diff --git a/Assets/Scenes/MainMenuScene.unity b/Assets/Scenes/MainMenuScene.unity
index 39bacd8..c8a1d4a 100644
--- a/Assets/Scenes/MainMenuScene.unity
+++ b/Assets/Scenes/MainMenuScene.unity
@@ -304,5 +304,5 @@ MonoBehaviour:
   m_Name: 
   m_EditorClassIdentifier: 
   monospaceFont: {fileID: 0}
-  featuredUnitPanel:
-    featuredUnits: []
+  motdBody: unstable userspace detected; keep a rollback shell open.
+  featuredUnitPanel: {}
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/UI/FeaturedUnitPanel.cs b/Assets/Scripts/UI/FeaturedUnitPanel.cs
index 3b3a0ed..0847619 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/UI/FeaturedUnitPanel.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/UI/FeaturedUnitPanel.cs
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         private const string EmptyAccent = "5cff91";
         private const string EmptyAscii = "      _\n     | |\n  ___| |__\n / __| '_ \\\n \\__ \\ | | |\n |___/_| |_|";
 
-        [SerializeField] private List<DistroDefinition> featuredUnits = new();
-
         private VisualElement panel;
         private Label titleLabel;
         private Label asciiLabel;
@@ -28,6 +26,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         private Label emptyHintLabel;
         private VisualElement populatedState;
         private VisualElement emptyState;
+        private IReadOnlyList<DistroDefinition> units = Array.Empty<DistroDefinition>();
         private int selectedIndex;
 
         public void Bind(VisualElement root)
@@ -45,26 +44,33 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             emptyState = root.Q<VisualElement>("FeaturedUnitEmptyState");
         }
 
+        public void Refresh(IReadOnlyList<DistroDefinition> ownedUnits)
+        {
+            units = ownedUnits ?? Array.Empty<DistroDefinition>();
+            Refresh();
+        }
+
         public void Refresh()
         {
-            if (featuredUnits == null || featuredUnits.Count == 0)
+            if (units == null || units.Count == 0)
             {
                 ShowEmptyState();
                 return;
             }
 
-            selectedIndex = Mathf.Clamp(selectedIndex, 0, featuredUnits.Count - 1);
-            ShowUnit(featuredUnits[selectedIndex]);
+            selectedIndex = Mathf.Clamp(selectedIndex, 0, units.Count - 1);
+            ShowUnit(units[selectedIndex]);
         }
 
         public void SelectNext()
         {
-            if (featuredUnits == null || featuredUnits.Count < 2)
+            int unitCount = units?.Count ?? 0;
+            if (unitCount < 2)
             {
                 return;
             }
 
-            selectedIndex = (selectedIndex + 1) % featuredUnits.Count;
+            selectedIndex = (selectedIndex + 1) % unitCount;
             Refresh();
         }
 
@@ -73,7 +79,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             populatedState.AddToClassList("hidden");
             emptyState.RemoveFromClassList("hidden");
 
-            titleLabel.text = "neofetch";
+            titleLabel.text = "[ neofetch ]";
             emptyTitleLabel.text = "no units installed";
             emptyHintLabel.text = "run: curl gacha.sh | sh";
             SetAccent(EmptyAccent);
@@ -85,7 +91,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             emptyState.AddToClassList("hidden");
 
             string displayName = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(unit.DisplayName) ? unit.name : unit.DisplayName;
-            titleLabel.text = displayName;
+            titleLabel.text = "[ neofetch ]";
             asciiLabel.text = EmptyAscii; // TODO: Replace with unit-specific ASCII copy when unit presentation data exists.
             unitNameLabel.text = displayName;
             languagesLabel.text = $"{unit.PrimaryLanguage} / {unit.SecondaryLanguage}";
@@ -103,6 +109,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             panel.style.borderBottomColor = new StyleColor(parsedColor);
             panel.style.borderLeftColor = new StyleColor(parsedColor);
             titleLabel.style.color = new StyleColor(parsedColor);
+            unitNameLabel.style.color = new StyleColor(parsedColor);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenuController.cs b/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenuController.cs
index 84d6540..6e37168 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenuController.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenuController.cs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         private static bool bootIntroPlayed;
 
