShown`
-write. VM assert on the gate.
-
 ### 82. Generation readability (`VISION § B`)
 "What changed last rebuild" in plain language: post-switch `nvd` /
 `nix store diff-closures` summary (n packages up/down/added) surfaced
@@ -140,9 +133,9 @@ high-ROI, etc.) live in the journal + ROADMAP — not here.*
   2026-07-10). Keep #59 commented install guidance; no
   `nomarchy.hardware.nvidia.*` until a hybrid maintainer + queue.
 
-_(#80 battery health shipped 2026-07-11. Remaining promoted: first-boot
-  card, generation readability, pre-activate flag, dock life, hall of
-  fame → **NEXT #81–#85**.)_
+_(#80 battery health + #81 first-boot welcome shipped 2026-07-11.
+  Remaining promoted: generation readability, pre-activate flag, dock
+  life, hall of fame → **NEXT #82–#85**.)_
 
 ### v1.0 pointer
 
diff --git a/agent/JOURNAL.md b/agent/JOURNAL.md
index ca8c828..f4c180d 100644
--- a/agent/JOURNAL.md
+++ b/agent/JOURNAL.md
@@ -19,6 +19,21 @@ Template:
 
 ---
 
+## 2026-07-11 — #81 first-boot welcome toast
+- **Task:** NEXT #81 — dismissible “you're set” card (`VISION § B`).
+- **Did:** `pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot` + user oneshot
+  (`modules/home/first-boot.nix`): notify once with SUPER+M/T/? + Network
+  + Doctor pointers; marker `settings.firstBootShown` via theme-sync
+  `--no-switch` (in-checkout state). Skip live hostname. Option
+  `nomarchy.firstBootWelcome.enable` (default on). `checks.first-boot`.
+  ROADMAP/VISION/README; closed #81.
+- **Verified:** **V2** — `nix flake check --no-build`; `checks.first-boot`
+  green (toast + marker + silent re-run + live skip); local shim smoke;
+  downstream-template-home carries the user unit.
+- **Pending:** V3 — real swaync rendering on first installed login
+  (toast body is pure text; not queued unless it misbehaves).
+- **Next suggestion:** #82 generation readability or #85 docs hall of fame.
+
 ## 2026-07-11 — #80 doctor battery health readout
 - **Task:** NEXT #80 — battery health in `nomarchy-doctor` (`VISION § C`).
 - **Did:** Doctor row: `cycle_count` + retained capacity
diff --git a/docs/ROADMAP.md b/docs/ROADMAP.md
index a55c6ac..d43e907 100644
--- a/docs/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/docs/ROADMAP.md
@@ -369,6 +369,13 @@ Design/decision records and a running log of shipped work (items marked
   peripherals). Self-gates when attrs missing; soft warn below 70% of
   design. `NOMARCHY_POWER_SUPPLY_ROOT` for the `checks.doctor` fixture
   (`test_power` has no cycle/design attrs).
+  ✓ **First-boot welcome toast (#81, `VISION § B`):** oneshot user unit
+  `nomarchy-first-boot` fires a dismissible “You're set” notify (SUPER+M /
+  SUPER+T / SUPER+? + Network + Doctor pointer) once, then writes
+  `settings.firstBootShown` into the flake checkout (`--no-switch`). Skips
+  `hostname == nomarchy-live` (live ISO keeps its own welcome). Toggle:
+  `nomarchy.firstBootWelcome.enable`. `checks.first-boot` gates toast /
+  marker / re-run silence / live skip.
 - ✓ **Hibernate double-unlock:** on resume from hibernate the LUKS
   passphrase already gates the machine, but locking hyprlock before sleep
   meant a second password. Fixed by *not locking* before an encrypted
diff --git a/docs/VISION.md b/docs/VISION.md
index fe0ad5f..344e3a2 100644
--- a/docs/VISION.md
+++ b/docs/VISION.md
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ Reference: [HARDWARE.md](HARDWARE.md) §4–§5, §10.
 
 | Idea | Intent | Notes |
 |------|--------|-------|
-| **Silent first-week card** | One dismissible “you’re set” (menu, theme, wallpaper, network) — not a wizard | Prefer notify or doctor “first boot” section |
+| **Silent first-week card** ✓ | One dismissible “you’re set” (menu, themes, keys, network) — not a wizard | ✓ shipped #81 — `settings.firstBootShown` + notify; live ISO keeps its own toast |
 | **Boreal as default** | Identity on first boot | BACKLOG PROPOSED already |
 | **Generation readability** | “What changed last rebuild” in plain language | Rollback exists; story is incomplete |
 | **Post-install hints** | One-shot MOTD/notify for fwupd / fprintd when relevant | Avoid permanent nag |
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 09e243f..7254318 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@
         nomarchy-doctor = final.callPackage ./pkgs/nomarchy-doctor { };
         nomarchy-control-center = final.callPackage ./pkgs/nomarchy-control-center { };
         nomarchy-battery-notify = final.callPackage ./pkgs/nomarchy-battery-notify { };
+        nomarchy-first-boot = final.callPackage ./pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot { };
         nomarchy-detect-hw = final.callPackage ./pkgs/nomarchy-detect-hw { };
         # pull / rebuild / home (+ legacy aliases) — also on HM so a home
         # switch can refresh a broken system-package nomarchy-pull.
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@
         nomarchy-doctor = pkgs.nomarchy-doctor;
         nomarchy-control-center = pkgs.nomarchy-control-center;
         nomarchy-battery-notify = pkgs.nomarchy-battery-notify;
+        nomarchy-first-boot = pkgs.nomarchy-first-boot;
         nomarchy-detect-hw = pkgs.nomarchy-detect-hw;
         default = pkgs.nomarchy-theme-sync;
       };
@@ -680,6 +682,70 @@
             '';
           };
 
