diff --git a/ly-ui/src/components/BigLabel.zig b/ly-ui/src/components/BigLabel.zig
index 3420c71..8f06d82 100644
--- a/ly-ui/src/components/BigLabel.zig
+++ b/ly-ui/src/components/BigLabel.zig
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ pub const CHAR_SIZE = CHAR_WIDTH * CHAR_HEIGHT;
 pub const X: u32 = if (ly_core.interop.supportsUnicode()) 0x2593 else '#';
 pub const O: u32 = 0;
 
+const OUTLINE_DIRS = [_][2]i8{
+    .{ -1, -1 }, .{ -1, 0 }, .{ -1, 1 },
+    .{ 0, -1 },  .{ 0, 1 },  .{ 1, -1 },
+    .{ 1, 0 },   .{ 1, 1 },
+};
+
 // zig fmt: off
 pub const LocaleChars = struct {
     ZERO:   [CHAR_SIZE]u21,
@@ -51,7 +57,6 @@ text: []const u8,
 max_width: ?usize,
 fg: u32,
 bg: u32,
-/// When set, draw a 1-cell outline around each digit glyph.
 outline_fg: ?u32 = null,
 locale: BigLabelLocale,
 update_fn: ?*const fn (*BigLabel, *anyopaque) anyerror!void,
@@ -155,40 +160,23 @@ pub fn childrenPosition(self: BigLabel) Position {
 }
 
 fn draw(self: *BigLabel) void {
-    if (self.text.len == 0) return;
-
-    // Optional outline under the glyphs (bigclock_outline_fg).
-    if (self.outline_fg) |outline_fg| {
-        for (self.text, 0..) |c, i| {
-            drawDigitOutline(
-                self,
-                c,
-                self.component_pos.x + i * (CHAR_WIDTH + 1),
-                self.component_pos.y,
-                outline_fg,
-            );
-        }
-    }
-
     for (self.text, 0..) |c, i| {
-        const clock_cell = clockCell(
-            c,
-            self.fg,
-            self.bg,
-            self.locale,
-        );
+        const x = self.component_pos.x + i * (CHAR_WIDTH + 1);
+        const y = self.component_pos.y;
+
+        if (self.outline_fg) |outline_fg|
+            drawDigitOutline(self, c, x, y, outline_fg);
 
         alphaBlit(
-            self.component_pos.x + i * (CHAR_WIDTH + 1),
-            self.component_pos.y,
+            x,
+            y,
             self.buffer.width,
             self.buffer.height,
-            clock_cell,
+            clockCell(c, self.fg, self.bg, self.locale),
         );
     }
 }
 
-/// 1-cell outline around each solid cell of a big-clock digit.
 fn drawDigitOutline(
     self: *BigLabel,
     char: u8,
@@ -199,42 +187,34 @@ fn drawDigitOutline(
     const pattern = toBigNumber(char, self.locale);
     const stroke = Cell.init(X, outline_fg, 0x00000000);
 
-    var yy: usize = 0;
-    while (yy < CHAR_HEIGHT) : (yy += 1) {
-        var xx: usize = 0;
-        while (xx < CHAR_WIDTH) : (xx += 1) {
+    for (0..CHAR_HEIGHT) |yy| {
+        for (0..CHAR_WIDTH) |xx| {
             if (pattern[yy * CHAR_WIDTH + xx] == O) continue;
 
-            // 8-neighbor outline. Use i8 (not i2) — i2 overflows past 1.
-            var dy: i8 = -1;
-            while (dy <= 1) : (dy += 1) {
-                var dx: i8 = -1;
-                while (dx <= 1) : (dx += 1) {
-                    if (dx == 0 and dy == 0) continue;
-                    const nx: i32 = @as(i32, @intCast(xx)) + dx;
-                    const ny: i32 = @as(i32, @intCast(yy)) + dy;
-                    if (nx < -1 or ny < -1) continue;
-                    if (nx > CHAR_WIDTH or ny > CHAR_HEIGHT) continue;
+            for (OUTLINE_DIRS) |dir| {
+                const nx = @as(i32, @intCast(xx)) + dir[0];
+                const ny = @as(i32, @intCast(yy)) + dir[1];
 
-                    if (nx >= 0 and ny >= 0 and
-                        nx < CHAR_WIDTH and ny < CHAR_HEIGHT and
-                        pattern[
-                            @as(usize, @intCast(ny)) * CHAR_WIDTH +
-                                @as(usize, @intCast(nx))
-                        ] != O)
-                    {
-                        continue;
-                    }
-
-                    const sx: i32 = @as(i32, @intCast(base_x)) + nx;
-                    const sy: i32 = @as(i32, @intCast(base_y)) + ny;
-                    if (sx < 0 or sy < 0) continue;
-                    const ux: usize = @intCast(sx);
-                    const uy: usize = @intCast(sy);
-                    if (ux >= self.buffer.width or uy >= self.buffer.height)
-                        continue;
-                    stroke.put(ux, uy) catch {};
+                if (nx >= 0 and ny >= 0 and
+                    nx < CHAR_WIDTH and ny < CHAR_HEIGHT and
+                    pattern[
+                        @as(usize, @intCast(ny)) * CHAR_WIDTH +
+                            @as(usize, @intCast(nx))
+                    ] != O)
+                {
+                    continue;
                 }
+
+                const sx = @as(i32, @intCast(base_x)) + nx;
+                const sy = @as(i32, @intCast(base_y)) + ny;
+                if (sx < 0 or sy < 0) continue;
+
+                const ux: usize = @intCast(sx);
+                const uy: usize = @intCast(sy);
+                if (ux >= self.buffer.width or uy >= self.buffer.height)
+                    continue;
+
+                stroke.put(ux, uy) catch {};
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/res/config.ini b/res/config.ini
index 7b214e8..55de99d 100644
--- a/res/config.ini
+++ b/res/config.ini
@@ -92,9 +92,7 @@ bigclock_12hr = false
 # Set bigclock to show the seconds.
 bigclock_seconds = false
 
-# Optional 1-cell outline around each big-clock digit (null = none).
-# Useful over busy animations so the glyphs stay readable.
-# Example black: 0x20000000 (TB_HI_BLACK)
+# Bigclock digit outline color (null = none)
 bigclock_outline_fg = null
 
 # Blank main box background
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index b747236..fca2651 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -2256,7 +2256,6 @@ fn positionWidgets(ptr: *anyopaque) !void {
     const clock_text_len = TerminalBuffer.strWidth(state.bigclock_label.text) * (BigLabel.CHAR_WIDTH + 1);
 
     if (state.config.bigclock != .none) {
-        // Extra row when outline is on: stroke can extend 1 cell below glyphs.
         const gap: usize = if (state.config.bigclock_outline_fg != null) 3 else 2;
         bb_height += BigLabel.CHAR_HEIGHT + gap;
         bb_width = @max(bb_width, clock_text_len);