diff --git a/hosts/uConsole/configuration.nix b/hosts/uConsole/configuration.nix
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 10cf767..ebe124b
--- a/hosts/uConsole/configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/uConsole/configuration.nix
@@ -21,16 +21,29 @@ in
   i18n.defaultLocale = "en_CA.UTF-8";
 
   # System State
-  system.stateVersion = "25.05";
+  system.stateVersion = "25.11";
 
   # Boot & Hardware (migrated to kernel bootloader per nixos-raspberrypi deprecation notice)
   boot.loader.raspberry-pi.bootloader = "kernel";
   # kernel managed by nixos-raspberrypi module — don't override, patches are version-specific
   # boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_latest;
 
-  # Use kernel built-in console font — ter-v24n from nixos-uconsole is garbled on CM5
-  console.font = lib.mkForce "Lat2-Terminus16";
-  console.packages = lib.mkForce [ ];
+  # Kernel parameters matching nixos-uconsole CM5 module
+  # console=tty1 is critical — without it, console output goes to ttyAMA0 not fb0
+  boot.kernelParams = [
+    "8250.nr_uarts=1"
+    "console=tty1"
+  ];
+
+  # Enable Mesa GPU drivers — REQUIRED for VC4 display pipeline to initialize
+  hardware.graphics.enable = true;
+
+  # Console font sized for the 5" 720x1280 display (from nixos-uconsole base module)
+  console = {
+    earlySetup = true;
+    font = "ter-v24n";
+    packages = with pkgs; [ terminus_font ];
+  };
 
   # Networking
   networking.networkmanager.enable = true;
@@ -209,7 +222,14 @@ in
   # CM5 Config.txt Fix: use [pi5] section (not [cm5])
   # Rex's images use [pi5], the CM5 firmware may not detect [cm5]
   # ============================================================
+  # Merge nixos-uconsole GPIO config with our [pi5] overrides
+  # GPIO 10/11 are from nixos-uconsole configtxt.nix (audio amplifier)
+  # [pi5] section fixes the CM5 detection issue — firmware matches [pi5] not [cm5]
   hardware.raspberry-pi.extra-config = ''
+    [all]
+    gpio=10=ip,np
+    gpio=11=op,dh
+
     [pi5]
     dtparam=pciex1=off
     dtoverlay=clockworkpi-uconsole-cm5