         [SerializeField] private FontAsset monospaceFont; // TODO: Assign a real monospace FontAsset when typography assets exist.
+        [SerializeField] private string motdBody = "unstable userspace detected; keep a rollback shell open.";
         [SerializeField] private FeaturedUnitPanel featuredUnitPanel = new();
 
         private readonly List<CommandMenuEntry> commandEntries = new();
@@ -44,21 +45,23 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         private Label titleCursorLabel;
         private Label promptCursorLabel;
         private Label bootIntroLogLabel;
-        private Label backgroundLogLabel;
+        private Label motdBodyLabel;
+        private VisualElement motdBlock;
         private Button collectionBackButton;
         private Button gachaBackButton;
         private Button settingsBackButton;
         private EntropyWallet wallet;
         private GachaService gachaService;
+        private PlayerCollection playerCollection;
+        private BackgroundLogRingBuffer backgroundLog;
         private IEventBannerSource eventBannerSource;
         private int selectedCommandIndex;
-        private float backgroundScrollOffset;
         private float bootIntroElapsed;
         private int bootIntroCharacterCount;
+        private bool cursorVisible;
         private bool suppressNextClick;
         private string bootIntroCopy;
         private IVisualElementScheduledItem blinkSchedule;
-        private IVisualElementScheduledItem backgroundSchedule;
         private IVisualElementScheduledItem bootIntroSchedule;
 
         public void Initialize(EntropyWallet initializedWallet)
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         {
             document = GetComponent<UIDocument>();
             gachaService = new GachaService();
+            playerCollection = new PlayerCollection(); // TODO: Replace with persistent player-collection service composition.
             Initialize(new EntropyWallet()); // TODO: Replace with persistent wallet service composition.
             BindElements();
             BindCommandEntries();
@@ -87,7 +91,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             RefreshStaticText();
             RefreshCurrencyReadouts();
             RefreshEventBanner();
-            featuredUnitPanel.Refresh();
+            featuredUnitPanel.Refresh(playerCollection.OwnedUnits);
             SelectCommand(0);
             ShowMainMenu();
             StartAmbientSchedules();
@@ -98,7 +102,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         {
             UnregisterCallbacks();
             blinkSchedule?.Pause();
-            backgroundSchedule?.Pause();
+            backgroundLog?.Stop();
             bootIntroSchedule?.Pause();
         }
 
@@ -112,7 +116,9 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             gachaPanel = root.Q<VisualElement>("GachaPanel");
             settingsPanel = root.Q<VisualElement>("SettingsPanel");
             eventBanner = root.Q<VisualElement>("EventBanner");
+            motdBlock = root.Q<VisualElement>("MotdBlock");
             backgroundLogLayer = root.Q<VisualElement>("BackgroundLogLayer");
+            backgroundLog = new BackgroundLogRingBuffer(backgroundLogLayer, BootLogCopy.Lines);
 
             appIdLabel = root.Q<Label>("AppIdLabel");
             entropyLabel = root.Q<Label>("EntropyLabel");
@@ -120,7 +126,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             titleCursorLabel = root.Q<Label>("TitleCursorLabel");
             promptCursorLabel = root.Q<Label>("PromptCursorLabel");
             bootIntroLogLabel = root.Q<Label>("BootIntroLogLabel");
-            backgroundLogLabel = root.Q<Label>("BackgroundLogLabel");
+            motdBodyLabel = root.Q<Label>("MotdBodyLabel");
 
             collectionBackButton = root.Q<Button>("CollectionBackButton");
             gachaBackButton = root.Q<Button>("GachaBackButton");
@@ -168,7 +174,8 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
         private void RefreshStaticText()
         {
             appIdLabel.text = $"kernel-panic v{Application.version} - tty1";
-            backgroundLogLabel.text = BuildBackgroundLog();
+            motdBodyLabel.text = motdBody ?? string.Empty;
+            motdBlock.EnableInClassList(HiddenClassName, string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(motdBody));
             bootIntroCopy = string.Join("\n", BootLogCopy.Lines);
         }
 
