diff --git a/style/macarchy-auto-appearance b/style/macarchy-auto-appearance
index e8aff39..31d37d0 100755
--- a/style/macarchy-auto-appearance
+++ b/style/macarchy-auto-appearance
@@ -93,8 +93,13 @@ if [[ $action == status ]]; then
 fi
 
 if [[ -z $want ]]; then
+  # A sun we cannot compute is a reason to do NOTHING, and doing nothing on
+  # purpose is not a failure. Exiting 1 here left the unit permanently in
+  # `systemctl --user --failed` and fired its OnFailure= notifier, on every
+  # machine with no coordinates yet -- see macarchy-install#9. The message still
+  # reaches the journal; only the verdict changes.
   echo "macarchy-auto-appearance: macarchy-sun could not compute today's sun; theme left alone" >&2
-  exit 1
+  exit 0
 fi
 
 [[ $want == light ]] && want_theme=$LIGHT_THEME || want_theme=$DARK_THEME
diff --git a/style/macarchy-bar-contrast b/style/macarchy-bar-contrast
index fb43faa..04e2b13 100755
--- a/style/macarchy-bar-contrast
+++ b/style/macarchy-bar-contrast
@@ -120,11 +120,15 @@ settled_sample() {
 
 if [[ -z $sample ]]; then
   if [[ -z $CAPTURE_CMD ]]; then
+    # No capture tool means there is no session to sample -- nothing to tint, so
+    # nothing failed. Same reasoning as the missing bar layer below: exiting 1
+    # for it left a permanently failed unit on every machine without a
+    # compositor (macarchy-install#9). A grim that EXISTS and breaks still reds.
     for tool in grim magick hyprctl jq; do
-      command -v "$tool" >/dev/null || { echo "macarchy-bar-contrast: $tool missing" >&2; exit 1; }
+      command -v "$tool" >/dev/null || { echo "macarchy-bar-contrast: $tool missing; nothing to sample" >&2; exit 0; }
     done
     geom=$(bar_geometry)
-    [[ $geom =~ ^-?[0-9]+,-?[0-9]+\ [0-9]+x[0-9]+$ ]] || { echo "macarchy-bar-contrast: no omarchy-bar layer" >&2; exit 1; }
+    [[ $geom =~ ^-?[0-9]+,-?[0-9]+\ [0-9]+x[0-9]+$ ]] || { echo "macarchy-bar-contrast: no omarchy-bar layer; nothing to sample" >&2; exit 0; }
     wait_for_aquarium
   fi
   sample=$(settled_sample) || exit 1
diff --git a/tests/test_auto_appearance.sh b/tests/test_auto_appearance.sh
index b7ad9a6..4107ff1 100755
--- a/tests/test_auto_appearance.sh
+++ b/tests/test_auto_appearance.sh
@@ -69,9 +69,14 @@ check "polar night wants dark" called 'omarchy theme set Apple Glass'
 
 reset; theme apple-glass; export FAKE_SUN_FAIL=1
 err=$(AUTO_APPEARANCE_NOW=12:00 "$SCRIPT" 2>&1); rc=$?
-check "sun failure exits 1" [ "$rc" -eq 1 ]
+# A sun it cannot compute means "leave the theme alone", which is a decision and
+# not a failure. It used to exit 1, which parked the unit in `systemctl --user
+# --failed` for ever and fired its OnFailure= notifier on every machine with no
+# coordinates set (macarchy-install#9). Doing nothing still has to be SILENT in
+# the exit status and LOUD in the journal, so all three of these matter.
+check "a sun it cannot compute is a skip, not a failure" [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]
 check "sun failure changes nothing" not_called 'omarchy theme set'
-check "sun failure says so" grep -q 'macarchy-sun' <<<"$err"
+check "sun failure still says so" grep -q 'macarchy-sun' <<<"$err"
 
 # --- schedule mode -----------------------------------------------------------
 reset; theme apple-glass; conf 'MODE=schedule' 'LIGHT_FROM=07:00' 'LIGHT_UNTIL=20:00'
@@ -107,9 +112,13 @@ out=$("$SCRIPT" status)
 check "status polar omits times" [ "$out" = "mode=solar enabled=no want=light" ]
 
 # --- garbled macarchy-sun output does not silently force a theme ---------------
+# The invariant these three inputs defend is "it must not GUESS a theme", and
+# that is `does not switch`. The exit code was never the point: all three reach
+# the same "no answer, changed nothing" branch, which exits 0 like the script's
+# own "user chose something else" branch two screens down.
 reset; theme apple-glass; export FAKE_SUN='{"state":""}'
 err=$(AUTO_APPEARANCE_NOW=12:00 "$SCRIPT" 2>&1); rc=$?
-check "empty state exits 1" [ "$rc" -eq 1 ]
+check "empty state is a skip too"   [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]
 check "empty state does not switch" not_called 'omarchy theme set'
 
 reset; theme apple-glass; export FAKE_SUN='{"state":""}'
@@ -118,7 +127,10 @@ check "empty state status line" [ "$out" = "mode=solar enabled=no error=sun" ]
 
 reset; theme apple-glass; export FAKE_SUN='not json'
 err=$(AUTO_APPEARANCE_NOW=12:00 "$SCRIPT" 2>&1); rc=$?
-check "garbled sun json exits 1" [ "$rc" -eq 1 ]
+# Same branch as above, reached by a different input, so the same verdict: it
+# changed nothing, so it did not fail. The error stays legible where an error
+# belongs -- `status` reports `error=sun`, and the message is in the journal.
+check "garbled sun json is a skip too"   [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]
 check "garbled sun json does not switch" not_called 'omarchy theme set'
 
 reset; theme apple-glass; export FAKE_SUN='not json'
diff --git a/tests/test_bar_contrast.sh b/tests/test_bar_contrast.sh
index a8d8e2b..e8d8fb8 100644
--- a/tests/test_bar_contrast.sh
+++ b/tests/test_bar_contrast.sh
@@ -104,4 +104,16 @@ check "no give-up message while the layer is in flight" \
   [ -z "$(grep -c 'no omarchy-bar layer' <<<"$out" | grep -v '^0$')" ]
 unset HCALLS
 
+# --- nothing to sample is not a failure --------------------------------------
+# Same defect as auto-appearance's: a machine with no compositor has nothing to
+# tint, and saying so with exit 1 parked the unit in `systemctl --user --failed`
+# for ever (macarchy-install#9). A capture tool that EXISTS and then breaks must
+# still red -- the "bad sample" case above pins that side.
+mkdir -p "$TMP/nobin"
+before=$(cat "$CONF")
+err=$(PATH="$TMP/nobin" "$SCRIPT" 2>&1); rc=$?
+check "no capture tool is a skip, not a failure" [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]
+check "and it says why"                          grep -q 'nothing to sample' <<<"$err"
+check "and it leaves the config untouched"       [ "$(cat "$CONF")" = "$before" ]
+
 echo; [[ $fails -eq 0 ]] && echo "all passed" || { echo "$fails failed"; exit 1; }