diff --git a/modules/system/backups.nix b/modules/system/backups.nix
index e3474a1..d66ca6c 100644
--- a/modules/system/backups.nix
+++ b/modules/system/backups.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ in
     };
     repo = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.path;
-      default = "/backups";
+      default = "/holocron/borg";
       description = "borg repository path";
     };
     passphraseFile = lib.mkOption {
@@ -30,32 +30,39 @@ in
       serviceConfig = {
         Type = "oneshot";
         EnvironmentFile = config.modules.system.backups.passphraseFile;
+        ExecStart = pkgs.writeShellScript "borg-backup" ''
+          set -euo pipefail
+          export BORG_PASSPHRASE="$(cat ${passwd_file})"
+          export BORG_REPO="${cfg.repo}"
+
+          # Initialize repo if it doesn't exist
+          if ! borg info "$BORG_REPO" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "init borg repo at $BORG_REPO"
+            borg init --encryption=repokey "$BORG_REPO"
+          fi
+
+          # Create backup
+          echo "starting backup..."
+          borg create \
+            --verbose \
+            --filter AME \
+            --list \
+            --stats \
+            --show-rc \
+            --compression lz4 \
+            "$BORG_REPO::$(hostname)-$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S')" \
+            ${lib.concatStringsSep " " cfg.paths}
+
+          # Prune old backups according to retention policy
+          echo "Pruning old backups..."
+          borg prune -v --list "$BORG_REPO" \
+            --keep-daily=7 \
+            --keep-weekly=52 \
+            --keep-monthly=-1
+
+          echo "Backup completed successfully."
+        '';
       };
-      script = ''
-        set -eux
-        export BORG_REPO=${config.modules.system.backups.repo}
-        export BORG_PASSPHRASE="$(cat ${config.modules.system.backups.passphraseFile})"
-
-        # Initialize repo if it doesn’t exist
-        if ! ${borg} info "${repo}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-          echo "Initializing new Borg repository at ${repo}"
-          ${borg} init --encryption=repokey "${repo}"
-        fi
-
-        timestamp=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)
-
-        ${borg} create \
-          --stats \
-          --compression zstd,3 \
-          ::${timestamp} \
-          ${lib.concatStringsSep " " backup_paths}
-
-        # Retention policy
-        ${borg} prune -v --list \
-          --keep-daily=7 \
-          --keep-weekly=52 \
-          --keep-monthly=-1
-      '';
     };
 
     systemd.timers.borg-backup = {
@@ -71,5 +78,5 @@ in
   };
 }
 
-# add to module
+# add to modules
 # modules.system.backups.paths = lib.mkIf cfg.backups [ <path> ];