diff --git a/ansible/environments/laptop/group_vars/all b/ansible/environments/laptop/group_vars/all
index afdcfce..9577e3a 100644
--- a/ansible/environments/laptop/group_vars/all
+++ b/ansible/environments/laptop/group_vars/all
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 timezone: "America/New_York"
 install_bluetooth: true
+emacs_flavor: "full"
diff --git a/ansible/playbook.yaml b/ansible/playbook.yaml
index 4aec288..9670453 100644
--- a/ansible/playbook.yaml
+++ b/ansible/playbook.yaml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
     - jail
     - bhyve
     - wireguard
-    - emacs
+    # - emacs
     - mrmanager
 
 - hosts: admin_git:public_dns
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/defaults/main.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cf2a12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+emacs_flavor: "plain" # or full for systems where I do real development.
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/files/plainmacs b/ansible/roles/emacs/files/plainmacs
similarity index 100%
rename from ansible/roles/plainmacs/files/plainmacs
rename to ansible/roles/emacs/files/plainmacs
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/files/plainmacs_init.el b/ansible/roles/emacs/files/plainmacs_init.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb3964f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/files/plainmacs_init.el
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+(progn
+  (setq make-backup-files nil auto-save-default nil create-lockfiles nil)
+  (load-theme 'tango-dark t)
+  (set-face-attribute 'default nil :background "black")
+  ;; Bright yellow highlighting for selected region
+  (set-face-attribute 'region nil :background "#ffff50" :foreground "black")
+  ;; Bright green cursor to distinguish from yellow region
+  (set-cursor-color "#ccff66")
+  ;; Hightlight the current line
+  (set-face-attribute 'line-number-current-line nil :foreground "white")
+  ;; Set default font
+  (set-face-attribute 'default nil :height 100 :width 'regular :weight 'regular :family "Cascadia Mono")
+  ;; Set fallback font for unicode glyphs
+  (set-fontset-font "fontset-default" nil (font-spec :name "Noto Color Emoji"))
+  (menu-bar-mode -1)
+  (when (fboundp 'tool-bar-mode)
+    (tool-bar-mode -1))
+  (when (  fboundp 'scroll-bar-mode)
+    (scroll-bar-mode -1)))
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/files/zshrc_plainmacs b/ansible/roles/emacs/files/zshrc_plainmacs
similarity index 100%
rename from ansible/roles/plainmacs/files/zshrc_plainmacs
rename to ansible/roles/emacs/files/zshrc_plainmacs
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/meta/main.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/meta/main.yaml
index be46a20..d4281a0 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/emacs/meta/main.yaml
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/meta/main.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 dependencies:
   - users
   - fonts
-  - rust
-  - plainmacs
+  - role: rust
+    when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/common.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/common.yaml
index 0c76f0c..b9f3c1b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/common.yaml
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/common.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,21 @@
 - name: Install packages
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
   package:
     name:
       - aspell
     state: present
 
+- name: Install scripts
+  copy:
+    src: "files/{{ item.src }}"
+    dest: "{{ item.dest }}"
+    mode: 0755
+    owner: root
+    group: wheel
+  loop:
+    - src: plainmacs
+      dest: /usr/local/bin/plainmacs
+
 - import_tasks: tasks/freebsd.yaml
   when: 'os_flavor == "freebsd"'
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml
index cc9ab8c..9bef000 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
   package:
     name:
       - emacs
+    state: present
+
+- name: Install packages
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
+  package:
+    name:
       - py39-pygments
       - inkscape # to support SVGs in LaTeX
       # - prettier # typescript formatting
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/linux.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/linux.yaml
index 68687dd..f3d0baa 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/linux.yaml
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/linux.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,30 @@
+- name: Build aur packages
+  register: buildaur
+  become_user: "{{ build_user.name }}"
+  command: "aurutils-sync --no-view {{ item }}"
+  args:
+    creates: "/var/cache/pacman/custom/{{ item }}-*.pkg.tar.*"
+  loop:
+    - emacs29-git
+
+- name: Update cache
+  when: buildaur.changed
+  pacman:
+    name: []
+    state: present
+    update_cache: true
+
 - name: Install packages
   package:
     name:
       - aspell-en
+      - emacs29-git
+    state: present
+
+- name: Install packages
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
+  package:
+    name:
       - prettier # typescript+yaml formatting
       - pyright
       - gopls
diff --git a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/peruser.yaml b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/peruser.yaml
index af5df19..a30e2a6 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/peruser.yaml
+++ b/ansible/roles/emacs/tasks/peruser.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     - ".emacs.d/elisp"
 
