diff --git a/setup/arch-autoinstall.sh b/setup/arch-autoinstall.sh
index f6a56a6..d873f26 100755
--- a/setup/arch-autoinstall.sh
+++ b/setup/arch-autoinstall.sh
@@ -382,6 +382,18 @@ echo "$HOSTNAME" > /etc/hostname
 # NetworkManager
 systemctl enable NetworkManager
 
+# Populate /etc/skel with dotfiles and base configs for all new users
+echo "Cloning dotfiles into /etc/skel..."
+git clone https://git.abdelbaki.eu/The_miro/Dotfiles.git /etc/skel/Dotfiles \
+    || echo "Warning: dotfiles clone into skel failed — will fall back to direct clone."
+# Seed /etc/skel with base shell dotfiles from the repo clone
+if [[ -d /etc/skel/Dotfiles ]]; then
+    D=/etc/skel/Dotfiles
+    cp "$D/.zshrc"  /etc/skel/.zshrc  2>/dev/null || true
+    cp "$D/.bashrc" /etc/skel/.bashrc 2>/dev/null || true
+    cp "$D/.vimrc"  /etc/skel/.vimrc  2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
 # User
 useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/zsh "$USERNAME"
 echo "$USERNAME:$USERPASS" | chpasswd
@@ -433,10 +445,15 @@ fi
 ###################################################
 # CLONE DOTFILES
 ###################################################
-echo "Cloning dotfiles..."
-git clone https://git.abdelbaki.eu/The_miro/Dotfiles.git "/home/$USERNAME/Dotfiles" \
-    && chown -R "$USERNAME":"$USERNAME" "/home/$USERNAME/Dotfiles" \
-    || echo "Warning: dotfiles clone failed — clone manually after first boot."
+if [[ -d "/home/$USERNAME/Dotfiles" ]]; then
+    echo "Dotfiles already in home via skel — fixing ownership."
+    chown -R "$USERNAME:$USERNAME" "/home/$USERNAME"
+else
+    echo "Cloning dotfiles directly to user home (skel clone failed)..."
+    git clone https://git.abdelbaki.eu/The_miro/Dotfiles.git "/home/$USERNAME/Dotfiles" \
+        && chown -R "$USERNAME:$USERNAME" "/home/$USERNAME/Dotfiles" \
+        || echo "Warning: dotfiles clone failed — clone manually after first boot."
+fi
 
 CHROOT_EOF
 
diff --git a/setup/archbaseos-guided-install.sh b/setup/archbaseos-guided-install.sh
index 0c35f3f..5b5b6fb 100755
--- a/setup/archbaseos-guided-install.sh
+++ b/setup/archbaseos-guided-install.sh
@@ -343,6 +343,14 @@ echo "Cloning dotfiles into /etc/skel..."
 git clone https://git.abdelbaki.eu/The_miro/Dotfiles.git /etc/skel/Dotfiles \
     || echo "Warning: dotfiles clone failed — clone manually after first boot."
 
+# Seed /etc/skel with base shell dotfiles from the repo clone
+if [[ -d /etc/skel/Dotfiles ]]; then
+    D=/etc/skel/Dotfiles
+    cp "$D/.zshrc"  /etc/skel/.zshrc  2>/dev/null || true
+    cp "$D/.bashrc" /etc/skel/.bashrc 2>/dev/null || true
+    cp "$D/.vimrc"  /etc/skel/.vimrc  2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
 mkdir -p /etc/skel/{Desktop,Documents,Downloads,Music,Pictures,Public,Templates,Videos}
 
 useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/zsh "$USERNAME"
diff --git a/setup/simple-install.sh b/setup/simple-install.sh
index 0b397db..248d696 100755
--- a/setup/simple-install.sh
+++ b/setup/simple-install.sh
@@ -797,6 +797,18 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+# ── Sync user config to /etc/skel ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Captures everything installed by modules so future users start with the same setup.
+if [[ -d "$HOME/.config" ]]; then
+    printf "\n  Syncing ~/.config to /etc/skel...\n"
+    sudo mkdir -p /etc/skel/.config
+    sudo cp -r "$HOME/.config/." /etc/skel/.config/
+fi
+[[ -d "$HOME/.themes" ]] && { sudo mkdir -p /etc/skel/.themes; sudo cp -r "$HOME/.themes/." /etc/skel/.themes/; }
+[[ -f "$HOME/.zshrc"  ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.zshrc"  /etc/skel/.zshrc
+[[ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.bashrc" /etc/skel/.bashrc
+[[ -f "$HOME/.vimrc"  ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.vimrc"  /etc/skel/.vimrc
+
 # ── Done ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 if $ANSWERFILE_MODE; then
     printf "\nDone. Log: %s\n" "$LOG"
diff --git a/setup/tui-install.sh b/setup/tui-install.sh
index aecdae7..566c72d 100755
--- a/setup/tui-install.sh
+++ b/setup/tui-install.sh
@@ -682,6 +682,18 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+# ── Sync user config to /etc/skel ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Captures everything installed by modules so future users start with the same setup.
+if [[ -d "$HOME/.config" ]]; then
+    printf "\n  Syncing ~/.config to /etc/skel...\n"
+    sudo mkdir -p /etc/skel/.config
+    sudo cp -r "$HOME/.config/." /etc/skel/.config/
+fi
+[[ -d "$HOME/.themes" ]] && { sudo mkdir -p /etc/skel/.themes; sudo cp -r "$HOME/.themes/." /etc/skel/.themes/; }
+[[ -f "$HOME/.zshrc"  ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.zshrc"  /etc/skel/.zshrc
+[[ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.bashrc" /etc/skel/.bashrc
+[[ -f "$HOME/.vimrc"  ]] && sudo cp "$HOME/.vimrc"  /etc/skel/.vimrc
+
 # ── Done ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 if $ANSWERFILE_MODE; then
     printf "\nDone. Log: %s\n" "$LOG"