diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0310fe8..6e9c7e5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -364,9 +364,11 @@ close · `SUPER+1..9` workspaces · `Print` region screenshot.
   and yazi fell back to presets. Fixed by adding `group = "git"` to both
   git fetcher entries in `modules/home/yazi.nix` (the git plugin's
   `setup()` only renders the linemode; the fetcher still needs registering).
-- **Starship prompt styling:** drop the powerline look — the current prompt
-  doesn't read well. Rework the `format`/segment styling in
-  `modules/home/shell.nix:59` toward a flat, plain prompt.
+- ✓ **Starship prompt styling:** dropped the powerline look (the `[]`
+  separator glyph + `bg:` fills) for a flat prompt — bold-accent directory,
+  warn git branch, subtext status/duration, `❯` character, all plain
+  colored text (`modules/home/shell.nix`). Also wired in `cmd_duration`,
+  which was configured but never referenced in `format`.
 - ✓ **xfce deprecation warnings:** moved `xfce.exo` → `pkgs.xfce4-exo` and
   the three Thunar plugins to their new top-level names in
   `modules/nixos/file-manager.nix`; the eval warnings are gone.
diff --git a/modules/home/shell.nix b/modules/home/shell.nix
index f0f7c66..654294b 100644
--- a/modules/home/shell.nix
+++ b/modules/home/shell.nix
@@ -56,35 +56,41 @@ in
         palettes.nomarchy = {
           inherit (c) base text accent good warn bad subtext;
         };
+        # Flat prompt — colored text only, no powerline separators or
+        # background fills. Each module emits its own trailing space so
+        # there are no stray gaps when git/duration are absent.
         format = lib.concatStrings [
-          "[](accent)"
           "$directory"
-          "$git_branch$git_status"
+          "$git_branch"
+          "$git_status"
+          "$cmd_duration"
           "$character"
         ];
         directory = {
-          style = "fg:text bg:accent";
-          format = "[ $path ]($style)";
+          style = "bold accent";
+          format = "[$path]($style) ";
           truncation_length = 3;
           truncate_to_repo = true;
         };
         git_branch = {
-          style = "fg:base bg:warn";
-          format = "[ $symbol$branch ]($style)";
+          style = "warn";
+          format = "[$symbol$branch]($style) ";
           symbol = " ";
         };
         git_status = {
-          style = "fg:base bg:warn";
-          format = "[$all_status$ahead_behind ]($style)";
+          style = "subtext";
+          # Parenthesised → the segment (and its trailing space) only
+          # render when there's actually a status to show.
+          format = "([$all_status$ahead_behind]($style) )";
         };
         character = {
-          success_symbol = "[ ❯](good)";
-          error_symbol = "[ ❯](bad)";
+          success_symbol = "[❯](good)";
+          error_symbol = "[❯](bad)";
         };
         cmd_duration = {
           min_time = 2000;
-          style = "fg:subtext";
-          format = "[  $duration ]($style)";
+          style = "subtext";
+          format = "[ $duration]($style) ";
         };
       };
     };