diff --git a/.config/zsh/p10k-server.zsh b/.config/zsh/p10k-server.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9221d94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/zsh/p10k-server.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# powerlevel10k configuration for the server role.
+#
+# Deliberately not the wizard's output. A server is reached from whatever
+# terminal happens to be at hand, so this uses ASCII rather than the icon set
+# that assumes a Nerd Font, and keeps the segment list short enough to read at
+# a glance during an incident.
+#
+# Sourced from 50-server.zsh, which runs after oh-my-zsh has loaded
+# powerlevel10k - the same point in the sequence at which p10k expects its own
+# ~/.p10k.zsh. beastix keeps its own file and is untouched by this.
+
+# No glyphs. The prompt has to be legible from a phone terminal too.
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_MODE=ascii
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_ICON_PADDING=none
+
+# One line, no frame. Nothing decorative survives being read in a hurry.
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_PROMPT_ON_NEWLINE=false
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_RPROMPT_ON_NEWLINE=false
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(context dir vcs prompt_char)
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(status command_execution_time time)
+
+# The point of the whole exercise: user@host, always, in red. shron carries
+# mail, web and cloud, and the prompt should answer "which machine is this"
+# before the next command is typed.
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_ALWAYS_SHOW_CONTEXT=true
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_ALWAYS_SHOW_USER=true
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_TEMPLATE='%n@%m'
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_BACKGROUND=red
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_FOREGROUND=white
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_DEFAULT_BACKGROUND=red
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_DEFAULT_FOREGROUND=white
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_ROOT_BACKGROUND=red
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_ROOT_FOREGROUND=yellow
+
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_DIR_BACKGROUND=blue
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_DIR_FOREGROUND=white
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_SHORTEN_STRATEGY=truncate_to_unique
+
+# Only mention how long something took when it was long enough to notice.
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_COMMAND_EXECUTION_TIME_THRESHOLD=3
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_TIME_FORMAT='%D{%H:%M}'
+
+# Instant prompt would need a cache file this machine has no reason to carry.
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT=off
+typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_DISABLE_CONFIGURATION_WIZARD=true
diff --git a/.config/zsh/rc.d/50-server.zsh b/.config/zsh/rc.d/50-server.zsh
index 4ff92b9..2dc67f7 100644
--- a/.config/zsh/rc.d/50-server.zsh
+++ b/.config/zsh/rc.d/50-server.zsh
@@ -3,15 +3,14 @@
 # The theme and DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE are in 05-pre-omz.zsh, because oh-my-zsh
 # reads them while it is being sourced.
 
-# Role colour, set here rather than earlier because ~/.p10k.zsh assigns
-# POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_BACKGROUND itself and is sourced in 30-path.zsh.
+# The prompt, in a file of its own because there is more to it than a colour.
+# Sourced here rather than earlier: this is the point at which oh-my-zsh has
+# loaded powerlevel10k, which is where p10k expects its configuration.
 #
-# Note that this only takes effect where powerlevel10k is installed, and on
-# shron it is not - the ys theme has no equivalent. The colour is kept anyway
-# so it works the moment p10k arrives, but the red prompt cannot be relied on
-# as a safeguard there today.
-typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_BACKGROUND=red
-typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_ALWAYS_SHOW_CONTEXT=true
+# beastix keeps its own ~/.p10k.zsh, sourced from 30-path.zsh. This one is
+# separate because a server is reached from whatever terminal is at hand and
+# cannot assume the desktop's Nerd Font.
+[[ -r "$HOME/.config/zsh/p10k-server.zsh" ]] && source "$HOME/.config/zsh/p10k-server.zsh"
 
 # German locale. The base does not set one, since the desktop inherits it from
 # the session and the Mac has its own; an SSH session brings only what the