diff --git a/src/4cade.branding.a b/src/4cade.branding.a
index 5dd481e51..f146ff120 100644
--- a/src/4cade.branding.a
+++ b/src/4cade.branding.a
@@ -3,32 +3,18 @@
 ;
 
 PrintBranding
-         ldy   #9
--        lda   TOTAL-1,y
-         ora   #$80
-         sta   $04B7-1,y
-         dey
-         bne   -
+; in:    text screen is showing
+; out:   Y = 0 (important! some callers rely on this!)
          ldy   #11
--        lda   REPLAY-1,y
-         ora   #$80
-         sta   $0536-1,y
+-        lda   TOTAL-1, y
+         sta   $04B5-1, y
+         lda   REPLAY-1, y
+         sta   $0535-1, y
          dey
          bne   -
          rts
 
 TOTAL
-         !text "T O T A L"
+         !scrxor $80," T O T A L "
 REPLAY
-         !text "R E P L A Y"
-!ifndef RELEASE {
-LoadingVersion
-         !byte 8
-         !text "  build "
-LoadingBuild
-         !word BUILDNUMBER
-} else {
-LoadingVersion
-         !byte 12
-         !text "      v5.0.1"
-}
+         !scrxor $80,"R E P L A Y"
diff --git a/src/4cade.init.a b/src/4cade.init.a
index 0f6543f7d..7fa150db4 100755
--- a/src/4cade.init.a
+++ b/src/4cade.init.a
@@ -7,28 +7,8 @@
 ; .SYSTEM file is loaded
 ;
 
-         +READ_ROM_NO_WRITE
-         sta   PRIMARYCHARSET
-         sta   CLR80VID
-         sta   STOREOFF
-         sta   READMAINMEM
-         sta   WRITEMAINMEM
-         jsr   ROM_TEXT
-         jsr   ROM_HOME
-         jsr   ROM_NORMAL
-         jsr   ROM_IN0
-         jsr   ROM_PR0
-
-         ; accommodate uppercase-only machines (64K ][ and ][+ are supported)
-         lda   ROM_MACHINEID
-         cmp   #$A0
-         beq   +                     ; Spectrum ED
-         cmp   #$06
-         beq   +
-         lda   #$DF
-         +HIDE_NEXT_2_BYTES
-+        lda   #$FF
-         sta   zpCharMask
+         !src  "src/4cade.init.machine.a"
+         !src  "src/4cade.init.screen.a"
 
          ; print text title in same place as graphical title will appear
          jsr   PrintBranding
@@ -36,6 +16,9 @@
          ; proboothd duplicates the above code and jumps here,
          ; so if you make any changes before this comment, you
          ; MUST adjust the final JMP in src/proboothd/proboothd.a
+         !if (* != ProBootEntry) {
+                  !serious "ProBootEntry is wrong, should be ", *
+         }
 
          jsr   Has64K                ; check for 64K (required)
          bcc   +
@@ -99,6 +82,17 @@
          sta   MONOCOLOR             ; bit 7=1 disables color
 +
 
+         ; accommodate uppercase-only machines (64K ][ and ][+ are supported)
+         lda   ROM_MACHINEID
+         cmp   #$A0
+         beq   +                     ; Spectrum ED
+         cmp   #$06
+         beq   +
+         lda   #$DF
+         +HIDE_NEXT_2_BYTES
++        lda   #$FF
+         sta   zpCharMask
+
          ; increase text window width so we can print to the edge of the screen without scrolling
          inc   $21
          ; print version or build number in lower right corner
@@ -288,6 +282,7 @@ FoundMockingboardCallback
          jmp   ROM_COUT
 
          !src  "src/4cade.branding.a"
+         !src  "src/4cade.version.a"
 
