diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/activitywatch_status.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/activitywatch_status.sh
index 9fa9efe..b4f2bf7 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/activitywatch_status.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/activitywatch_status.sh
@@ -1,48 +1,36 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# ActivityWatch status script for i3blocks
-# Shows ActivityWatch installation and running status
+# ActivityWatch status script for i3blocks.
+
+set -euo pipefail
 
-# Check if ActivityWatch is installed
 check_installed() {
-  # Check if activitywatch-bin package is installed
-  if pacman -Qi activitywatch-bin &> /dev/null; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-
-  # Check if aw-qt binary exists
-  if command -v aw-qt &> /dev/null; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-
-  return 1
+  command -v aw-qt > /dev/null 2>&1 || command -v aw-server > /dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
-# Check if ActivityWatch is running
 check_running() {
-  # Check for aw-qt process
-  if pgrep -f "aw-qt" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-
-  # Check for aw-server process
-  if pgrep -f "aw-server" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-
+  local proc_file proc_name
+  for proc_file in /proc/[0-9]*/comm; do
+    [[ -r $proc_file ]] || continue
+    read -r proc_name < "$proc_file" || continue
+    case $proc_name in
+      aw-qt | aw-server)
+        return 0
+        ;;
+    esac
+  done
   return 1
 }
 
-# Main logic
 if ! check_installed; then
   echo "AW uninstalled"
   echo
-  echo "#FF0000" # Red
+  echo "#FF0000"
 elif check_running; then
   echo "AW on"
   echo
-  echo "#00FF00" # Green
+  echo "#00FF00"
 else
   echo "AW off"
   echo
-  echo "#FF0000" # Red
+  echo "#FF0000"
 fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/bluetooth.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/bluetooth.sh
index bdd9bb8..24e64df 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/bluetooth.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/bluetooth.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,27 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks bluetooth indicator.
 
-# Get Bluetooth device info
-bluetooth_info=$(bluetoothctl info)
+set -euo pipefail
 
-# Check if Bluetooth is connected
-if echo "$bluetooth_info" | grep -q "Connected: yes"; then
-  device=$(echo "$bluetooth_info" | grep "Alias" | cut -d ' ' -f2-)
-  echo " $device" #  is the Bluetooth icon
+bluetooth_info=$(bluetoothctl info 2> /dev/null) || bluetooth_info=''
+
+connected='no'
+device=''
+while IFS= read -r line; do
+  case $line in
+    *'Connected: yes')
+      connected='yes'
+      ;;
+    *'Alias: '*)
+      device=${line#*Alias: }
+      ;;
+  esac
+done <<< "$bluetooth_info"
+
+if [[ $connected == yes && -n $device ]]; then
+  echo " $device"
   echo
-  echo "#50FA7B" # Green for connected
+  echo "#50FA7B"
 else
   echo " Disconnected"
 fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/config b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/config
index d4ab053..b311faa 100644
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/config
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/config
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ markup=pango
 
 
 [memory]
-command=free -h | awk '/^Mem:/ {print "  " $3 "/" $2}'  #  for RAM
+command=~/.config/i3blocks/memory.sh
 interval=5
 color=#50FA7B
 
 
 [disk]
-command=df -h / | awk '/\// {print "  " $3 "/" $2}'  #  for disk
+command=~/.config/i3blocks/disk.sh
 interval=60
 color=#50FA7B
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ markup=pango
 
 
 [ethernet]
-command=ip -o -4 addr show | grep -E 'enp6s0|eth0' | awk '{print "    "$4}' || echo "  down"  #  for Ethernet
+command=~/.config/i3blocks/ethernet.sh
 interval=10
 color=#FFFFFF
 