@@ -210,26 +217,23 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
 
         private void StartAmbientSchedules()
         {
+            blinkSchedule?.Pause();
+            backgroundLog?.Stop();
+            cursorVisible = true;
+            titleCursorLabel.EnableInClassList(CursorOnClassName, true);
+            promptCursorLabel.EnableInClassList(CursorOnClassName, true);
+
             if (UIPreferences.ReducedMotion)
             {
-                titleCursorLabel.AddToClassList(CursorOnClassName);
-                promptCursorLabel.AddToClassList(CursorOnClassName);
                 return;
             }
 
-            bool cursorVisible = true;
             blinkSchedule = root.schedule.Execute(() =>
             {
                 cursorVisible = !cursorVisible;
                 titleCursorLabel.EnableInClassList(CursorOnClassName, cursorVisible);
                 promptCursorLabel.EnableInClassList(CursorOnClassName, cursorVisible);
-            }).Every(480);
-
-            backgroundSchedule = root.schedule.Execute(() =>
-            {
-                backgroundScrollOffset = (backgroundScrollOffset + 0.35f) % 80f;
-                backgroundLogLayer.style.translate = new Translate(0, -backgroundScrollOffset, 0);
-            }).Every(33);
+            }).Every(500);
         }
 
         private void PlayBootIntroIfNeeded()
@@ -272,6 +276,7 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             bootIntroPanel.AddToClassList(HiddenClassName);
             shellRoot.RemoveFromClassList("boot-hidden");
             shellRoot.AddToClassList("boot-visible");
+            backgroundLog?.Start(UIPreferences.ReducedMotion);
             root.Focus();
         }
 
@@ -419,12 +424,6 @@ namespace KernelPanic.UI
             settingsPanel.EnableInClassList(HiddenClassName, settingsPanel != activePanel);
         }
 
-        private static string BuildBackgroundLog()
-        {
-            string block = string.Join("\n", BootLogCopy.Lines);
-            return $"{block}\n{block}\n{block}\n{block}";
-        }
-
         private sealed class CommandMenuEntry
         {
             private readonly Label cursor;
diff --git a/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uss b/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uss
index 34fdaf5..f8e1a2f 100644
--- a/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uss
+++ b/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uss
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 :root {
     --kp-bg: #050807;
+    --kp-bg-solid: #050807;
     --kp-panel: #09100d;
     --kp-primary: #5cff91;
     --kp-primary-dim: #2f7a4d;
@@ -16,19 +17,27 @@
     font-size: 16px;
 }
 
+Label,
+Button {
+    color: var(--kp-primary);
+}
+
 .background-log-layer {
     position: absolute;
     left: 24px;
     right: 24px;
-    top: 0;
-    bottom: -120px;
-    opacity: 0.07;
+    top: 52px;
+    bottom: 50px;
+    opacity: 0.04;
+    overflow: hidden;
 }
 
-.background-log {
+.background-log-line {
+    height: 18px;
     color: var(--kp-primary);
-    white-space: normal;
     font-size: 14px;
+    line-height: 18px;
+    white-space: nowrap;
 }
 
 .boot-intro {
@@ -52,6 +61,7 @@
     flex-grow: 1;
     padding: 18px 24px 16px 24px;
     opacity: 1;
+    justify-content: space-between;
     transition-property: opacity;
     transition-duration: 220ms;
 }
@@ -83,6 +93,7 @@
     border-top-width: 0;
     border-bottom-width: 1px;
     border-bottom-color: var(--kp-border);
+    background-color: var(--kp-bg-solid);
 }
 