+          # First-session welcome toast gate (#81): fires once when
+          # settings.firstBootShown is unset, writes the marker via
+          # theme-sync, silent on re-run; skips hostname nomarchy-live.
+          # notify-send + theme-sync shimmed on PATH (same pattern as
+          # battery-notify). Real toast rendering stays session/V3.
+          first-boot = pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
+            name = "nomarchy-first-boot";
+            nodes.machine = { ... }: {
+              environment.systemPackages = [
+                pkgs.nomarchy-first-boot
+                pkgs.nomarchy-theme-sync
+                pkgs.jq
+              ];
+            };
+            testScript = ''
+              machine.wait_for_unit("multi-user.target")
+
+              # Writable flake checkout with a valid theme-state (template).
+              machine.succeed(
+                  "mkdir -p /tmp/fake-nomarchy && "
+                  "cp ${./templates/downstream/theme-state.json} "
+                  "/tmp/fake-nomarchy/theme-state.json"
+              )
+
+              machine.succeed(
+                  "mkdir -p /shim && "
+                  "printf '#!/bin/sh\\necho \"$*\" >> /tmp/notifications\\n' > /shim/notify-send && "
+                  "chmod +x /shim/notify-send"
+              )
+              env = (
+                  "PATH=/shim:/run/current-system/sw/bin "
+                  "NOMARCHY_PATH=/tmp/fake-nomarchy "
+                  "HOME=/root"
+              )
+
+              # First run: toast + marker.
+              machine.succeed(f"{env} nomarchy-first-boot")
+              out = machine.succeed("cat /tmp/notifications")
+              assert "You're set" in out, f"welcome toast missing:\n{out}"
+              assert "SUPER+M" in out and "SUPER+T" in out, f"key pointers missing:\n{out}"
+              assert "Network" in out or "Wi" in out, f"network pointer missing:\n{out}"
+              shown = machine.succeed(
+                  f"{env} nomarchy-theme-sync get settings.firstBootShown"
+              ).strip()
+              assert shown == "true", f"marker not written: {shown!r}"
+
+              # Second run: silent (no second toast).
+              machine.succeed("rm -f /tmp/notifications")
+              machine.succeed(f"{env} nomarchy-first-boot")
+              machine.fail("test -s /tmp/notifications")
+
+              # Live ISO hostname: skip even with marker cleared.
+              machine.succeed(
+                  f"{env} nomarchy-theme-sync --quiet set settings.firstBootShown false --no-switch"
+              )
+              machine.succeed("rm -f /tmp/notifications")
+              machine.succeed(f"{env} hostname nomarchy-live || true")
+              # uname -n is the kernel nodename — set via hostnamectl/hostname.
+              machine.succeed("hostname nomarchy-live")
+              machine.succeed(f"{env} nomarchy-first-boot")
+              machine.fail("test -s /tmp/notifications")
+            '';
+          };
+
           # Memory-pressure protection (oom.nix): earlyoom must kill a
           # runaway allocator BEFORE the kernel thrash point — and must not
           # take anything else with it. A bystander unit survives the kill,
diff --git a/modules/home/default.nix b/modules/home/default.nix
index 7c53bbc..be86649 100644
--- a/modules/home/default.nix
+++ b/modules/home/default.nix
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     ./mime.nix      # default applications (mimeapps.list), degrades with the suite
     ./recording.nix # nomarchy-record: screen recording behind Capture + the bar ⏺
     ./battery-notify.nix # low-battery toasts at the bar's 25/10% thresholds
+    ./first-boot.nix     # one-shot "you're set" toast on first session (#81)
     ./satty.nix     # satty screenshot annotation tool, themed
   ];
 