 Loading64K
          !byte 3
diff --git a/src/4cade.init.machine.a b/src/4cade.init.machine.a
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d45ab0fb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/4cade.init.machine.a
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+;license:MIT
+;(c) 2023 by 4am
+;
+; initialize machine from a cold boot
+; assumes absolutely nothing about machine state
+;
+; note: this file is included by both the launcher and proboothd
+
+         cld
+         +READ_ROM_NO_WRITE
+         sta   PRIMARYCHARSET
+         sta   CLR80VID
+         sta   STOREOFF
+         sta   READMAINMEM
+         sta   WRITEMAINMEM
diff --git a/src/4cade.init.screen.a b/src/4cade.init.screen.a
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9309cf6e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/4cade.init.screen.a
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+;license:MIT
+;(c) 2023 by 4am
+;
+; initialize and clear screen
+; assumes zero page is completely trashed other than |zpCharMask|
+; assumes ROM is banked in on entry
+;
+; note: this file is included by both the launcher and proboothd
+
+         jsr   ROM_TEXT
+         jsr   ROM_HOME
+         jsr   ROM_NORMAL
+         jsr   ROM_IN0
+         jsr   ROM_PR0
diff --git a/src/4cade.version.a b/src/4cade.version.a
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..972ac6439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/4cade.version.a
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+;license:MIT
+;(c) 2023 by 4am
+;
+
+!ifndef RELEASE {
+LoadingVersion
+         !byte 8
+         !text "  build "
+LoadingBuild
+         !word BUILDNUMBER
+} else {
+LoadingVersion
+         !byte 12
+         !text "      v5.0.1"
+}
diff --git a/src/constants.a b/src/constants.a
index 02346d0f2..46a6e8110 100644
--- a/src/constants.a
+++ b/src/constants.a
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ gKey         = $1F01
 UILine1      = $1FB0
 UILine2      = $1FD8
 UI_ToPlay    = $1FF7
+ProBootEntry = $2025
 
 gValLen      = $1F80
 gVal         = $1F81
diff --git a/src/proboothd/proboothd.a b/src/proboothd/proboothd.a
index 75b94ad20..e3202f7f3 100644
--- a/src/proboothd/proboothd.a
+++ b/src/proboothd/proboothd.a
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 !to "build/proboothd",plain
 *=$800
 
+         !src  "src/macros.a"
+
          ;zpage usage, arbitrary selection except for the "ProDOS constant" ones
          command   = $42         ;ProDOS constant
          unit      = $43         ;ProDOS constant
@@ -25,34 +27,21 @@
          txa
          pha
 
-         ; put machine in a known state, clear screen
+         !src  "src/4cade.init.machine.a"
 
-         cld
-         bit   $c082
-         sta   $c00e
-         sta   $c00c
-         sta   $c000
-         sta   $c002
-         sta   $c004
-         lda   $c000
-         cmp   #$d3    ; Press "S" on bootup
+         lda   KBD
+         cmp   #$D3              ; 'S'
+         beq   @s
+         cmp   #$F3              ; 's'
          bne   +
+@s
          jsr   seasons
-+        jsr   $fb2f
-         jsr   $fc58
-         jsr   $fe84
-         jsr   $fe89
-         jsr   $fe93
++
+         !src  "src/4cade.init.screen.a"
 
-         ; print title
+         ; print text title in same place as graphical title will appear
+         jsr   PrintBranding
 
-         ldy   #11
--        lda   TOTAL-1, y
-         sta   $04B6-1, y
-         lda   REPLAY-1, y
-         sta   $0536-1, y
-         dey
-         bne   -
          pla
          sta   unit
          tax
@@ -151,7 +140,7 @@ blockind ldy   $ff
          txa
          bne   readfile
 
-readdone jmp   $2036
+readdone jmp   ProBootEntry
 
 seekread stx   bloklo
          sty   blokhi
@@ -369,10 +358,12 @@ filename
 filename_b
          !text "LAUNCHER.SYSTEM" ;your start-up file, file is max 40kb
 filename_e
-TOTAL
-         !byte $A0,$D4,$A0,$CF,$A0,$D4,$A0,$C1,$A0,$CC,$A0
-REPLAY
-         !byte $D2,$A0,$C5,$A0,$D0,$A0,$CC,$A0,$C1,$A0,$D9
+
+         !src  "src/4cade.branding.a"
+
+!if (* > $9f7) {
+         !serious "Bootloader is too large"
+}
 
 *=$9f8
 !byte $D3,$C1,$CE,$A0,$C9,$CE,$C3,$AE