@@ -91,6 +91,6 @@ markup=pango
 
 
 [time]
-command=echo "  $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M')"  #  for time (Font Awesome icon)
-interval=1
+command=~/.config/i3blocks/time.sh
+interval=persist
 color=#50FA7B
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/disk.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/disk.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..fe85a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/disk.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks disk usage indicator with a single df helper.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+{
+  read -r _
+  read -r _ size used _
+} < <(df -h / 2> /dev/null) || {
+  echo "  N/A"
+  exit 0
+}
+
+echo "  ${used}/${size}"
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/ethernet.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/ethernet.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f7ff5ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/ethernet.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks ethernet indicator with one external helper at most.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+find_ethernet_interface() {
+  local iface_path iface
+  for iface_path in /sys/class/net/*; do
+    iface=${iface_path##*/}
+    [[ $iface == lo ]] && continue
+    [[ -d ${iface_path}/wireless ]] && continue
+    [[ -r ${iface_path}/operstate ]] || continue
+    printf '%s\n' "$iface"
+    return 0
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+iface=$(find_ethernet_interface) || {
+  printf '  down\n'
+  exit 0
+}
+
+read -r state < "/sys/class/net/${iface}/operstate"
+if [[ $state != up ]]; then
+  printf '  down\n'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+addr_output=$(ip -o -4 addr show dev "$iface" scope global 2> /dev/null) || addr_output=''
+if [[ $addr_output =~ ([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/[0-9]+) ]]; then
+  printf '    %s\n' "${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+else
+  printf '  down\n'
+fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/memory.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/memory.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..17e90db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/memory.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks memory indicator, zero-fork per invocation via /proc/meminfo.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+format_mib() {
+  local mib=$1
+  if ((mib >= 1024)); then
+    printf '%d.%dGiB' "$((mib / 1024))" "$((((mib % 1024) * 10) / 1024))"
+  else
+    printf '%dMiB' "$mib"
+  fi
+}
+
+total_kib=0
+available_kib=0
+while IFS=' :' read -r key value _; do
+  case $key in
+    MemTotal)
+      total_kib=$value
+      ;;
+    MemAvailable)
+      available_kib=$value
+      ;;
+  esac
+done < /proc/meminfo
+
+used_mib=$(((total_kib - available_kib) / 1024))
+total_mib=$((total_kib / 1024))
+
+printf '  %s/%s\n' "$(format_mib "$used_mib")" "$(format_mib "$total_mib")"
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/pc_startup_status.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/pc_startup_status.sh
index 058e683..5bd8903 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/pc_startup_status.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/pc_startup_status.sh
@@ -1,72 +1,71 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# PC Startup Monitor status script for i3blocks
-# Shows compact startup compliance status in the status bar
+# PC Startup Monitor status script for i3blocks.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+get_now_epoch() {
+  if [[ -n ${NOW_EPOCH:-} ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$NOW_EPOCH"
+  else
+    printf '%(%s)T\n' -1
+  fi
+}
+
+get_uptime_seconds() {
+  local uptime_line
+  if [[ -n ${UPTIME_SECONDS:-} ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$UPTIME_SECONDS"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  read -r uptime_line _ < /proc/uptime || uptime_line='0'
+  printf '%s\n' "${uptime_line%%.*}"
+}
 
-# Function to check if today is a monitored day
 is_monitored_day() {
-  local day_of_week
-  day_of_week=$(date +%u)
-  if [[ $day_of_week == "1" ]] || [[ $day_of_week == "5" ]] || [[ $day_of_week == "6" ]] || [[ $day_of_week == "7" ]]; then
-    return 0
-  else
-    return 1
-  fi
+  local epoch=$1 day_of_week
+  printf -v day_of_week '%(%u)T' "$epoch"
+  case $day_of_week in
+    1 | 5 | 6 | 7)
+      return 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      return 1
+      ;;
+  esac
 }
 
-# Function to check if current time is in window
-is_current_time_in_window() {
-  local current_hour current_hour_num
-  current_hour=$(date +%H)
-  current_hour_num=$((10#$current_hour))
-  if [[ $current_hour_num -ge 5 ]] && [[ $current_hour_num -lt 8 ]]; then
-    return 0
-  else
-    return 1
-  fi
+hour_in_window() {
+  local epoch=$1 hour
+  printf -v hour '%(%H)T' "$epoch"
+  ((10#$hour >= 5 && 10#$hour < 8))
 }
 
-# Function to check if PC was booted in window today
 was_booted_in_window_today() {
-  local today uptime_seconds boot_time boot_date
-  today=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
-  uptime_seconds=$(awk '{print int($1)}' /proc/uptime 2> /dev/null || echo "0")
-  boot_time=$(date -d "@$(($(date +%s) - uptime_seconds))" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
-  boot_date=$(echo "$boot_time" | cut -d' ' -f1)
-
-  if [[ $boot_date != "$today" ]]; then
-    return 1
-  fi
-
-  local boot_hour boot_hour_num
-  boot_hour=$(echo "$boot_time" | cut -d' ' -f2 | cut -d':' -f1)
-  boot_hour_num=$((10#$boot_hour))
-
-  if [[ $boot_hour_num -ge 5 ]] && [[ $boot_hour_num -lt 8 ]]; then
-    return 0
-  else
-    return 1
-  fi
+  local now_epoch=$1 boot_epoch now_day boot_day
+  boot_epoch=$((now_epoch - $(get_uptime_seconds)))
+  printf -v now_day '%(%Y-%m-%d)T' "$now_epoch"
+  printf -v boot_day '%(%Y-%m-%d)T' "$boot_epoch"
+  [[ $boot_day == "$now_day" ]] || return 1
+  hour_in_window "$boot_epoch"
 }
 
