diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 8aca61c7..5213729a 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -236,12 +236,6 @@
           # nix/reference-docs.nix. (`docs` above is the auto-generated
           # nix-options reference, a different artifact.)
           reference-docs = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/reference-docs.nix { };
-          # XDG icon set + .desktop entries for hyperhive processes.
-          # Narrow input: only the branding SVG, so unrelated source changes
-          # don't bust this derivation's cache.
-          xdg-icons = pkgs.callPackage ./nix/packages/hive-xdg-icons.nix {
-            hyperhiveSvg = ./branding/hyperhive.svg;
-          };
           # Pre-built per-container system closures. Exposed as packages
           # so operators can `nix build .#agent-base-toplevel` (or wire
           # them into their host system closure via the
@@ -304,7 +298,6 @@
           hyperhivePackage = system: self.packages.${system}.default;
           hyperhiveFrontend = system: self.packages.${system}.frontend;
           hyperhiveAssets = system: self.packages.${system}.assets;
-          hyperhiveXdgIcons = system: self.packages.${system}.xdg-icons;
           hyperhiveFlake = "${hyperhiveFlakeSource}";
           # Narrow docs/ source, threaded as its own meta-flake input so
           # doc edits don't re-hash the whole flake source.
diff --git a/hive-priv/src/main.rs b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
index cdb3f9df..e57bbe23 100644
--- a/hive-priv/src/main.rs
+++ b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
@@ -172,11 +172,7 @@ async fn exec(req: PrivRequest, writer: &mut OwnedWriteHalf) -> Result<(String,
 
         PrivRequest::KillContainer { ref name } => {
             validate_container_name(name)?;
-            // nixos-container has no kill verb. Use machinectl to send SIGKILL
-            // to all processes in the container — the right semantics for a
-            // forced shutdown after a graceful stop has already been attempted.
-            let machine = container_system_name(name);
-            machinectl_run(&["kill", &machine, "--signal=SIGKILL"]).await
+            container_run(&["kill", &container_system_name(name)]).await
         }
 
         PrivRequest::UpdateContainer { ref name, stream } => {
@@ -1030,34 +1026,6 @@ async fn container_run(args: &[&str]) -> Result<(String, String)> {
     Ok((stdout, stderr))
 }
 
-/// Invoke `machinectl` with the given args, log output to journald.
-/// Used for operations that nixos-container doesn't expose (e.g. sending
-/// signals to running containers).
-async fn machinectl_run(args: &[&str]) -> Result<(String, String)> {
-    let out = Command::new("machinectl")
-        .args(args)
-        .output()
-        .await
-        .context("invoke machinectl")?;
-    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout).into_owned();
-    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).into_owned();
-    for line in stdout.lines() {
-        tracing::info!(target: "machinectl", "{line}");
-    }
-    for line in stderr.lines() {
-        tracing::warn!(target: "machinectl", "{line}");
-    }
-    if !out.status.success() {
-        bail!(
-            "machinectl {} failed ({}): {}",
-            args.join(" "),
-            out.status,
-            stderr.trim()
-        );
-    }
-    Ok((stdout, stderr))
-}
-
 /// Invoke `nixos-container` with the given args and forward output lines
 /// to the caller as `PrivEvent::Line` messages in real time, logging each
 /// line to journald as it arrives. Returns `(String::new(), String::new())`
diff --git a/hive-sh4re/src/priv_proto.rs b/hive-sh4re/src/priv_proto.rs
index 618f312c..49fb99f0 100644
--- a/hive-sh4re/src/priv_proto.rs
+++ b/hive-sh4re/src/priv_proto.rs
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ pub enum PrivRequest {
     /// `nixos-container stop <name>`
     StopContainer { name: String },
 
-    /// `machinectl kill <name> --signal=SIGKILL` — force-kills all processes
-    /// in the container. nixos-container has no kill verb.
+    /// `nixos-container kill <name>`
     KillContainer { name: String },
 