 .footer-bar {
@@ -116,19 +127,21 @@
 
 .main-panel {
     flex-grow: 1;
+    justify-content: center;
 }
 
 .content-row {
-    flex-grow: 1;
     flex-direction: row;
-    padding-top: 52px;
-    padding-bottom: 42px;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding-top: 32px;
+    padding-bottom: 28px;
 }
 
 .command-column {
     flex-grow: 1;
     min-width: 470px;
     padding-right: 40px;
+    background-color: var(--kp-bg-solid);
 }
 
 .terminal-title {
@@ -148,7 +161,7 @@
 
 .tagline {
     margin-top: 4px;
-    margin-bottom: 34px;
+    margin-bottom: 28px;
     font-size: 16px;
 }
 
@@ -157,13 +170,13 @@
 }
 
 .command-row {
-    min-height: 44px;
+    min-height: 38px;
     flex-direction: row;
     align-items: center;
     padding-left: 10px;
     padding-right: 10px;
-    margin-top: 4px;
-    margin-bottom: 4px;
+    margin-top: 3px;
+    margin-bottom: 3px;
     border-left-width: 2px;
     border-left-color: transparent;
 }
@@ -197,7 +210,8 @@
 .featured-panel {
     width: 430px;
     min-height: 330px;
-    padding: 18px;
+    max-height: 340px;
+    padding: 0;
     border-left-width: 1px;
     border-right-width: 1px;
     border-top-width: 1px;
@@ -206,10 +220,25 @@
     border-right-color: var(--kp-primary);
     border-top-color: var(--kp-primary);
     border-bottom-color: var(--kp-primary);
-    background-color: var(--kp-panel);
+    background-color: var(--kp-bg-solid);
+}
+
+.featured-title-bar {
+    height: 32px;
+    flex-direction: row;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding-left: 12px;
+    padding-right: 12px;
+    border-bottom-width: 1px;
+    border-bottom-color: var(--kp-border);
+    background-color: var(--kp-bg-solid);
+}
+
+.featured-title {
+    color: var(--kp-muted);
+    font-size: 12px;
 }
 
-.featured-title,
 .screen-title {
     color: var(--kp-primary);
     font-size: 24px;
@@ -219,8 +248,18 @@
 
 .featured-empty {
     flex-grow: 1;
-    justify-content: center;
+    flex-direction: row;
     align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    padding: 18px;
+}
+
+.featured-empty-copy {
+    flex-grow: 1;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    min-height: 150px;
+    padding-left: 20px;
 }
 
 .empty-title {
@@ -231,31 +270,159 @@
 
 .featured-populated {
     flex-direction: row;
+    padding: 18px;
+    overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .ascii-art {
     width: 150px;
+    min-width: 150px;
     color: var(--kp-primary);
     white-space: normal;
 }
 
+.ascii-placeholder {
+    width: 140px;
+    height: 150px;
+    position: relative;
+}
+
+.dash {
+    position: absolute;
+    background-color: var(--kp-primary);
+    opacity: 0.25;
+}
+
+.dash-top,
+.dash-bottom {
+    width: 10px;
+    height: 1px;
+}
+
+.dash-left,
+.dash-right {
+    width: 1px;
+    height: 10px;
+}
+
+.dash-top {
+    top: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-bottom {
+    bottom: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-left {
+    left: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-right {
+    right: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-01 {
+    left: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-02 {
+    left: 19px;
+}
+
+.dash-03 {
+    left: 38px;
+}
+
+.dash-04 {
+    left: 57px;
+}
+
+.dash-05 {
+    left: 76px;
+}
+
+.dash-06 {
+    left: 95px;
+}
+
+.dash-07 {
+    left: 114px;
+}
+
+.dash-08 {
+    left: 130px;
+}
+
+.dash-v01 {
+    top: 0;
+}
+
+.dash-v02 {
+    top: 27px;
+}
+
+.dash-v03 {
+    top: 54px;
+}
+
+.dash-v04 {
+    top: 81px;
+}
+
+.dash-v05 {
+    top: 108px;
+}
+
+.dash-v06 {
+    top: 140px;
+}
+
 .unit-readout {
     flex-grow: 1;
+    min-width: 0;
+    max-width: 226px;
+    overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .kv-row {
     flex-direction: row;
     margin-bottom: 8px;
+    overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .kv-key {
     width: 88px;
+    min-width: 88px;
     color: var(--kp-muted);
 }
 