-# Main logic
-if ! is_monitored_day; then
-  # Not a monitored day
+now_epoch=$(get_now_epoch)
+
+if ! is_monitored_day "$now_epoch"; then
   echo "PC:skip"
   echo
-  echo "#888888" # Gray
-elif is_current_time_in_window; then
-  # Currently in the window - all good
+  echo "#888888"
+elif hour_in_window "$now_epoch"; then
   echo "PC:live"
   echo
-  echo "#00FF00" # Green
-elif was_booted_in_window_today; then
-  # Was booted in window today - compliant
+  echo "#00FF00"
+elif was_booted_in_window_today "$now_epoch"; then
   echo "PC:ok"
   echo
-  echo "#00FF00" # Green
+  echo "#00FF00"
 else
-  # Was NOT booted in window today - non-compliant
   echo "PC:warn"
   echo
-  echo "#FF0000" # Red
+  echo "#FF0000"
 fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/shutdown_countdown.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/shutdown_countdown.sh
index 9744595..fd86fa6 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/shutdown_countdown.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/shutdown_countdown.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# Shutdown countdown status script for i3blocks
-# Shows time remaining until the next shutdown window
-# Reads shutdown times from shared config file written by setup_midnight_shutdown.sh
+# Shutdown countdown status script for i3blocks.
 
-SHUTDOWN_CONFIG="/etc/shutdown-schedule.conf"
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SHUTDOWN_CONFIG=${SHUTDOWN_CONFIG:-/etc/shutdown-schedule.conf}
 
 # Function to show error state in i3blocks and exit
 show_error() {
@@ -14,87 +14,95 @@ show_error() {
   exit 0
 }
 
-# Validate and load config file
 if [[ ! -f $SHUTDOWN_CONFIG ]]; then
   show_error "NO CONFIG"
 fi
 
-# Source the config file to get MON_WED_HOUR and THU_SUN_HOUR
-# shellcheck source=/dev/null
-if ! source "$SHUTDOWN_CONFIG" 2> /dev/null; then
-  show_error "BAD CONFIG"
-fi
+MON_WED_HOUR=''
+THU_SUN_HOUR=''
+morning_end_hour='5'
+while IFS='=' read -r key value; do
+  value=${value%%[[:space:]]*}
+  case $key in
+    MON_WED_HOUR)
+      MON_WED_HOUR=$value
+      ;;
+    THU_SUN_HOUR)
+      THU_SUN_HOUR=$value
+      ;;
+    MORNING_END_HOUR)
+      morning_end_hour=$value
+      ;;
+  esac
+done < "$SHUTDOWN_CONFIG"
 
-# Validate that required variables are set
-if [[ -z ${MON_WED_HOUR:-} ]] || [[ -z ${THU_SUN_HOUR:-} ]]; then
+if [[ -z $MON_WED_HOUR ]] || [[ -z $THU_SUN_HOUR ]]; then
   show_error "MISSING VARS"
 fi
 
-# Validate that values are numbers
 if ! [[ $MON_WED_HOUR =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || ! [[ $THU_SUN_HOUR =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
   show_error "INVALID HOURS"
 fi
 
-# Get current time info
-current_hour=$(date +%H)
-current_minute=$(date +%M)
-current_time_minutes=$((10#$current_hour * 60 + 10#$current_minute))
-day_of_week=$(date +%u) # 1=Monday, 7=Sunday
+if ! [[ $morning_end_hour =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+  show_error "INVALID HOURS"
+fi
+
+get_now_epoch() {
+  if [[ -n ${NOW_EPOCH:-} ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$NOW_EPOCH"
+  else
+    printf '%(%s)T\n' -1
+  fi
+}
+
+now_epoch=$(get_now_epoch)
+printf -v current_hour '%(%H)T' "$now_epoch"
+printf -v current_minute '%(%M)T' "$now_epoch"
+printf -v day_of_week '%(%u)T' "$now_epoch"
+
+current_time_minutes=$((10#$current_hour * 60 + 10#$current_minute))
+morning_end_minutes=$((10#$morning_end_hour * 60))
 
