diff --git a/iso/airootfs/root/.bash_profile b/iso/airootfs/root/.bash_profile
index fd13f6a..9eb149e 100644
--- a/iso/airootfs/root/.bash_profile
+++ b/iso/airootfs/root/.bash_profile
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
 # Auto-start Hyprland on tty1 in the live session
 if [[ "$(tty)" == "/dev/tty1" ]] && [[ -z "$WAYLAND_DISPLAY" ]]; then
+    # Allow a software-rendering fallback so the live session comes up even
+    # without a GPU (VMs, headless, exotic hardware). On real hardware wlroots
+    # still selects the hardware renderer; this only permits llvmpipe when no
+    # GPU renderer is available. Must be exported before Hyprland starts —
+    # wlroots reads it at renderer init, earlier than any Hyprland `env=` line.
+    export WLR_RENDERER_ALLOW_SOFTWARE=1
+    # Software cursors: hardware-cursor planes are often unusable in VMs and
+    # show as invisible/garbled; this is the reliable choice for a live medium.
+    export WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=1
     exec Hyprland
 fi