diff --git a/hydra/image.py b/hydra/image.py
index 5df4562..e09b468 100644
--- a/hydra/image.py
+++ b/hydra/image.py
@@ -251,6 +251,21 @@ def enable_user_audio(root):
         raise ImageError('Cannot enable user audio sockets: ' + result.stderr.strip())
 
 
+def brand_os_release(root):
+    """Override derivative identity while retaining packaged Gentoo release fields."""
+    release = root_path(root, 'etc/os-release')
+    if not release.is_file():
+        release = root_path(root, 'usr/lib/os-release')
+    original = release.read_text() if release.is_file() else ''
+    retained = [line for line in original.splitlines()
+                if not re.match(r'^(NAME|PRETTY_NAME|ID|ID_LIKE)=', line)]
+    retained += ['NAME="Hydra OS"', 'PRETTY_NAME="Hydra OS"',
+                 'ID=hydra-os', 'ID_LIKE=gentoo']
+    # Gentoo links /etc/os-release to its packaged file; keep that file intact.
+    remove(root, 'etc/os-release')
+    write(root, 'etc/os-release', '\n'.join(retained) + '\n')
+
+
 def configure_rootfs(root, source):
     root, source = Path(root), Path(source)
     # Refuse incomplete integrations before changing the exported copy.
@@ -264,6 +279,7 @@ def configure_rootfs(root, source):
         alias.symlink_to(kernel.name)
     sanitize_rootfs(root)
     copy_overlay(root, source / 'image/rootfs')
+    brand_os_release(root)
     write(root, 'etc/hydra/live-mode/dracut.conf', (source / 'image/dracut.conf').read_text())
     root_path(root, 'etc/hydra/live-mode/dracut.conf.d').mkdir()
     package = root_path(root, 'usr/lib/hydra/hydra')
diff --git a/image/grub.cfg b/image/grub.cfg
index 22e87ff..75b056b 100644
--- a/image/grub.cfg
+++ b/image/grub.cfg
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ insmod serial
 serial --unit=0 --speed=115200
 terminal_input console serial
 terminal_output console serial
-menuentry "HydraOS live (volatile host root)" {
+menuentry "Hydra OS live (volatile host root)" {
     search --no-floppy --label HYDRA_OS --set=root
     linux /boot/vmlinuz root=live:CDLABEL=HYDRA_OS rd.live.image rd.live.overlay.overlayfs=1 ro console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8
     initrd /boot/initramfs-live.img
diff --git a/image/packages b/image/packages
index b5772a2..633afdc 100644
--- a/image/packages
+++ b/image/packages
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ net-firewall/nftables
 media-video/pipewire
 media-video/wireplumber
 app-admin/sudo
+app-misc/fastfetch
 sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin
 sys-kernel/linux-firmware
 sys-firmware/sof-firmware
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/default/grub b/image/rootfs/etc/default/grub
index 0cc5428..c49aca5 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/default/grub
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/default/grub
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="HydraOS"
+GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Hydra OS"
 GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
 GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8"
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/fastfetch/config.jsonc b/image/rootfs/etc/fastfetch/config.jsonc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e16dbfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/fastfetch/config.jsonc
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://github.com/fastfetch-cli/fastfetch/raw/dev/doc/json_schema.json",
+  "logo": {
+    "type": "file",
+    "source": "/usr/share/hydra/fastfetch.txt",
+    "color": { "1": "cyan", "2": "white" },
+    "padding": { "right": 3 }
+  },
+  "display": {
+    "color": { "keys": "cyan", "title": "white" },
+    "separator": ": ",
+    "percent": { "type": 1 }
+  },
+  "modules": [
+    "title",
+    { "type": "os", "format": "{pretty-name} {arch}" },
+    "kernel",
+    "uptime",
+    "cpu",
+    "memory",
+    { "type": "disk", "folders": "/" },
+    "localip"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/hydra/live-mode/active b/image/rootfs/etc/hydra/live-mode/active
index f257c8f..7d19712 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/hydra/live-mode/active
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/hydra/live-mode/active
@@ -1 +1 @@
-HydraOS live medium: changes to the host root are not persistent.
+Hydra OS live medium: changes to the host root are not persistent.
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/motd b/image/rootfs/etc/motd
index b194864..7857efe 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/motd
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/motd
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-HydraOS: fullscreen VMs with an ordinary Gentoo host underneath.
+Hydra OS: fullscreen VMs with an ordinary Gentoo host underneath.
 Live host changes are volatile. Use sudo hydra-install for the guarded installer.
-Use hydra --help, nmcli, or nmtui to configure VMs and network connections.
+Use hydra for the VM menu; hydra --help lists commands. fastfetch shows this host.
+Use sudo nmtui to configure network connections.
 Ctrl+Alt+F2 opens local recovery; return to the graphical session on Ctrl+Alt+F1.