-# Determine shutdown hour based on day of week
 if [[ $day_of_week -ge 1 ]] && [[ $day_of_week -le 3 ]]; then
-  # Monday-Wednesday
   shutdown_hour=$MON_WED_HOUR
 else
-  # Thursday-Sunday
   shutdown_hour=$THU_SUN_HOUR
 fi
 
 shutdown_time_minutes=$((shutdown_hour * 60))
 
-# Check if we're currently in the shutdown window (after shutdown time or before 05:00)
-if [[ $current_time_minutes -ge $shutdown_time_minutes ]] || [[ $current_time_minutes -le 300 ]]; then
-  # We're in shutdown window - show warning
+if [[ $current_time_minutes -ge $shutdown_time_minutes ]] || [[ $current_time_minutes -le $morning_end_minutes ]]; then
   echo "⏻ SHUTDOWN"
   echo "⏻"
   echo "#FF5555"
   exit 0
 fi
 
-# Calculate minutes until shutdown
 minutes_until_shutdown=$((shutdown_time_minutes - current_time_minutes))
-
-# Convert to hours and minutes
 hours=$((minutes_until_shutdown / 60))
 minutes=$((minutes_until_shutdown % 60))
 
-# Format output
 if [[ $hours -gt 0 ]]; then
   time_str="${hours}h ${minutes}m"
 else
   time_str="${minutes}m"
 fi
 
-# Color based on time remaining
 if [[ $minutes_until_shutdown -le 30 ]]; then
-  # Less than 30 min - red warning
   color="#FF5555"
   icon="⏻"
 elif [[ $minutes_until_shutdown -le 60 ]]; then
-  # Less than 1 hour - orange warning
   color="#FFB86C"
   icon="⏻"
 elif [[ $minutes_until_shutdown -le 120 ]]; then
-  # Less than 2 hours - yellow
   color="#F1FA8C"
   icon="⏻"
 else
-  # More than 2 hours - normal
   color="#6272A4"
   icon="⏻"
 fi
 
-# Output for i3blocks (full_text, short_text, color)
 echo "$icon $time_str"
 echo "$icon"
 echo "$color"
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/time.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/time.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7dbfb51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/time.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks clock, persist mode with zero external helpers in the hot path.
+
+set -uo pipefail
+
+emit() {
+  printf '  %(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M)T\n' -1
+}
+
+while :; do
+  emit
+  printf -v now '%(%s)T' -1
+  delay=$((60 - now % 60))
+  IFS= read -r -t "$delay" _ || true
+done
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/warp_status.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/warp_status.sh
index a4ffa9d..d649822 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/warp_status.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/warp_status.sh
@@ -1,26 +1,32 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks WARP indicator with a single helper process.
 
-# Check if warp-cli is installed
-if ! command -v warp-cli &> /dev/null; then
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if ! command -v warp-cli > /dev/null 2>&1; then
   echo "  N/A"
   exit 0
 fi
 
-# Get the status from warp-cli
-status=$(warp-cli status 2> /dev/null | grep "Status update:" | awk '{print $3}')
+status=''
+while IFS= read -r line; do
+  case $line in
+    'Status update: '*)
+      status=${line#Status update: }
+      ;;
+  esac
+done < <(warp-cli status 2> /dev/null)
 
-# Display the status with an icon
-if [ "$status" = "Connected" ]; then
+if [[ $status == Connected ]]; then
   echo "🔒 !!! WARP CONNECTED !!!"
   echo
-  echo "#FFFF00" # Yellow
-elif [ "$status" = "Disconnected" ]; then
+  echo "#FFFF00"
+elif [[ $status == Disconnected ]]; then
   echo "WARP disconnected"
   echo
-  echo "#00FF00" # Green
+  echo "#00FF00"
 else
   echo "⚠️ ! WARP unknown !"
   echo
-  echo "#FF0000" # Red
-  exit 0
+  echo "#FF0000"
 fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/wifi_monitor.sh b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/wifi_monitor.sh
index e818c62..65ed724 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/wifi_monitor.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/i3-configuration/i3blocks/wifi_monitor.sh
@@ -1,27 +1,62 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# i3blocks Wi-Fi indicator with a small, bounded helper budget.
 
