diff --git a/daemon/main.rs b/daemon/main.rs
index 994f566..4fa5d63 100644
--- a/daemon/main.rs
+++ b/daemon/main.rs
@@ -9,13 +9,31 @@ use microxdg::Xdg;
 use niri_tag::Config;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    // debug stuff
+    let debug = env::var("NIRI_TAG_DEBUG").is_ok();
+    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+        .with_max_level(if debug {
+            tracing::Level::DEBUG
+        } else {
+            tracing::Level::INFO
+        })
+        .init();
+    let span = if debug {
+        tracing::span!(tracing::Level::DEBUG, "main")
+    } else {
+        tracing::span!(tracing::Level::INFO, "main")
+    };
+    let _ = span.enter();
+
     // try to read a config
     let xdg = Xdg::new()?;
     let mut config_file = xdg.config()?;
     config_file.push("niri-tag");
     config_file.push("config.toml");
     if !config_file.try_exists().is_ok_and(|i| i) {
+        tracing::debug!("didn't find xdg location config");
         config_file.clear();
+        config_file.push("/");
         config_file.push("etc");
         config_file.push("niri-tag");
         config_file.push("config.toml");
@@ -33,21 +51,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         .unwrap_or_default();
     // let systemd know we're ready
     let _ = libsystemd::daemon::notify(false, &[libsystemd::daemon::NotifyState::Ready])?;
-    // debug stuff
-    let debug = env::var("NIRI_TAG_DEBUG").is_ok();
-    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
-        .with_max_level(if debug {
-            tracing::Level::DEBUG
-        } else {
-            tracing::Level::INFO
-        })
-        .init();
-    let span = if debug {
-        tracing::span!(tracing::Level::DEBUG, "main")
-    } else {
-        tracing::span!(tracing::Level::INFO, "main")
-    };
-    let _ = span.enter();
     // spawn socket consumer for niri event stream
     let (niri_tx, niri_rx) = smol::channel::unbounded();
     smol::spawn(ipc::event_consumer(niri_tx)).detach();
diff --git a/module.nix b/module.nix
index 516b75b..589aaf5 100644
--- a/module.nix
+++ b/module.nix
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ in
           scratchpads =
             let
               contents =
-                lib.mapAttrsToList (app: number: "${app} = ${toString number}") cfg.scratchpads
+                lib.mapAttrsToList (app: number: ''"${app}" = ${toString number}'') cfg.scratchpads
                 |> lib.concatStringsSep "\n";
             in
             lib.optionalString ((lib.attrsToList cfg.scratchpads |> builtins.length) > 0) ''