diff --git a/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl b/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
index fb5bed90..fcc41aab 100644
--- a/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
+++ b/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
@@ -206,9 +206,10 @@ accent           = "{{ accent }}"
 background       = "{{ background }}"
 background-alpha = 0.8
 text             = "{{ foreground }}"
+placeholder      = "{{ mix foreground background 34% }}"
 text-error       = "{{ red }}"
-border           = "{{ shell_gradient hyprland_active_border foreground }}"
-border-active    = "{{ shell_gradient hyprland_active_border accent }}"
+border           = "{{ foreground }}"
+border-active    = "{{ accent }}"
 border-error     = "{{ red }}"
 border-alpha     = 1.0
 # selection is the text-selection tint inside the input field.
diff --git a/shell/Commons/Color.qml b/shell/Commons/Color.qml
index 08104180..f5531188 100644
--- a/shell/Commons/Color.qml
+++ b/shell/Commons/Color.qml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ QtObject {
   property color background: "#101315"
   property color accent: "#cacccc"
   property color urgent: "#a55555"
+  property color muted: "#707880"
 
   // Flat dictionary of "section.key" -> raw string from shell.toml.
   // Reassigning this whole property is what makes surface bindings below
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ QtObject {
     if (role === "foreground" || role === "text") return root.foreground
     if (role === "accent") return root.accent
     if (role === "urgent") return root.urgent
+    if (role === "muted") return root.muted
     if (role === "background") return root.background
     if (role === "transparent") return Qt.rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)
 
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ QtObject {
   readonly property QtObject lock: QtObject {
     property color background: root.composed("lock.background", "lock.background-alpha", root.background, 0.8)
     property color text: root.pick("lock.text", root.foreground)
+    property color placeholder: root.shellValues["lock.placeholder"] ? root.flatColor(root.shellValues["lock.placeholder"], Util.alpha(root.foreground, 0.66)) : Util.alpha(root.foreground, 0.66)
     property color textError: root.pick("lock.text-error", root.urgent)
     property color border: root.composed("lock.border", "lock.border-alpha", root.foreground, 1.0)
     property color borderActive: root.composed("lock.border-active", "lock.border-alpha", root.accent, 1.0)
@@ -136,7 +139,9 @@ QtObject {
   function loadColors(raw) {
     var lines = String(raw || "").split("\n")
     var foundAccent = false
+    var foundMuted = false
     var color4Value = ""
+    var color8Value = ""
     for (var i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
       var match = lines[i].match(/^\s*([A-Za-z0-9_-]+)\s*=\s*["']?(#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6})/)
       if (!match) continue
@@ -146,10 +151,13 @@ QtObject {
       // theme doesn't define a separate accent. color4 appears later in the
       // file so the old single-property approach clobbered accent with it.
       else if (match[1] === "accent") { accent = match[2]; foundAccent = true }
+      else if (match[1] === "muted") { muted = match[2]; foundMuted = true }
       else if (match[1] === "color4") color4Value = match[2]
+      else if (match[1] === "color8") color8Value = match[2]
       else if (match[1] === "red" || match[1] === "color1") urgent = match[2]
     }
     if (!foundAccent && color4Value.length > 0) accent = color4Value
+    if (!foundMuted) muted = color8Value.length > 0 ? color8Value : foreground
   }
 
   // Single TOML walker for shell.toml. Both Color (surface roles) and Style
diff --git a/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml b/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
index c9afda1d..8673efa9 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/lock/LockView.qml
@@ -15,17 +15,15 @@ Item {
   property bool inputEnabled: true
   property bool loadBackground: true
   property string passwordText: ""
-  property real scaleFactor: 1
   property bool syncingPasswordText: false
 
