diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 3990cfe..59f1524 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 [submodule "builds/dwm"]
 	path = builds/dwm
 	url = https://git.beepboop.systems/stupidcomputer/dwm
+[submodule "builds/dmenu"]
+	path = builds/dmenu
+	url = https://git.suckless.org/dmenu
diff --git a/boxes/copernicus/custom_command b/boxes/copernicus/custom_command
index 0d13c40..adfcf72 100644
--- a/boxes/copernicus/custom_command
+++ b/boxes/copernicus/custom_command
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sudo nixos-rebuild --flake . switch --impure -I nixos-config=./
+sudo nixos-rebuild --flake .?submodules=1 switch --impure -I nixos-config=./
diff --git a/builds/dmenu b/builds/dmenu
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..07d57cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builds/dmenu
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 07d57cf2f5c76f50debc76cf50267b2e61a885f8
diff --git a/builds/dmenu.nix b/builds/dmenu.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7d624d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builds/dmenu.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, libX11, libXinerama, libXft, zlib }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  pname = "dmenu";
+  version = "5.2";
+
+  src = ./dmenu;
+
+  buildInputs = [ libX11 libXinerama zlib libXft ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    sed -ri -e 's!\<(dmenu|dmenu_path|stest)\>!'"$out/bin"'/&!g' dmenu_run
+    sed -ri -e 's!\<stest\>!'"$out/bin"'/&!g' dmenu_path
+  '';
+
+  preConfigure = ''
+    sed -i "s@PREFIX = /usr/local@PREFIX = $out@g" config.mk
+  '';
+
+  makeFlags = [ "CC:=$(CC)" ];
+}
diff --git a/config/aristotle.nix b/config/aristotle.nix
index 1c53ce9..6df1895 100644
--- a/config/aristotle.nix
+++ b/config/aristotle.nix
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@
     brave
     qutebrowser
     (callPackage ../builds/st.nix { aristotle = true; })
+    (callPackage ../builds/dmenu.nix {})
     (callPackage ../builds/utils.nix {})
     (callPackage ../builds/rebuild.nix {})
     (callPackage ../builds/dwm.nix {})
     (callPackage ../builds/sssg.nix {})
-    dmenu
     pinentry-qt
 
     # tui/cli programs
diff --git a/config/copernicus.nix b/config/copernicus.nix
index 22f9dac..ebc8ccc 100644
--- a/config/copernicus.nix
+++ b/config/copernicus.nix
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@
 
     # custom builds
     (pkgs.callPackage ../builds/st.nix { lightMode = false; })
+    (pkgs.callPackage ../builds/dmenu.nix {})
     (pkgs.callPackage ../builds/utils.nix {})
     (pkgs.callPackage ../builds/statusbar {})
   ];