     /// `nixos-container update <name> --flake <flake_ref>`
diff --git a/nix/docs/default.nix b/nix/docs/default.nix
index fdcf36ea..e03df075 100644
--- a/nix/docs/default.nix
+++ b/nix/docs/default.nix
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ let
         hyperhiveAssets = _system: pkgs.emptyDirectory;
         hyperhiveFlake = "";
         hyperhiveDocs = "";
-        hyperhiveXdgIcons = _system: pkgs.emptyFile;
         agentBaseToplevel = pkgs.emptyFile;
         managerToplevel = pkgs.emptyFile;
       })
diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
index bea4c230..8d748f8f 100644
--- a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
   hyperhiveAssets,
   hyperhiveFlake,
   hyperhiveDocs,
-  hyperhiveXdgIcons,
   agentBaseToplevel,
   managerToplevel,
 }:
@@ -795,9 +794,6 @@ in
     environment.systemPackages = [
       cfg.package
       pkgs.git
-      # XDG icons + .desktop entries so desktop environments can match
-      # hyperhive processes to their icon (task managers, CPU monitors, etc.).
-      (hyperhiveXdgIcons pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system)
     ];
 
     # Serve config at a stable /etc path so hive-c0re's ExecStart
diff --git a/nix/packages/hive-xdg-icons.nix b/nix/packages/hive-xdg-icons.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index fae5ed2e..00000000
--- a/nix/packages/hive-xdg-icons.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,85 +0,0 @@
-{
-  stdenv,
-  librsvg,
-  # Absolute path to the hyperhive.svg source so this derivation's input
-  # hash is narrow: a change to any other source file does NOT bust it.
-  hyperhiveSvg,
-}:
-
-# XDG icon set + .desktop entries for hyperhive processes so desktop
-# environments can match running processes to icons (task managers, CPU
-# monitors, etc.).
-#
-# Output layout:
-#   $out/share/icons/hicolor/<N>x<N>/apps/hyperhive.png  (N = 16,32,48,64,128,256)
-#   $out/share/pixmaps/hyperhive.png                     (48px fallback)
-#   $out/share/applications/hive-c0re.desktop
-#   $out/share/applications/hive-ag3nt.desktop
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  pname = "hive-xdg-icons";
-  version = "0.1.0";
-
-  # No source tree — everything is built from the single SVG path.
-  dontUnpack = true;
-
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ librsvg ];
-
-  buildPhase = ''
-    runHook preBuild
-    mkdir -p icons
-    for size in 16 32 48 64 128 256; do
-      rsvg-convert --width "$size" --height "$size" \
-        -o "icons/hyperhive-''${size}.png" \
-        ${hyperhiveSvg}
-    done
-    runHook postBuild
-  '';
-
-  installPhase = ''
-        runHook preInstall
-        # Per-size hicolor tree
-        for size in 16 32 48 64 128 256; do
-          mkdir -p "$out/share/icons/hicolor/''${size}x''${size}/apps"
-          cp "icons/hyperhive-''${size}.png" \
-             "$out/share/icons/hicolor/''${size}x''${size}/apps/hyperhive.png"
-        done
-        # Flat pixmaps fallback (48px)
-        mkdir -p "$out/share/pixmaps"
-        cp icons/hyperhive-48.png "$out/share/pixmaps/hyperhive.png"
-
-        # .desktop entries — NoDisplay so they don't show up in app launchers
-        # but are still discovered by process-to-icon matchers (GNOME, etc.).
-        mkdir -p "$out/share/applications"
-        cat > "$out/share/applications/hive-c0re.desktop" <<EOF
-    [Desktop Entry]
-    Type=Application
-    Name=hyperhive core
-    GenericName=hive-c0re
-    Comment=hyperhive host daemon — container lifecycle, broker, operator dashboard
-    Exec=hive-c0re serve
-    Icon=hyperhive
-    Categories=System;
-    NoDisplay=true
-    StartupNotify=false
-    EOF
-        cat > "$out/share/applications/hive-ag3nt.desktop" <<EOF
-    [Desktop Entry]
-    Type=Application
-    Name=hyperhive agent
-    GenericName=hive-ag3nt
-    Comment=hyperhive per-agent harness (claude turn loop + MCP server)
-    Exec=hive serve
-    Icon=hyperhive
-    Categories=System;
-    NoDisplay=true
-    StartupNotify=false
-    EOF
-        runHook postInstall
-  '';
-
-  dontFixup = true;
-
-  meta = {
-    description = "XDG icon set and .desktop entries for hyperhive processes";
-  };
-}