-# Detect the active WiFi interface
-wifi_interface=$(iw dev | awk '$1=="Interface"{print $2}')
+set -euo pipefail
 
-# If no WiFi interface is found, exit
-if [ -z "$wifi_interface" ]; then
+find_wifi_interface() {
+  local line
+  while IFS= read -r line; do
+    case $line in
+      *'Interface '*)
+        printf '%s\n' "${line##*Interface }"
+        return 0
+        ;;
+    esac
+  done < <(iw dev 2> /dev/null)
+  return 1
+}
+
+wifi_interface=$(find_wifi_interface) || {
   echo "    down"
-  exit 1
+  exit 0
+}
+
+ssid=''
+signal=''
+while IFS= read -r line; do
+  case $line in
+    'SSID: '*)
+      ssid=${line#SSID: }
+      ;;
+    'signal: '*)
+      signal=${line#signal: }
+      signal=${signal% dBm}
+      ;;
+    'Not connected.'*)
+      ssid=''
+      ;;
+  esac
+done < <(iw dev "$wifi_interface" link 2> /dev/null)
+
+if [[ -z $ssid ]]; then
+  echo "    down"
+  exit 0
 fi
 
-# Get the WiFi details
-wifi_info=$(iwconfig "$wifi_interface" 2> /dev/null)
+ip_address=''
+while IFS= read -r line; do
+  [[ $line == *' inet '* ]] || continue
+  read -r -a fields <<< "$line"
+  for ((i = 0; i < ${#fields[@]}; i++)); do
+    if [[ ${fields[i]} == inet && $((i + 1)) -lt ${#fields[@]} ]]; then
+      ip_address=${fields[i + 1]%%/*}
+      break 2
+    fi
+  done
+done < <(ip -o -4 addr show dev "$wifi_interface" scope global 2> /dev/null)
 
-# Extract the SSID and signal strength
-ssid=$(echo "$wifi_info" | awk -F '"' '/ESSID/ {print $2}')
-signal=$(echo "$wifi_info" | awk '/Signal level/ {print $4}' | sed 's/level=//')
-
-# Get the IP address
-ip_address=$(ip addr show "$wifi_interface" | awk '/inet / {print $2}' | cut -d/ -f1)
-
-# Output the result
-if [ -z "$ssid" ]; then
-  echo "    down"
-else
+if [[ -n $ip_address ]]; then
   echo "    $ssid ($signal dBm) $ip_address"
+else
+  echo "    $ssid ($signal dBm)"
 fi
diff --git a/linux_configuration/scripts/digital_wellbeing/focus_mode_daemon.py b/linux_configuration/scripts/digital_wellbeing/focus_mode_daemon.py
index 6f7986c..a5eb4ef 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/scripts/digital_wellbeing/focus_mode_daemon.py
+++ b/linux_configuration/scripts/digital_wellbeing/focus_mode_daemon.py
@@ -162,26 +162,19 @@ def notify(title: str, message: str, urgency: str = "normal") -> None:
 
 
 def get_running_processes() -> set[str]:
-    """Get set of currently running process names."""
+    """Get set of currently running process names by reading /proc directly.
+
+    Reads /proc/*/comm to avoid forking a subprocess on every poll cycle.
+    """
     processes: set[str] = set()
-    ps_bin = shutil.which("ps")
-    if ps_bin is None:
-        return processes
     try:
-        result = subprocess.run(
-            [ps_bin, "-eo", "comm="],
-            capture_output=True,
-            text=True,
-            timeout=10,
-            check=False,
-        )
-        if result.returncode == 0:
-            for line in result.stdout.strip().split("\n"):
-                proc_name = line.strip().lower()
+        for comm_path in Path("/proc").glob("*/comm"):
+            with contextlib.suppress(OSError):
+                proc_name = comm_path.read_text().strip().lower()
                 if proc_name:
                     processes.add(proc_name)
-    except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError) as exc:
-        log(f"Error getting processes: {exc}")
+    except OSError as exc:
+        log(f"Error reading /proc: {exc}")
     return processes
 
 
diff --git a/linux_configuration/scripts/lib/common.sh b/linux_configuration/scripts/lib/common.sh
index 1443025..a7817bd 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/scripts/lib/common.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/scripts/lib/common.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ log_message() {
 	local msg="$1"
 	local log_file="${2:-}"
 	local formatted
-	formatted="$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $msg"
+	printf -v formatted '%(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)T - %s' -1 "$msg"
 	echo "$formatted" >&2
 	if [[ -n $log_file ]]; then
 		echo "$formatted" >>"$log_file" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ log_message() {
 # Simple log with timestamp (no file output)
 # Usage: log "message"
 log() {
-	printf '[%s] %s\n' "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')" "$*"
+	local _ts
+	printf -v _ts '%(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)T' -1
+	printf '[%s] %s\n' "$_ts" "$*"
 }
 
