diff --git a/bin/omarchy-hw-external-monitors b/bin/omarchy-hw-external-monitors
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..b5dc967b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-hw-external-monitors
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Returns true when an external monitor is physically connected.
+# Uses kernel DRM state so the result is independent of Hyprland's startup timing.
+
+for status in /sys/class/drm/card*-*/status; do
+  [[ "$status" == *-eDP-*/status ]] && continue
+  [[ "$(<"$status")" == "connected" ]] && exit 0
+done
+exit 1
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitor-internal b/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitor-internal
index d30fd34c..6936d2cf 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitor-internal
+++ b/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitor-internal
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ enable() {
 }
 
 disable() {
-  if omarchy-hyprland-monitors-many; then
+  if omarchy-hw-external-monitors; then
     if omarchy-hyprland-toggle-disabled "$TOGGLE"; then
       omarchy-hyprland-toggle --enabled-notification "󰍹    Laptop display disabled" "$TOGGLE"
     fi
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ disable() {
 }
 
 recover() {
-  if omarchy-hyprland-monitors-none && omarchy-hyprland-toggle-enabled "$TOGGLE"; then
+  if ! omarchy-hw-external-monitors && omarchy-hyprland-toggle-enabled "$TOGGLE"; then
     omarchy-hyprland-toggle "$TOGGLE"
   fi
 }
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-many b/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-many
deleted file mode 100755
index 50035c3f..00000000
--- a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-many
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Returns true when there are multiple monitors connected (so we can disable the internal one)
-
-(( $(hyprctl monitors -j 2>/dev/null | jq length) > 1 ))
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-none b/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-none
deleted file mode 100755
index 231a0ba7..00000000
--- a/bin/omarchy-hyprland-monitors-none
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Returns true when no real monitors are connected (ignoring Hyprland's HEADLESS fallback)
-
-(( $(hyprctl monitors -j 2>/dev/null | jq '[.[] | select(.name | startswith("HEADLESS") | not)] | length') == 0 ))