diff --git a/SwarselSystems.org b/SwarselSystems.org
index af5264b..2ce4b7a 100644
--- a/SwarselSystems.org
+++ b/SwarselSystems.org
@@ -8887,6 +8887,7 @@ Sets environment variables. Here I am only setting the EDITOR variable, most var
   {
     home.sessionVariables = {
       EDITOR = "e -w";
+      DISPLAY = ":0";
       SWARSEL_LO_RES = config.swarselsystems.lowResolution;
       SWARSEL_HI_RES = config.swarselsystems.highResolution;
     };
@@ -11872,6 +11873,7 @@ Here I set up some things that are too minor to put under other categories.
         password-cache-expiry nil
         )
   (setq browse-url-browser-function 'browse-url-firefox)
+  (setenv "DISPLAY" ":0")
   ;; disable a keybind that does more harm than good
   (global-set-key [remap suspend-frame]
                   (lambda ()
diff --git a/profiles/home/common/env.nix b/profiles/home/common/env.nix
index 2160363..6951e5b 100644
--- a/profiles/home/common/env.nix
+++ b/profiles/home/common/env.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 {
   home.sessionVariables = {
     EDITOR = "e -w";
+    DISPLAY = ":0";
     SWARSEL_LO_RES = config.swarselsystems.lowResolution;
     SWARSEL_HI_RES = config.swarselsystems.highResolution;
   };
diff --git a/programs/emacs/init.el b/programs/emacs/init.el
index 385d1bb..503c866 100644
--- a/programs/emacs/init.el
+++ b/programs/emacs/init.el
@@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ create a new one."
       password-cache-expiry nil
       )
 (setq browse-url-browser-function 'browse-url-firefox)
+(setenv "DISPLAY" ":0")
 ;; disable a keybind that does more harm than good
 (global-set-key [remap suspend-frame]
                 (lambda ()