-  readonly property string fingerprintGlyph: "\uDB80\uDE37"
-  readonly property string placeholderText: fingerprintConfigured ? "Enter Password " + fingerprintGlyph : "Enter Password"
-  readonly property real effectiveScale: Math.max(1, scaleFactor)
-  readonly property int fieldWidth: Math.round(650 / effectiveScale)
-  readonly property int fieldHeight: Math.round(100 / effectiveScale)
-  readonly property int outlineThickness: Math.max(1, Math.round(4 / effectiveScale))
+  readonly property string placeholderText: "Password"
+  readonly property int fieldWidth: 650
+  readonly property int fieldHeight: 100
+  readonly property int outlineThickness: 4
   readonly property int fieldFontSize: Style.font.heading
-  readonly property int passwordDotFontSize: Math.round(fieldFontSize * 1.3)
+  readonly property int passwordDotFontSize: Math.round(fieldFontSize * 2.0)
+  readonly property int passwordDotLetterSpacing: Math.round(fieldFontSize * 0.28)
   readonly property bool showPasswordCursor: inputEnabled && !authenticatingPassword && failureMessage.length === 0
   readonly property string borderToken: failureMessage.length > 0 ? "border-error" : (authenticatingPassword ? "border-active" : "border")
   readonly property color borderFallback: failureMessage.length > 0 ? Color.lock.borderError : (authenticatingPassword ? Color.lock.borderActive : Color.lock.border)
@@ -90,8 +88,9 @@ Item {
       autoPaddingEnabled: false
       blurEnabled: root.loadBackground && wallpaper.status === Image.Ready
       blur: 1.0
-      blurMax: 64
-      blurMultiplier: 1.0
+      blurMax: 128
+      blurMultiplier: 1.25
+      contrast: -0.08
     }
 
     MouseArea {
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ Item {
       anchors.centerIn: parent
       color: Color.lock.background
       borderSpec: root.inputBorderSpec
-      radius: Style.cornerRadius
+      radius: 0
       clip: true
 
       TextInput {
@@ -125,16 +124,17 @@ Item {
         enabled: root.inputEnabled && !root.authenticatingPassword
         readOnly: root.authenticatingPassword
         echoMode: TextInput.Password
-        passwordCharacter: "\u2022"
+        passwordCharacter: "\u25CF"
         passwordMaskDelay: 0
         color: Color.lock.text
         selectionColor: Color.lock.selection
         selectedTextColor: Color.lock.text
         font.family: Style.font.family
         font.pixelSize: text.length > 0 ? root.passwordDotFontSize : root.fieldFontSize
+        font.letterSpacing: text.length > 0 ? root.passwordDotLetterSpacing : 0
         cursorVisible: activeFocus && root.showPasswordCursor && text.length > 0
         cursorDelegate: Rectangle {
-          width: Math.max(1, Math.round(2 / root.effectiveScale))
+          width: 2
           color: Color.lock.text
           visible: passwordInput.cursorVisible
         }
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ Item {
         anchors.fill: passwordInput
         text: root.authenticatingPassword ? "Checking…" : (root.failureMessage.length > 0 ? root.failureMessage : root.placeholderText)
         visible: passwordInput.text.length === 0
-        color: (!root.authenticatingPassword && root.failureMessage.length > 0) ? Color.lock.textError : Color.lock.text
+        color: root.authenticatingPassword ? Color.lock.text : (root.failureMessage.length > 0 ? Color.lock.textError : Color.lock.placeholder)
         font.family: Style.font.family
         font.pixelSize: root.fieldFontSize
         font.italic: !root.authenticatingPassword && root.failureMessage.length > 0
diff --git a/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
index 2a6c4277..4b8d8fcf 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/lock/Service.qml
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@ Item {
         inputEnabled: root.lockRequested
         loadBackground: root.locked
         passwordText: root.enteredPassword
-        scaleFactor: lockSurface.screen && lockSurface.screen.devicePixelRatio > 0 ? lockSurface.screen.devicePixelRatio : 1
         onPasswordTextEdited: function(password) { root.enteredPassword = password }
         onSubmitPassword: function(password) { root.submitPassword(password) }
         onClearFailureRequested: root.failureMessage = ""
@@ -220,7 +219,6 @@ Item {
       inputEnabled: false
       loadBackground: root.previewVisible
       passwordText: ""
-      scaleFactor: previewWindow.screen && previewWindow.screen.devicePixelRatio > 0 ? previewWindow.screen.devicePixelRatio : 1
     }
 
     MouseArea {