diff --git a/src/preload/e_hack.c b/src/preload/e_hack.c
index 357df1410..6562d807e 100644
--- a/src/preload/e_hack.c
+++ b/src/preload/e_hack.c
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "e_hack.h"
 
+/* FIXME:
+ * * gnome-terminal does this funky thing where a new gnome-temrinal process
+ * tries to message an  existing one asking it to create a new terminal. this
+ * means none of these properties ever end up on a new term window - in fact
+ * only the ones that are on the first term process. we need a way of knowing
+ * this, OR making sure no new iwndows other than the first appear with these
+ * properties. this also leads to handling splash windows - we might want then
+ * the first 2 or 3 windows with it.
+ * 
+ * we need to discuss this... it's an interesting hack that solves a LOT of
+ * things (and that we can maybe in future expand to hacking away at gtk and
+ * qt directly)
+ * 
+ * anyway - for now this is fairly harmless and just adds a property to all
+ * top-level app windows
+ */
+
 /* prototypes */
 static void __e_hack_set_properties(Display *display, Window window);
 
@@ -11,65 +28,62 @@ static void *lib_xlib = NULL;
 static void
 __e_hack_set_properties(Display *display, Window window)
 {
-   static Atom a_launch_id = 0;
-   static Atom a_user_id = 0;
-   static Atom a_process_id = 0;
-   static Atom a_p_process_id = 0;
-   static Atom a_machine_name = 0;
-   static Atom a_user_name = 0;
-   static Atom a_desk = 0;
-   static Atom a_zone = 0;
-   static Atom a_container = 0;
-   static Atom a_manager = 0;
+   static Atom a_hack = 0;
    char *env = NULL;
+   char buf[4096];
+   char buf2[4096];
+   uid_t uid;
+   pid_t pid, ppid;
+   struct utsname ubuf;
 
-   if (!a_launch_id)    a_launch_id    = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_LAUNCH_ID", False);
-   if (!a_user_id)      a_user_id      = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_USER_ID", False);
-   if (!a_process_id)   a_process_id   = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_PROCESS_ID", False);
-   if (!a_p_process_id) a_p_process_id = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_PARENT_PROCESS_ID", False);
-   if (!a_machine_name) a_machine_name = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_MACHINE_NAME", False);
-   if (!a_user_name)    a_user_name    = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_USER_NAME", False);
-   if (!a_desk)         a_desk         = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_DESK", False);
-   if (!a_zone)         a_zone         = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_ZONE", False);
-   if (!a_container)    a_container    = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_CONTAINER", False);
-   if (!a_manager)      a_manager      = XInternAtom(display, "_E_HACK_MANAGER", False);
-
-   if ((env = getenv("E_LAUNCH_ID")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_launch_id, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+   if (!a_hack) a_hack = XInternAtom(display, "__E_HACK", False);
+   buf[0] = 0;
+   buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = 0;
+   uid = getuid();
+   snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "uid: %i\n", uid);
+   strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+   pid = getpid();
+   snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "pid: %i\n", pid);
+   strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+   ppid = getppid();
+   snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "ppid: %i\n", ppid);
+   strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+   if (!uname(&ubuf))
      {
-	uid_t uid;
-	pid_t pid, ppid;
-	struct utsname ubuf;
-	char buf[4096];
-	
-	uid = getuid();
-	pid = getpid();
-	ppid = getppid();
-
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%i", uid);
-	XChangeProperty(display, window, a_user_id, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)buf, strlen(buf));
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%i", pid);
-	XChangeProperty(display, window, a_process_id, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)buf, strlen(buf));
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%i", ppid);
-	XChangeProperty(display, window, a_p_process_id, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)buf, strlen(buf));
-	if (!uname(&ubuf))
-	  {
-	     snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s", ubuf.nodename);
-	     XChangeProperty(display, window, a_machine_name, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)buf, strlen(buf));
-	  }
-	else
-	   XChangeProperty(display, window, a_machine_name, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)" ", 1);
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "machine_name: %s\n", ubuf.nodename);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
+   if ((env = getenv("E_LAUNCH_ID")))
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "launch_id: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
      }
    if ((env = getenv("USER")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_user_name, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "username: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
    if ((env = getenv("E_DESK")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_desk, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "e_desk: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
    if ((env = getenv("E_ZONE")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_zone, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "e_zone: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
    if ((env = getenv("E_CONTAINER")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_container, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "e_container: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
    if ((env = getenv("E_MANAGER")))
-      XChangeProperty(display, window, a_manager, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)env, strlen(env));
+     {
+	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "e_manager: %s\n", env);
+	strncat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf) - strlen(buf) - 1);
+     }
+   XChangeProperty(display, window, a_hack, XA_STRING, 8, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)buf, strlen(buf));
 }
 
 /* XCreateWindow intercept hack */