diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 94f5342..03ba703 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ godot_temp_*
 *.swo
 *~
 
+# Config — user overrides, not committed
+config/config.json
+
 # OS
 .DS_Store
 Thumbs.db
diff --git a/autoload/config_manager.gd b/autoload/config_manager.gd
index db01f5a..1d9bc8d 100644
--- a/autoload/config_manager.gd
+++ b/autoload/config_manager.gd
@@ -3,21 +3,77 @@ extends Node
 
 signal config_changed(key: String, value: Variant)
 
-var _settings: Dictionary = {
-    "refresh_interval": 1.0,
-    "show_cpu": true,
-    "show_memory": true,
-    "show_network": true,
-    "show_disk": true,
-    "theme": "default",
-}
+var _settings: Dictionary = {}
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	_load_config()
 
 
 func get_setting(key: String, default_value: Variant = null) -> Variant:
-    return _settings.get(key, default_value)
+	return _settings.get(key, default_value)
 
 
 func set_setting(key: String, value: Variant) -> void:
-    if _settings.has(key) and _settings[key] != value:
-        _settings[key] = value
-        config_changed.emit(key, value)
+	if _settings.has(key) and _settings[key] != value:
+		_settings[key] = value
+		_save_user_config()
+		config_changed.emit(key, value)
+
+
+## Parse a "r, g, b" string from config into a Color with alpha 1.0.
+func get_color(key: String, default_color: Color = Color.WHITE) -> Color:
+	var raw: Variant = _settings.get(key)
+	if raw == null or typeof(raw) != TYPE_STRING:
+		return default_color
+	var parts: PackedStringArray = (raw as String).split(",", false)
+	if parts.size() < 3:
+		return default_color
+	var r: float = parts[0].strip_edges().to_float()
+	var g: float = parts[1].strip_edges().to_float()
+	var b: float = parts[2].strip_edges().to_float()
+	return Color(r, g, b, 1.0)
+
+
+func _load_config() -> void:
+	# Load defaults, then overlay user config.
+	var defaults := _read_json_file("res://config/default.json")
+	var user := _read_json_file("res://config/config.json")
+
+	_settings.clear()
+	if defaults != null and defaults is Dictionary:
+		_merge_dict(_settings, defaults as Dictionary)
+	if user != null and user is Dictionary:
+		_merge_dict(_settings, user as Dictionary)
+
+
+static func _read_json_file(path: String) -> Variant:
+	var file := FileAccess.open(path, FileAccess.READ)
+	if file == null:
+		return null
+	var content: String = file.get_as_text()
+	var parsed: Variant = JSON.parse_string(content)
+	return parsed
+
+
+static func _merge_dict(dst: Dictionary, src: Dictionary) -> void:
+	for key in src:
+		dst[key] = src[key]
+
+
+func _save_user_config() -> void:
+	# Only persists settings that differ from defaults.
+	var defaults := _read_json_file("res://config/default.json")
+	if not (defaults is Dictionary):
+		return
+
+	var diff: Dictionary = {}
+	for key in _settings:
+		if not defaults.has(key) or defaults[key] != _settings[key]:
+			diff[key] = _settings[key]
+
+	var path: String = "res://config/config.json"
+	var json_str: String = JSON.stringify(diff, "\t")
+	var file := FileAccess.open(path, FileAccess.WRITE)
+	if file != null:
+		file.store_string(json_str)
diff --git a/config/default.json b/config/default.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f99234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/default.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "background_color": "0.08, 0.08, 0.12",
+  "refresh_interval": 1.0,
+  "show_cpu": true,
+  "show_memory": true,
+  "show_network": true,
+  "show_disk": true,
+  "theme": "default"
+}
diff --git a/scenes/dashboard.gd b/scenes/dashboard.gd
index ce2f206..b1244dc 100644
--- a/scenes/dashboard.gd
+++ b/scenes/dashboard.gd
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 @tool
-extends Control
+extends PanelContainer
 
 
 @onready var grid: DashboardGrid = %DashboardGrid
@@ -8,16 +8,19 @@ var _modules: Array = []
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
-	if Engine.is_editor_hint():
-		_set_background()
-		return
 	_set_background()
-	_add_modules()
+	if not Engine.is_editor_hint():
+		_add_modules()
 
 
 func _set_background() -> void:
-	var bg := StyleBoxFlat.new()
-	bg.bg_color = Color(0.08, 0.08, 0.12, 1.0)
+	var bg: StyleBoxFlat
+	if ConfigManager.has_method("get_color"):
+		bg = StyleBoxFlat.new()
+		bg.bg_color = ConfigManager.get_color("background_color", Color(0.08, 0.08, 0.12))
+	else:
+		bg = StyleBoxFlat.new()
+		bg.bg_color = Color(0.08, 0.08, 0.12)
 	add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", bg)
 
 
diff --git a/scenes/dashboard.tscn b/scenes/dashboard.tscn
index efec138..1e9ddc0 100644
--- a/scenes/dashboard.tscn
+++ b/scenes/dashboard.tscn
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 [ext_resource type="Script" path="res://scripts/dashboard_grid.gd" id="2"]
 [ext_resource type="Theme" path="res://themes/default_theme.tres" id="3"]
 
-[node name="Dashboard" type="Control"]
+[node name="Dashboard" type="PanelContainer"]
 anchors_preset = 15
 anchor_right = 1.0
 anchor_bottom = 1.0
diff --git a/scenes/splash.gd b/scenes/splash.gd
index 4a4e05a..c32bc55 100644
--- a/scenes/splash.gd
+++ b/scenes/splash.gd
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 extends Control
 
 
+@onready var bg: ColorRect = %Bg
 @onready var v_label: Label = %VLabel
 @onready var panel_label: Label = %PanelLabel
 @onready var transition_overlay: ColorRect = %TransitionOverlay
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 
 	var screen_size: Vector2 = get_viewport_rect().size
 
+	# Background color from config
+	if ConfigManager.has_method("get_color"):
+		bg.color = ConfigManager.get_color("background_color", Color(0.08, 0.08, 0.12))
+
 	# Compute end font sizes as a large fraction of screen height.
 	# Use set() to go through the property system directly.
 	_v_end = maxi(1, int(screen_size.y * 0.28))
diff --git a/scenes/splash.tscn b/scenes/splash.tscn
index 129abc9..10c865a 100644
--- a/scenes/splash.tscn
+++ b/scenes/splash.tscn
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ theme = ExtResource("3")
 script = ExtResource("1")
 
 [node name="Bg" type="ColorRect" parent="."]
+unique_name_in_owner = true
 anchors_preset = 15
 anchor_right = 1.0
 anchor_bottom = 1.0