 # =============================================================================
@@ -180,24 +182,29 @@ FOCUS_APPS_PROCESSES=(
 # Returns 0 if focus app found, 1 otherwise
 # Echoes the name of the found app
 is_focus_app_running() {
-	# Check windows first
-	if command -v xdotool &>/dev/null; then
-		local app
-		for app in "${FOCUS_APPS_WINDOWS[@]}"; do
-			if xdotool search --name "$app" &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
-				echo "$app"
+	# One xdotool call with a combined regex instead of N separate calls
+	if command -v xdotool &>/dev/null && [[ ${#FOCUS_APPS_WINDOWS[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
+		local regex wid
+		printf -v regex '%s|' "${FOCUS_APPS_WINDOWS[@]}"
+		regex="${regex%|}"  # strip trailing |
+		wid=$(xdotool search --name "$regex" 2>/dev/null | head -1 || true)
+		if [[ -n $wid ]]; then
+			xdotool getwindowname "$wid" 2>/dev/null || echo "focus app"
+			return 0
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	# Check specific processes via /proc (no fork)
+	local app comm
+	for app in "${FOCUS_APPS_PROCESSES[@]}"; do
+		for comm in /proc/[0-9]*/comm; do
+			[[ -r $comm ]] || continue
+			read -r _proc_comm < "$comm" 2>/dev/null || continue
+			if [[ $_proc_comm == *"$app"* ]]; then
+				echo "$_proc_comm"
 				return 0
 			fi
 		done
-	fi
-
-	# Check specific processes
-	local app
-	for app in "${FOCUS_APPS_PROCESSES[@]}"; do
-		if pgrep -f "$app" &>/dev/null; then
-			echo "$app"
-			return 0
-		fi
 	done
 
 	return 1
diff --git a/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/hosts-file-monitor.sh b/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/hosts-file-monitor.sh
index 2caa60a..6f15b39 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/hosts-file-monitor.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/hosts-file-monitor.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ HOSTS_INSTALL_SCRIPT="__HOSTS_INSTALL_SCRIPT__"
 
 # Log with timestamp (hosts-file-monitor specific)
 log_message() {
-  printf '%s [hosts-monitor] %s\n' "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')" "$1" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+  local _ts
+  printf -v _ts '%(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)T' -1
+  printf '%s [hosts-monitor] %s\n' "$_ts" "$1" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" >&2
 }
 
 # Function to check if hosts file needs restoration
diff --git a/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/shutdown-timer-monitor.sh b/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/shutdown-timer-monitor.sh
index d09b25a..027b780 100755
--- a/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/shutdown-timer-monitor.sh
+++ b/linux_configuration/scripts/system-maintenance/bin/shutdown-timer-monitor.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ CHECK_INTERVAL=30
 
 # Log with timestamp (shutdown-timer-monitor specific)
 log_message() {
-	printf '%s [shutdown-monitor] %s\n' "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')" "$1" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+	local _ts
+	printf -v _ts '%(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)T' -1
+	printf '%s [shutdown-monitor] %s\n' "$_ts" "$1" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" >&2
 }
 
