diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index a06e74e..a40a84f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -12,4 +12,17 @@ require (
 	github.com/crazy3lf/colorconv v1.2.0
 )
 
-require github.com/swaywm/swaybg v1.2.1 // indirect
+require (
+	github.com/anthonynsimon/bild v0.14.0 // indirect
+	github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.13 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 // indirect
+	github.com/stretchr/powerwalk v0.0.0-20151124150408-bceb9d014549 // indirect
+	github.com/xyproto/env/v2 v2.5.1 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.26.0 // indirect
+)
+
+require (
+	github.com/swaywm/swaybg v1.2.1 // indirect
+	github.com/xyproto/wallutils v0.0.0-20241029150533-f105e9c53323
+)
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8823324..54e3e18 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,10 +1,29 @@
 github.com/adhocore/jsonc v0.10.0 h1:YjNX9TojBfxQJ4kuoiNqVR5SFqu1YBEMsm+HxWnxbOI=
 github.com/adhocore/jsonc v0.10.0/go.mod h1:Ar4gd3i83+1Z+5M5SG6Vrfw9q3TO544OwLXH4+ZhWTE=
+github.com/anthonynsimon/bild v0.14.0 h1:IFRkmKdNdqmexXHfEU7rPlAmdUZ8BDZEGtGHDnGWync=
+github.com/anthonynsimon/bild v0.14.0/go.mod h1:hcvEAyBjTW69qkKJTfpcDQ83sSZHxwOunsseDfeQhUs=
 github.com/crazy3lf/colorconv v1.2.0 h1:UM7kSZWnwFMGiC+PpYrjxQSOd6sEyWb+dRKKTd3KslA=
 github.com/crazy3lf/colorconv v1.2.0/go.mod h1:2jTJ7QCWCj2sSLOhF4Gzi0J5/hoX8/VY8VzNvXAlD1I=
 github.com/disintegration/gift v1.2.1 h1:Y005a1X4Z7Uc+0gLpSAsKhWi4qLtsdEcMIbbdvdZ6pc=
 github.com/disintegration/gift v1.2.1/go.mod h1:Jh2i7f7Q2BM7Ezno3PhfezbR1xpUg9dUg3/RlKGr4HI=
+github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0 h1:S8gINlzdQ840/4pfAwic/ZE0djQEH3wM94VfqLTZcOM=
+github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0/go.mod h1:4FelSpRwEGDpQ12mAdzqdOukCy4u8WUtOY6lkT/6HfU=
+github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.13 h1:fFA4WZxdEF4tXPZVKMLwD8oUnCTTo08duU7wxecdEvA=
+github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.13/go.mod h1:7S9/ev0klgBDR4GtXTXX8a3vIGJpMovkB8vQcUbaXHg=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.16/go.mod h1:kYGgaQfpe5nmfYZH+SKPsOc2e4SrIfOl2e/yFXSvRLM=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 h1:xfD0iDuEKnDkl03q4limB+vH+GxLEtL/jb4xVJSWWEY=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20/go.mod h1:W+V8PltTTMOvKvAeJH7IuucS94S2C6jfK/D7dTCTo3Y=
+github.com/stretchr/powerwalk v0.0.0-20151124150408-bceb9d014549 h1:zjTKDjwZy1IVyLos+s70iYMwL/ZVojUbIDX5kghHa1Q=
+github.com/stretchr/powerwalk v0.0.0-20151124150408-bceb9d014549/go.mod h1:RhJzAYfVBD/ULOCeUUaTn0CHDRQBYHjDY7yYpSt6+4M=
 github.com/swaywm/swaybg v1.2.1 h1:TvQYiifR9JW4dANxxb7HMbEaZdGnZ4CWynevENocIWU=
 github.com/swaywm/swaybg v1.2.1/go.mod h1:Og8Sb6ebG/J9hqY2nL3xnhKY5sL30mQL+JOrY9owcJM=
+github.com/xyproto/env/v2 v2.5.1 h1:vu8A+z5VGp9TGgg7HQlAZPjbnk/Nvzt3gKzUtbt9kbQ=
+github.com/xyproto/env/v2 v2.5.1/go.mod h1:F81ZEzu15s3TWUZJ1uzBl9iNeq9zcfHvxMkQJaLZUl0=
+github.com/xyproto/wallutils v0.0.0-20241029150533-f105e9c53323 h1:N2G2i6IZsYEaXkkgn6NqaDBG7RoJanybfwHP98VTOs8=
+github.com/xyproto/wallutils v0.0.0-20241029150533-f105e9c53323/go.mod h1:YneBbR00nKKlWx+pqDTyvWNwINDfPxiakTxDOvjTIcI=
 golang.org/x/image v0.21.0 h1:c5qV36ajHpdj4Qi0GnE0jUc/yuo33OLFaa0d+crTD5s=
 golang.org/x/image v0.21.0/go.mod h1:vUbsLavqK/W303ZroQQVKQ+Af3Yl6Uz1Ppu5J/cLz78=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220811171246-fbc7d0a398ab/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.26.0 h1:KHjCJyddX0LoSTb3J+vWpupP9p0oznkqVk/IfjymZbo=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.26.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
diff --git a/slideshow.go b/slideshow.go
index b0e22af..894b986 100644
--- a/slideshow.go
+++ b/slideshow.go
@@ -1,54 +1,24 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	// "bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
-	"os/exec"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/xyproto/wallutils"
 )
 
 func slideshow(ch <-chan string) {
 	dir := <-ch
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(config.Duration) * time.Minute)
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(config.Duration) * time.Second)
 
-	//set a flat background color based on config defaults
-	fillCmd := exec.Command("swaybg", "-c", "#232136")
-	// stdout, _ := fillCmd.StdoutPipe()
-	// scanner := bufio.NewScanner(stdout)
-	// out := make(chan string)
-	// go func() {
-	// 	for scanner.Scan() {
-	// 		fmt.Println("scanner: ", scanner.Text())
-	// 		out <- scanner.Text()
-	// 	}
-	// }()
-
-	ready := make(chan bool)
-	go func() {
-		err := fillCmd.Start()
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println("could not set background color", err)
-		}
-		//NOTE: this is *very* hacky, but it is difficult to know when swaybg has initiated
-		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-		ready <- true
-		fmt.Println("bg color set!")
-		fillCmd.Wait()
-	}()
-
-	var cmd *exec.Cmd
 	go func() {
 		for {
-			<-ready
-			newCmd := setRandomWallpaper(dir)
-			if cmd != nil {
-				err := cmd.Process.Kill()
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Fatal("could not kill process", err)
-				}
+			err := setRandomWallpaper(dir)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Printf("Failed to set random wallpaper from directory %v.", dir)
+				panic(err)
 			}
-			cmd = newCmd
 			select {
 			case dir = <-ch:
 				log.Println("directory set!")
@@ -60,18 +30,10 @@ func slideshow(ch <-chan string) {
 	}()
 }
 
-func setRandomWallpaper(dir string) *exec.Cmd {
+func setRandomWallpaper(dir string) error {
 	img, err := pickRandomImage(dir)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return err
 	}
-
-	cmd := exec.Command("swaybg", "-i", img, "--mode", "fit")
-	fmt.Printf("setting wallpaper: %v\n", img)
-	err = cmd.Start()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("failed to set wallpaper!", err)
-	}
-	go cmd.Wait()
-	return cmd
+	return wallutils.SetWallpaperCustom(img, "fit", false)
 }