diff --git a/themes/vertex/settings.lua b/themes/vertex/settings.lua
index 36f9cfe..1a005c9 100644
--- a/themes/vertex/settings.lua
+++ b/themes/vertex/settings.lua
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ local settings = {
 
     -- Bluetooth
     BLUESTATUS = false,
+
+    -- Gaps
+    useless_gap = 6,
 }
 
 return settings
diff --git a/themes/vertex/startup.lua b/themes/vertex/startup.lua
index be3c827..b683324 100644
--- a/themes/vertex/startup.lua
+++ b/themes/vertex/startup.lua
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 local awful = require("awful")
+local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 
 local startup =
 {
     awful.spawn.with_shell("nitrogen --set-zoom-fill --no-recurse --random --head=0 ~/Pictures/SFW/Nature"),
     awful.spawn.with_shell("optimus-manager-qt"),
     os.execute("picom -b"),
+
+    -- Mute volume on startup
+    os.execute(string.format("amixer set Master 0%%")),
+    beautiful.volume.update(),
 }
 
 return startup