diff --git a/modules/misc/news/2026/06/2026-06-13_13-54-31.nix b/modules/misc/news/2026/06/2026-06-13_13-54-31.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d17ff573
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/news/2026/06/2026-06-13_13-54-31.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+{
+  time = "2026-06-13T11:54:31+00:00";
+  condition = config.programs.swayimg.enable;
+  message = ''
+    `programs.swayimg.settings` has been replaced with
+    `programs.swayimg.initLua` because upstream moved to a lua config.
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/modules/programs/swayimg.nix b/modules/programs/swayimg.nix
index a5ccd8733..69a3a1da0 100644
--- a/modules/programs/swayimg.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/swayimg.nix
@@ -4,39 +4,45 @@
   pkgs,
   ...
 }:
-
 let
   cfg = config.programs.swayimg;
-  iniFormat = pkgs.formats.ini { };
 in
 {
   meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ dod-101 ];
 
+  imports = [
+    (lib.mkRemovedOptionModule [
+      "programs"
+      "swayimg"
+      "settings"
+    ] "Upstream moved to a lua config. This option has been replaced by programs.swayimg.initLua.")
+  ];
+
   options.programs.swayimg = {
     enable = lib.mkEnableOption "swayimg";
 
     package = lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "swayimg" { };
 
-    settings = lib.mkOption {
-      inherit (iniFormat) type;
-      default = { };
+    initLua = lib.mkOption {
+      type = with lib.types; nullOr (either path lines);
+      default = null;
       description = ''
         Configuration written to
-        {file}`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/swayimg/config`. See <https://github.com/artemsen/swayimg/blob/master/extra/swayimgrc> for a list of available options.
+        {file}`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/swayimg/init.lua`.
+
+        See <https://github.com/artemsen/swayimg/blob/master/CONFIG.md>
+        for documentation.
       '';
       example = lib.literalExpression ''
-        {
-          viewer = {
-            window = "#10000010";
-            scale = "fill";
-          };
-          "info.viewer" = {
-            top_left = "+name,+format";
-          };
-          "keys.viewer" = {
-            "Shift+r" = "rand_file";
-          };
-        }
+        swayimg.text.set_size(32)
+        swayimg.text.set_foreground(0xffff0000)
+
+        swayimg.viewer.set_default_scale("fill")
+
+        swayimg.gallery.on_key("Delete", function()
+          local image = swayimg.gallery.get_image()
+          os.remove(image.path)
+        end)
       '';
     };
   };
@@ -48,8 +54,8 @@ in
 
     home.packages = [ cfg.package ];
 
-    xdg.configFile."swayimg/config" = lib.mkIf (cfg.settings != { }) {
-      source = iniFormat.generate "config" cfg.settings;
+    xdg.configFile."swayimg/init.lua" = lib.mkIf (cfg.initLua != null) {
+      text = if builtins.isPath cfg.initLua then builtins.readFile cfg.initLua else cfg.initLua;
     };
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/default.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/default.nix
index a90fbffa4..90c9653dc 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/default.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 { lib, pkgs, ... }:
 lib.optionalAttrs pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux {
-  swayimg-empty-settings = ./empty-settings.nix;
-  swayimg-example-settings = ./example-settings.nix;
+  swayimg-empty-initLua = ./empty-initLua.nix;
+  swayimg-example-initLua = ./example-initLua.nix;
+  swayimg-path-initLua = ./path-initLua.nix;
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-initLua.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-initLua.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2dbba2126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-initLua.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+
+{
+
+  programs.swayimg = {
+    enable = true;
+    package = config.lib.test.mkStubPackage { };
+  };
+
+  nmt.script = ''
+    assertPathNotExists home-files/.config/swayimg
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-settings.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-settings.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 3ea1c2347..000000000
--- a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/empty-settings.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{
-  programs.swayimg.enable = true;
-
-  nmt.script = ''
-    assertPathNotExists home-files/.config/swayimg
-  '';
-}
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua-expected.lua b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua-expected.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36e216995
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua-expected.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+swayimg.text.set_size(32)
+swayimg.text.set_foreground(0xffff0000)
+
+swayimg.viewer.set_default_scale("fill")
+
+swayimg.gallery.on_key("Delete", function()
+  local image = swayimg.gallery.get_image()
+  os.remove(image.path)
+end)
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..48107e57a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-initLua.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+
+{
+  programs.swayimg = {
+    enable = true;
+    package = config.lib.test.mkStubPackage { };
+
+    initLua = ''
+      swayimg.text.set_size(32)
+      swayimg.text.set_foreground(0xffff0000)
+
+      swayimg.viewer.set_default_scale("fill")
+
+      swayimg.gallery.on_key("Delete", function()
+        local image = swayimg.gallery.get_image()
+        os.remove(image.path)
+      end)
+    '';
+  };
+
+  nmt.script = ''
+    assertFileContent \
+      home-files/.config/swayimg/init.lua \
+      ${./example-initLua-expected.lua}
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings-expected.ini b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings-expected.ini
deleted file mode 100644
index f844feb6c..000000000
--- a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings-expected.ini
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-[info.viewer]
-top_left=+name,+format
-
-[keys.viewer]
-Shift+r=rand_file
-
-[viewer]
-scale=fill
-window=#10000010
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 1530a8f3a..000000000
--- a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/example-settings.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-{ config, ... }:
-
-{
-  programs.swayimg = {
-    enable = true;
-    package = config.lib.test.mkStubPackage { };
-
-    settings = {
-      viewer = {
-        window = "#10000010";
-        scale = "fill";
-      };
-      "info.viewer" = {
-        top_left = "+name,+format";
-      };
-      "keys.viewer" = {
-        "Shift+r" = "rand_file";
-      };
-    };
-  };
-
-  nmt.script = ''
-    assertFileContent \
-      home-files/.config/swayimg/config \
-      ${./example-settings-expected.ini}
-  '';
-}
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/path-initLua.nix b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/path-initLua.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4c5489db1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/swayimg/path-initLua.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{ config, ... }:
+
+{
+
+  programs.swayimg = {
+    enable = true;
+    package = config.lib.test.mkStubPackage { };
+
+    initLua = ./example-initLua-expected.lua;
+  };
+
+  nmt.script = ''
+    assertFileContent \
+      home-files/.config/swayimg/init.lua \
+      ${./example-initLua-expected.lua}
+  '';
+}