 # Function to check if timer needs to be re-enabled
diff --git a/linux_configuration/tests/test_i3blocks_efficiency.sh b/linux_configuration/tests/test_i3blocks_efficiency.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..95815b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux_configuration/tests/test_i3blocks_efficiency.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Regression tests for i3blocks hot-path efficiency fixes.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)
+REPO_DIR=$(cd -- "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)
+I3BLOCKS_DIR="$REPO_DIR/i3-configuration/i3blocks"
+CONFIG_FILE="$I3BLOCKS_DIR/config"
+
+TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+BIN_DIR="$TMP_DIR/bin"
+mkdir -p "$BIN_DIR"
+
+cleanup() {
+  if [[ -n "${AW_PID:-}" ]]; then
+    kill "$AW_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    wait "$AW_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+  rm -rf "$TMP_DIR"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+fail() {
+  printf 'FAIL: %s\n' "$1" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+assert_equals() {
+  local expected="$1"
+  local actual="$2"
+  local context="$3"
+  if [[ "$expected" != "$actual" ]]; then
+    fail "$context (expected: '$expected', actual: '$actual')"
+  fi
+}
+
+assert_le() {
+  local actual="$1"
+  local expected_max="$2"
+  local context="$3"
+  if (( actual > expected_max )); then
+    fail "$context (expected <= $expected_max, actual: $actual)"
+  fi
+}
+
+epoch_utc() {
+  TZ=UTC date -d "$1" +%s
+}
+
+count_execs() {
+  local script_path="$1"
+  local log_file="$TMP_DIR/trace.log"
+  PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" strace -f -o "$log_file" -e trace=execve bash "$script_path" \
+    >/dev/null 2>&1
+  grep -c 'execve(' "$log_file"
+}
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/bluetoothctl" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\n' \
+  'Device AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF' \
+  'Alias: Test Headphones' \
+  'Connected: yes'
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/bluetoothctl"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/pacman" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/pacman"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/pgrep" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/pgrep"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/iw" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -eq 1 && $1 == dev ]]; then
+  if [[ ${WIFI_HAS_INTERFACE:-1} == 1 ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' \
+      'phy#0' \
+      '    Interface wlan0'
+  fi
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if [[ $# -eq 3 && $1 == dev && $3 == link ]]; then
+  if [[ ${WIFI_CONNECTED:-1} == 1 ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' \
+      'Connected to 00:11:22:33:44:55 (on wlan0)' \
+      'SSID: TestWifi' \
+      'signal: -53 dBm'
+  else
+    printf '%s\n' 'Not connected.'
+  fi
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+printf 'unexpected iw args: %s\n' "$*" >&2
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/iw"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/ip" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -ge 8 && $1 == -o && $2 == -4 && $3 == addr && $4 == show ]]; then
+  printf '%s\n' '3: wlan0    inet 192.168.1.44/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global dynamic wlan0'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+printf 'unexpected ip args: %s\n' "$*" >&2
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/ip"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/warp-cli" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -eq 1 && $1 == status ]]; then
+  printf 'Status update: %s\n' "${WARP_STATUS:-Disconnected}"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+printf 'unexpected warp-cli args: %s\n' "$*" >&2
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/warp-cli"
+
+cat >"$BIN_DIR/df" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -eq 2 && $1 == -h && $2 == / ]]; then
+  printf '%s\n' \
+    'Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on' \
+    '/dev/nvme0n1p2  100G   15G   80G  16% /'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+printf 'unexpected df args: %s\n' "$*" >&2
+exit 1
+EOF
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/df"
+
+ln -s /bin/sleep "$BIN_DIR/aw-qt"
+
+printf 'Checking config uses dedicated low-fork scripts...\n'
+grep -q '^command=~/.config/i3blocks/time.sh$' "$CONFIG_FILE" \
+  || fail 'time block should call time.sh'
+grep -q '^interval=persist$' "$CONFIG_FILE" \
+  || fail 'config should use persist interval for time block'
+grep -q '^command=~/.config/i3blocks/memory.sh$' "$CONFIG_FILE" \
+  || fail 'memory block should call memory.sh'
+grep -q '^command=~/.config/i3blocks/ethernet.sh$' "$CONFIG_FILE" \
+  || fail 'ethernet block should call ethernet.sh'
+grep -q '^command=~/.config/i3blocks/disk.sh$' "$CONFIG_FILE" \
+  || fail 'disk block should call disk.sh'
+
+printf 'Checking bluetooth block behavior and fork count...\n'
+bluetooth_output=$(PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/bluetooth.sh")
+assert_equals ' Test Headphones' "$(printf '%s\n' "$bluetooth_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'bluetooth script should show connected alias'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/bluetooth.sh")" 2 \
+  'bluetooth script should stay at one external helper plus bash'
+
+printf 'Checking ActivityWatch block behavior and fork count...\n'
+activitywatch_output=$(PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/activitywatch_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'AW off' "$(printf '%s\n' "$activitywatch_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'activitywatch script should show AW off when not running'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/activitywatch_status.sh")" 1 \
+  'activitywatch script should avoid pacman/pgrep hot-path forks'
+
+"$BIN_DIR/aw-qt" 60 >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+AW_PID=$!
+activitywatch_running_output=$(PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/activitywatch_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'AW on' "$(printf '%s\n' "$activitywatch_running_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'activitywatch script should detect running aw-qt process'