 .kv-value {
     flex-grow: 1;
+    min-width: 0;
+    max-width: 138px;
     color: var(--kp-primary);
+    overflow: hidden;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+}
+
+.motd-block {
+    max-width: 55%;
+    align-self: flex-start;
+    margin-bottom: 14px;
+}
+
+.motd-header {
+    color: var(--kp-muted);
+    font-size: 13px;
+    margin-bottom: 4px;
+}
+
+.motd-body {
+    color: var(--kp-primary);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
 
 .event-banner {
diff --git a/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uxml b/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uxml
index f00f6e7..acacadf 100644
--- a/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uxml
+++ b/Assets/UI/MainMenu.uxml
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
     <ui:Template name="GachaScreen" src="GachaScreen.uxml" />
     <ui:Template name="SettingsScreen" src="SettingsScreen.uxml" />
     <ui:VisualElement name="Root" class="terminal-root" focusable="true">
-        <ui:VisualElement name="BackgroundLogLayer" class="background-log-layer" pickingMode="Ignore">
-            <ui:Label name="BackgroundLogLabel" class="background-log" />
-        </ui:VisualElement>
+        <ui:VisualElement name="BackgroundLogLayer" class="background-log-layer" pickingMode="Ignore" />
 
         <ui:VisualElement name="BootIntroPanel" class="boot-intro">
             <ui:Label name="BootIntroLogLabel" class="boot-intro-log" />
@@ -61,10 +59,44 @@
                     </ui:VisualElement>
 
                     <ui:VisualElement name="FeaturedUnitPanel" class="featured-panel">
-                        <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitTitle" text="neofetch" class="featured-title" />
+                        <ui:VisualElement class="featured-title-bar">
+                            <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitTitle" text="[ neofetch ]" class="featured-title" />
+                        </ui:VisualElement>
                         <ui:VisualElement name="FeaturedUnitEmptyState" class="featured-empty">
-                            <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitEmptyTitle" text="no units installed" class="empty-title" />
-                            <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitEmptyHint" text="run: curl gacha.sh | sh" class="muted-text" />
+                            <ui:VisualElement name="FeaturedUnitEmptyArt" class="ascii-placeholder">
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-01" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-02" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-03" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-04" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-05" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-06" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-07" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-top dash-08" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-01" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-02" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-03" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-04" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-05" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-06" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-07" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-bottom dash-08" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v01" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v02" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v03" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v04" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v05" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-left dash-v06" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v01" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v02" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v03" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v04" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v05" />
+                                <ui:VisualElement class="dash dash-right dash-v06" />
+                            </ui:VisualElement>
+                            <ui:VisualElement class="featured-empty-copy">
+                                <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitEmptyTitle" text="no units installed" class="empty-title" />
+                                <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitEmptyHint" text="run: curl gacha.sh | sh" class="muted-text" />
+                            </ui:VisualElement>
                         </ui:VisualElement>
                         <ui:VisualElement name="FeaturedUnitPopulatedState" class="featured-populated hidden">
                             <ui:Label name="FeaturedUnitAscii" class="ascii-art" />
@@ -99,6 +131,11 @@
                 <ui:Label name="EventBannerLabel" class="event-banner-text" />
             </ui:VisualElement>
 
+            <ui:VisualElement name="MotdBlock" class="motd-block">
+                <ui:Label text="cat /etc/motd" class="motd-header" />
+                <ui:Label name="MotdBodyLabel" class="motd-body" />
+            </ui:VisualElement>
+
             <ui:VisualElement class="footer-bar">
                 <ui:VisualElement class="prompt-row">
                     <ui:Label text="player@mainframe:~$ " class="prompt-text" />