 - name: Configure dotfiles
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
   copy:
     src: "files/{{ item.src }}"
     dest: "{{ account_homedir.stdout }}/{{ item.dest }}"
@@ -22,7 +23,20 @@
     - src: init.el
       dest: .emacs.d/init.el
 
+- name: Configure dotfiles
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "plain"'
+  copy:
+    src: "files/{{ item.src }}"
+    dest: "{{ account_homedir.stdout }}/{{ item.dest }}"
+    mode: 0600
+    owner: "{{ account_name.stdout }}"
+    group: "{{ group_name.stdout }}"
+  loop:
+    - src: plainmacs_init.el
+      dest: .emacs.d/init.el
+
 - name: Configure elisp files
+  when: 'emacs_flavor == "full"'
   copy:
     src: "files/{{ item }}"
     dest: "{{ account_homedir.stdout }}/.emacs.d/elisp/{{ item }}"
@@ -58,7 +72,8 @@
     owner: "{{ account_name.stdout }}"
     group: "{{ group_name.stdout }}"
   loop:
-    - emacs_e
+    - emacs_e # Create an alias 'e' which launches emacs
+    - plainmacs # Set the EDITOR to plainmacs
 
 - import_tasks: tasks/peruser_freebsd.yaml
   when: 'os_flavor == "freebsd"'
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/common.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/common.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index bdb96ee..0000000
--- a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/common.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-- name: Install scripts
-  copy:
-    src: "files/{{ item.src }}"
-    dest: "{{ item.dest }}"
-    mode: 0755
-    owner: root
-    group: wheel
-  loop:
-    - src: plainmacs
-      dest: /usr/local/bin/plainmacs
-
-- import_tasks: tasks/freebsd.yaml
-  when: 'os_flavor == "freebsd"'
-
-- import_tasks: tasks/linux.yaml
-  when: 'os_flavor == "linux"'
-
-- include_tasks:
-    file: tasks/peruser.yaml
-    apply:
-      become: yes
-      become_user: "{{ initialize_user }}"
-  loop: "{{ users | dict2items | community.general.json_query('[?value.initialize==`true`].key') }}"
-  loop_control:
-    loop_var: initialize_user
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a6413b..0000000
--- a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/freebsd.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-- name: Install packages
-  package:
-    name:
-      - emacs
-    state: present
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/linux.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/linux.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 062ac74..0000000
--- a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/linux.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-- name: Build aur packages
-  register: buildaur
-  become_user: "{{ build_user.name }}"
-  command: "aurutils-sync --no-view {{ item }}"
-  args:
-    creates: "/var/cache/pacman/custom/{{ item }}-*.pkg.tar.*"
-  loop:
-    - emacs29-git
-
-- name: Update cache
-  when: buildaur.changed
-  pacman:
-    name: []
-    state: present
-    update_cache: true
-
-- name: Install packages
-  package:
-    name:
-      - aspell-en
-      - emacs29-git
-    state: present
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/main.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/main.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 5c1df6c..0000000
--- a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/main.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-- import_tasks: tasks/common.yaml
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 9846c52..0000000
--- a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-- include_role:
-    name: per_user
-
-- name: Configure zshrc additional imports
-  copy:
-    src: "files/zshrc_{{ item }}"
-    dest: "{{ account_homedir.stdout }}/.config/ansible_deploy/zshrc/{{ item }}.zsh"
-    mode: 0600
-    owner: "{{ account_name.stdout }}"
-    group: "{{ group_name.stdout }}"
-  loop:
-    - plainmacs
-
-- import_tasks: tasks/peruser_freebsd.yaml
-  when: 'os_flavor == "freebsd"'
-
-- import_tasks: tasks/peruser_linux.yaml
-  when: 'os_flavor == "linux"'
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser_freebsd.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser_freebsd.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser_linux.yaml b/ansible/roles/plainmacs/tasks/peruser_linux.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000