diff --git a/hosts/writter-deck/cage-xkb-state.patch b/hosts/writter-deck/cage-xkb-state.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..826abce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hosts/writter-deck/cage-xkb-state.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Cage intentionally has no IPC API, so status-line clients cannot query its
+# active XKB group. When CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE is set, keep that file synchronized
+# with the zero-based effective layout index.
+--- a/seat.c
++++ b/seat.c
+@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
+ 
+ #include <assert.h>
+ #include <linux/input-event-codes.h>
++#include <stdio.h>
+ #include <stdlib.h>
+ #include <string.h>
+ #include <wayland-server-core.h>
+@@ -245,8 +246,29 @@
+ }
+ 
+ static void
++write_xkb_layout_state(struct wlr_keyboard *keyboard)
++{
++	const char *path = getenv("CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE");
++	if (path == NULL || path[0] == '\0' || keyboard->xkb_state == NULL) {
++		return;
++	}
++
++	FILE *state_file = fopen(path, "w");
++	if (state_file == NULL) {
++		return;
++	}
++
++	xkb_layout_index_t layout =
++		xkb_state_serialize_layout(keyboard->xkb_state, XKB_STATE_LAYOUT_EFFECTIVE);
++	fprintf(state_file, "%u\n", (unsigned int)layout);
++	fclose(state_file);
++}
++
++static void
+ handle_modifier_event(struct wlr_keyboard *keyboard, struct cg_seat *seat)
+ {
++	write_xkb_layout_state(keyboard);
++
+ 	wlr_seat_set_keyboard(seat->seat, keyboard);
+ 	wlr_seat_keyboard_notify_modifiers(seat->seat, &keyboard->modifiers);
+ 
+@@ -371,6 +393,8 @@
+ 	wl_signal_add(&cg_group->wlr_group->keyboard.events.modifiers, &cg_group->modifiers);
+ 	cg_group->modifiers.notify = handle_keyboard_group_modifiers;
+ 
++	write_xkb_layout_state(&cg_group->wlr_group->keyboard);
++
+ 	return;
+ 
+ cleanup:
diff --git a/hosts/writter-deck/home.nix b/hosts/writter-deck/home.nix
index 333de8d..60cebec 100644
--- a/hosts/writter-deck/home.nix
+++ b/hosts/writter-deck/home.nix
@@ -8,12 +8,39 @@
 let
   mainFont = "Berkeley Mono Nerd Font Mono";
   fontSize = 14;
+
+  # Cage has no IPC for querying its active XKB group. This deck-only build
+  # writes that group to CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE for the tmux indicator below.
+  cageWithLayoutState = pkgs.cage.overrideAttrs (oldAttrs: {
+    patches = (oldAttrs.patches or [ ]) ++ [ ./cage-xkb-state.patch ];
+  });
+
+  keyboardLayout = pkgs.writeShellApplication {
+    name = "keyboard-layout";
+    runtimeInputs = [ pkgs.coreutils ];
+    text = ''
+      runtime_dir="''${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/run/user/$(id -u)}"
+      state_file="''${CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE:-$runtime_dir/writter-deck-keyboard-layout}"
+      layout=0
+
+      if [[ -r "$state_file" ]]; then
+        IFS= read -r layout < "$state_file" || true
+      fi
+
+      case "$layout" in
+        0) printf 'US' ;;
+        1) printf 'PT' ;;
+        *) printf '?' ;;
+      esac
+    '';
+  };
 in
 {
   imports = [
     ../../modules/home-manager/oh-my-posh
     ../../modules/home-manager/zshrc
     ../../modules/home-manager/bat
+    ../../modules/home-manager/cedilla
     ../../modules/home-manager/opencode
     ../../modules/home-manager/nvim
     ../../modules/home-manager/pi
@@ -40,6 +67,18 @@ in
     };
     tmux = {
       enable = true;
+      extraConfig = ''
+        # Cage does not expose the XKB group through Wayland. The deck-only
+        # Cage patch updates the state file consumed by this status segment.
+        set -g status-interval 1
+        set -ag status-right "#[fg=#89b4fa] KBD:#(${keyboardLayout}/bin/keyboard-layout)"
+      '';
+    };
+    cedilla = {
+      enable = true;
+      # Foot/libxkbcommon handles ~/.XCompose directly; the deck has no NixOS
+      # fcitx5 service at /run/current-system/sw.
+      startFcitx5 = false;
     };
     oh-my-posh.enable = true;
     pi.enable = true;
@@ -50,7 +89,8 @@ in
   };
 
   home.packages = with pkgs; [
-    cage
+    cageWithLayoutState
+    keyboardLayout
     foot
     wlr-randr
     git
@@ -134,7 +174,12 @@ in
           export CAGE_RUNNING=1
           export WLR_RENDERER=pixman
           export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=''${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/run/user/$(id -u)}
-          exec cage -- foot
+          export XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT="us,us"
+          export XKB_DEFAULT_VARIANT=",intl"
+          export XKB_DEFAULT_OPTIONS="grp:alt_shift_toggle"
+          export CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE="$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/writter-deck-keyboard-layout"
+          rm -f "$CAGE_XKB_STATE_FILE"
+          exec ${cageWithLayoutState}/bin/cage -- ${pkgs.foot}/bin/foot
         fi
       '';
     };
diff --git a/modules/home-manager/cedilla/default.nix b/modules/home-manager/cedilla/default.nix
index 783cc12..03bf34f 100644
--- a/modules/home-manager/cedilla/default.nix
+++ b/modules/home-manager/cedilla/default.nix
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 { lib, config, ... }:
 {
+  options.custom.cedilla = {
+    enable = lib.mkEnableOption "enable cedilla - apply Compose configuration for cedilla";
 
-  options.custom = {
-    cedilla.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "enable cedilla - apply Compose configuration for cedilla";
+    startFcitx5 = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = true;
+      description = ''
+        Start the NixOS fcitx5 user service. Disable this when only the Compose
+        rules are needed, for example on a non-NixOS Wayland host.
+      '';
+    };
   };
 
   config = lib.mkIf config.custom.cedilla.enable {
@@ -13,7 +21,7 @@
       <dead_acute> <C> : "Ç"  Ccedilla
     '';
 
-    systemd.user.services.fcitx5 = {
+    systemd.user.services.fcitx5 = lib.mkIf config.custom.cedilla.startFcitx5 {
       Unit = {
         Description = "Fcitx5 input method";
         PartOf = [ "graphical-session.target" ];