diff --git a/modules/home/first-boot.nix b/modules/home/first-boot.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..722cc39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/home/first-boot.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# First-session welcome toast (nomarchy.firstBootWelcome) — one dismissible
+# "you're set" notification pointing at SUPER+M / SUPER+T / SUPER+? and
+# Network, then writes settings.firstBootShown into the flake checkout
+# (GOALS: no state outside the checkout). Live ISO keeps its own toast
+# (hosts/live.nix); the script self-skips on hostname nomarchy-live.
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+{
+  config = lib.mkIf config.nomarchy.firstBootWelcome.enable {
+    systemd.user.services.nomarchy-first-boot = {
+      Unit = {
+        Description = "Nomarchy first-session welcome toast";
+        PartOf = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
+        # After the session (and preferably the notification daemon) is up.
+        After = [ "graphical-session.target" "graphical-session-pre.target" ];
+      };
+      Service = {
+        Type = "oneshot";
+        # PATH: real notify-send + theme-sync; VM check shims both via PATH.
+        # NOMARCHY_PATH matches home.sessionVariables so the marker lands
+        # in the user's flake checkout.
+        Environment = [
+          "PATH=${lib.makeBinPath [
+            pkgs.libnotify
+            pkgs.nomarchy-theme-sync
+            pkgs.coreutils
+          ]}"
+          "NOMARCHY_PATH=%h/.nomarchy"
+        ];
+        # Brief settle so swaync is accepting toasts (live ISO uses sleep 3).
+        ExecStartPre = "${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/sleep 2";
+        ExecStart = "${pkgs.nomarchy-first-boot}/bin/nomarchy-first-boot";
+      };
+      Install.WantedBy = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/modules/home/options.nix b/modules/home/options.nix
index 4adbfa0..df2aa69 100644
--- a/modules/home/options.nix
+++ b/modules/home/options.nix
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ in
     rofi.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Nomarchy's themed rofi launcher + the nomarchy-menu dispatcher" // { default = true; };
     swaync.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "swaync notifications, themed from the state file" // { default = true; };
     batteryNotify.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "low-battery notifications at the bar's thresholds (25% low, 10% critical — that one stays up until dismissed); self-gating, a silent no-op on machines without a battery" // { default = true; };
+    firstBootWelcome.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "one dismissible \"you're set\" toast on the first session (menu/themes/keys + network pointer); marker is settings.firstBootShown in the flake checkout" // { default = true; };
     idle.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "hyprlock + hypridle (idle lock, display off, suspend)" // { default = true; };
     yazi.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "the yazi TUI file manager, themed with a curated plugin set" // { default = true; };
     osd.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "swayosd on-screen display for volume/brightness/mute" // { default = true; };
diff --git a/modules/home/theme.nix b/modules/home/theme.nix
index 6663fd3..a7cd0d4 100644
--- a/modules/home/theme.nix
+++ b/modules/home/theme.nix
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ let
     # name in hyprland.nix — the monitor twin of the keyboard graduation.
     # settings.displayProfile / displayProfileAuto: active named layout +
     # auto-switch on plug events (hyprland.nix / Display menu).
+    # settings.firstBootShown: first-session welcome toast gate (#81) —
+    # written true after the toast fires (nomarchy-first-boot).
     # Defaulted so a sparse/older state file still evaluates; nomarchy.settings
     # exposes them.
     settings = {
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ let
       autoTimezone = false;
       displayProfile = "";
       displayProfileAuto = false;
+      firstBootShown = false;
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/default.nix b/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6f86cf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# First-session "you're set" toast (nomarchy.firstBootWelcome). A package
+# so checks.first-boot can exercise the gate on a minimal node — same
+# pattern as nomarchy-battery-notify. libnotify + theme-sync stay on PATH
+# (user unit / VM shim), not runtimeInputs.
+{ writeShellApplication, coreutils }:
+
+writeShellApplication {
+  name = "nomarchy-first-boot";
+  runtimeInputs = [ coreutils ];
+  text = builtins.readFile ./nomarchy-first-boot.sh;
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/nomarchy-first-boot.sh b/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/nomarchy-first-boot.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b83354e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-first-boot/nomarchy-first-boot.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# nomarchy-first-boot — one-shot "you're set" toast on the first session.
+# Marker is settings.firstBootShown in the flake's theme-state.json
+# (in-checkout state; never ~/.local/state). notify-send and
+# nomarchy-theme-sync come from PATH so the VM check can shim them.
+
+# Live ISO already has its own welcome (hosts/live.nix); skip there so
+# users aren't double-toasted and the live seed doesn't get a sticky
+# firstBootShown write every boot.
+# uname -n is coreutils; avoid depending on a separate hostname package.
+hn=$(uname -n 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [ "$hn" = nomarchy-live ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Already shown → silent. Missing key / no checkout → treat as not shown
+# (theme-sync get exits non-zero when the key is absent).
+shown=$(nomarchy-theme-sync get settings.firstBootShown 2>/dev/null || true)
+case "$shown" in
+  true|1|yes) exit 0 ;;
+esac
+
+# Dismissible sheet, not a wizard. Body lines match SUPER+? mnemonics.
+notify-send -a Nomarchy -u normal -t 0 \
+  "You're set" \
+  "SUPER+M  menu · SUPER+T  themes · SUPER+?  keys
+Wi‑Fi: System › Network (or the bar tray)
+Anything off? System › Doctor"
+
+# Persist in the checkout so re-login is silent. --no-switch: marker only.
+if ! nomarchy-theme-sync --quiet set settings.firstBootShown true --no-switch; then
+  # No writable flake checkout (or tool missing) — still showed the toast;
+  # without a marker it may reappear next login. Don't fail the unit.
+  exit 0
+fi