 Guest bridge: 10.203.0.0/24. Routed LAN access requires a route on your LAN router.
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-bridge-permissions.service b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-bridge-permissions.service
index 93084f6..e290309 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-bridge-permissions.service
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-bridge-permissions.service
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=Restrict QEMU bridge helper to HydraOS VM users
+Description=Restrict QEMU bridge helper to Hydra OS VM users
 Before=greetd.service
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-dnsmasq.service b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-dnsmasq.service
index 1a774fd..d88b854 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-dnsmasq.service
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-dnsmasq.service
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=DHCP and DNS for HydraOS guests
+Description=DHCP and DNS for Hydra OS guests
 Requires=hydra-network.service
 PartOf=hydra-network.service
 After=hydra-network.service NetworkManager.service
diff --git a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-network.service b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-network.service
index 9023361..2c49248 100644
--- a/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-network.service
+++ b/image/rootfs/etc/systemd/system/hydra-network.service
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=HydraOS guest bridge and Internet NAT
+Description=Hydra OS guest bridge and Internet NAT
 Requires=NetworkManager.service
 PartOf=NetworkManager.service
 After=NetworkManager.service
diff --git a/image/rootfs/usr/share/hydra/fastfetch.txt b/image/rootfs/usr/share/hydra/fastfetch.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74534f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/image/rootfs/usr/share/hydra/fastfetch.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+$1    /\        /\        /\
+ .-(o >    .-(o >    .-(o >
+/  /      /  /      /  /
+\  \______\  \______\  \
+ \        \          /
+  '---.          .---'
+       \  /\/\  /
+     ___\/    \/___
+    /______________\
+$2       H Y D R A  O S
diff --git a/tests/test_branding.py b/tests/test_branding.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f51c756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_branding.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import shlex
+from pathlib import Path
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+from hydra import image
+
+
+class BrandingTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.addCleanup(self.tmp.cleanup)
+        self.root = Path(self.tmp.name) / 'rootfs'
+        self.root.mkdir()
+        version = '6.18.54-gentoo-dist-bin'
+        (self.root / 'lib/modules' / version).mkdir(parents=True)
+        (self.root / 'boot').mkdir()
+        (self.root / 'boot' / ('vmlinuz-' + version)).write_text('kernel')
+
+    def release(self):
+        return dict(line.split('=', 1)[0:1] + shlex.split(line.split('=', 1)[1])
+                    for line in (self.root / 'etc/os-release').read_text().splitlines()
+                    if line and not line.startswith('#'))
+
+    def test_export_brands_derivative_without_rewriting_packaged_gentoo_metadata(self):
+        vendor = self.root / 'usr/lib/os-release'
+        vendor.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+        original = "NAME='Gentoo'\nID=gentoo\nPRETTY_NAME='Gentoo Linux'\nVERSION_ID=2.18\nHOME_URL='https://www.gentoo.org/'\n"
+        vendor.write_text(original)
+        (self.root / 'etc').mkdir()
+        (self.root / 'etc/os-release').symlink_to('../usr/lib/os-release')
+
+        image.configure_rootfs(self.root, Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
+
+        self.assertEqual(self.release(), {
+            'NAME': 'Hydra OS', 'PRETTY_NAME': 'Hydra OS', 'ID': 'hydra-os',
+            'ID_LIKE': 'gentoo', 'VERSION_ID': '2.18',
+            'HOME_URL': 'https://www.gentoo.org/',
+        })
+        self.assertFalse((self.root / 'etc/os-release').is_symlink())
+        self.assertEqual(vendor.read_text(), original)
+        self.assertEqual((self.root / 'etc/hostname').read_text(), 'hydra-os\n')
+
+    def test_export_can_brand_minimal_payload_without_os_release(self):
+        image.configure_rootfs(self.root, Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
+
+        self.assertTrue((self.root / 'etc/os-release').is_file())
+        self.assertEqual(self.release(), {
+            'NAME': 'Hydra OS', 'PRETTY_NAME': 'Hydra OS',
+            'ID': 'hydra-os', 'ID_LIKE': 'gentoo',
+        })
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_image.py b/tests/test_image.py
index 464e30c..ca7abf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_image.py
+++ b/tests/test_image.py
@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@ sys.exit(result.returncode)
         result = subprocess.run([sys.executable, '-I', '-c', script, str(self.root / 'usr/lib/hydra'), str(manifest)],
                                 cwd=self.tmp.name, text=True, capture_output=True, timeout=20)
         self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stderr)
-        self.assertIn('HydraOS local recovery', result.stdout)
-        self.assertIn('add', result.stdout)
+        self.assertIn('Hydra OS', result.stdout)
+        self.assertIn('run', result.stdout)
 
     def test_installed_updates_exclude_unadapted_qemu_and_viewer_binaries(self):
         self.kernel()