+
+printf 'Checking Wi-Fi block behavior and fork count...\n'
+wifi_connected_output=$(PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/wifi_monitor.sh")
+assert_equals '    TestWifi (-53 dBm) 192.168.1.44' \
+  "$wifi_connected_output" \
+  'wifi script should show ssid, signal, and IP when connected'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/wifi_monitor.sh")" 4 \
+  'wifi script should stay within bash plus iw/iw/ip exec budget'
+
+wifi_disconnected_output=$(WIFI_CONNECTED=0 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/wifi_monitor.sh")
+assert_equals '    down' "$wifi_disconnected_output" \
+  'wifi script should show down when the interface is not connected'
+
+wifi_missing_output=$(WIFI_HAS_INTERFACE=0 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/wifi_monitor.sh") || true
+assert_equals '    down' "$wifi_missing_output" \
+  'wifi script should show down when no Wi-Fi interface exists'
+
+printf 'Checking WARP block behavior and fork count...\n'
+warp_connected_output=$(WARP_STATUS=Connected PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/warp_status.sh")
+assert_equals '🔒 !!! WARP CONNECTED !!!' "$(printf '%s\n' "$warp_connected_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'warp script should show the connected warning when WARP is enabled'
+assert_equals '#FFFF00' "$(printf '%s\n' "$warp_connected_output" | sed -n '3p')" \
+  'warp script should show yellow when WARP is connected'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/warp_status.sh")" 2 \
+  'warp script should stay at one external helper plus bash'
+
+warp_disconnected_output=$(WARP_STATUS=Disconnected PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/warp_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'WARP disconnected' "$(printf '%s\n' "$warp_disconnected_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'warp script should show the disconnected state'
+
+warp_unknown_output=$(WARP_STATUS=Unknown PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/warp_status.sh")
+assert_equals '⚠️ ! WARP unknown !' "$(printf '%s\n' "$warp_unknown_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'warp script should show the unknown state when status parsing fails'
+
+printf 'Checking disk block behavior and fork count...\n'
+disk_output=$(PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/disk.sh")
+assert_equals '  15G/100G' "$disk_output" \
+  'disk script should show used and total disk space'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/disk.sh")" 2 \
+  'disk script should stay at one external helper plus bash'
+
+printf 'Checking PC startup block behavior and fork count...\n'
+pc_live_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-05-01 06:30:00')
+pc_live_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$pc_live_epoch" UPTIME_SECONDS=1800 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/pc_startup_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'PC:live' "$(printf '%s\n' "$pc_live_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'pc startup script should show live during the monitored startup window'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/pc_startup_status.sh")" 1 \
+  'pc startup script should avoid date and text-processing helpers'
+
+pc_ok_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-05-01 10:00:00')
+pc_ok_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$pc_ok_epoch" UPTIME_SECONDS=14400 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/pc_startup_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'PC:ok' "$(printf '%s\n' "$pc_ok_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'pc startup script should show ok when boot happened inside the startup window'
+
+pc_warn_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-05-01 10:00:00')
+pc_warn_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$pc_warn_epoch" UPTIME_SECONDS=1800 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/pc_startup_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'PC:warn' "$(printf '%s\n' "$pc_warn_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'pc startup script should warn when boot happened outside the startup window'
+
+pc_skip_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-04-30 10:00:00')
+pc_skip_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$pc_skip_epoch" UPTIME_SECONDS=1800 PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/pc_startup_status.sh")
+assert_equals 'PC:skip' "$(printf '%s\n' "$pc_skip_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'pc startup script should skip on unmonitored days'
+
+printf 'Checking shutdown countdown behavior and fork count...\n'
+shutdown_config_file="$TMP_DIR/shutdown-schedule.conf"
+cat >"$shutdown_config_file" <<'EOF'
+MON_WED_HOUR=23
+THU_SUN_HOUR=21
+EOF
+
+shutdown_countdown_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-05-01 19:30:00')
+shutdown_countdown_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$shutdown_countdown_epoch" SHUTDOWN_CONFIG="$shutdown_config_file" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/shutdown_countdown.sh")
+assert_equals '⏻ 1h 30m' "$(printf '%s\n' "$shutdown_countdown_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'shutdown countdown should show the time remaining until shutdown'
+assert_equals '#F1FA8C' "$(printf '%s\n' "$shutdown_countdown_output" | sed -n '3p')" \
+  'shutdown countdown should show yellow for two hours or less remaining'
+assert_le "$(count_execs "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/shutdown_countdown.sh")" 1 \
+  'shutdown countdown should avoid date helpers in the hot path'
+
+shutdown_window_epoch=$(epoch_utc '2026-05-01 21:15:00')
+shutdown_window_output=$(TZ=UTC NOW_EPOCH="$shutdown_window_epoch" SHUTDOWN_CONFIG="$shutdown_config_file" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" bash "$I3BLOCKS_DIR/shutdown_countdown.sh")
+assert_equals '⏻ SHUTDOWN' "$(printf '%s\n' "$shutdown_window_output" | sed -n '1p')" \
+  'shutdown countdown should show SHUTDOWN inside the blocked window'
+
+printf 'All i3blocks efficiency regression tests passed.\n'