diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/common.htoprc.in b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/common.htoprc.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..880975f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/common.htoprc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+htop_version=3.2.2
+config_reader_min_version=3
+fields=0 48 17 18 38 39 40 2 46 47 49 1
+hide_kernel_threads=0
+hide_userland_threads=0
+hide_running_in_container=0
+shadow_other_users=0
+show_thread_names=0
+show_program_path=1
+highlight_base_name=1
+highlight_deleted_exe=1
+shadow_distribution_path_prefix=1
+highlight_megabytes=1
+highlight_threads=1
+highlight_changes=1
+highlight_changes_delay_secs=5
+find_comm_in_cmdline=1
+strip_exe_from_cmdline=1
+show_merged_command=0
+header_margin=1
+screen_tabs=1
+detailed_cpu_time=1
+cpu_count_from_one=0
+show_cpu_usage=1
+show_cpu_frequency=1
+update_process_names=0
+account_guest_in_cpu_meter=1
+color_scheme=0
+enable_mouse=1
+delay=15
+hide_function_bar=0
+header_layout=two_50_50
+tree_view=1
+sort_key=46
+tree_sort_key=0
+sort_direction=-1
+tree_sort_direction=1
+tree_view_always_by_pid=0
+all_branches_collapsed=0
diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_no_swap.htoprc.in b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_no_swap.htoprc.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06e8c99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_no_swap.htoprc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+column_meters_0=Hostname AllCPUs AllCPUs
+column_meter_modes_0=2 3 1
+column_meters_1=Tasks LoadAverage Uptime Memory DiskIO NetworkIO
+column_meter_modes_1=2 2 2 1 1 1
diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_with_swap.htoprc.in b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_with_swap.htoprc.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..069d037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/meters_singlecore_with_swap.htoprc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+column_meters_0=Hostname AllCPUs AllCPUs
+column_meter_modes_0=2 3 1
+column_meters_1=Tasks LoadAverage Uptime MemorySwap DiskIO NetworkIO
+column_meter_modes_1=2 2 2 1 1 1
diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_multicore.htoprc.in b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_multicore.htoprc.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74070f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_multicore.htoprc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+screen:Main=PROCESSOR PID USER PRIORITY NICE M_VIRT M_RESIDENT M_SHARE STATE PERCENT_CPU PERCENT_MEM TIME Command
+.sort_key=PERCENT_CPU
+.tree_sort_key=PID
+.tree_view=1
+.tree_view_always_by_pid=0
+.sort_direction=-1
+.tree_sort_direction=1
+.all_branches_collapsed=0
+screen:I/O=PROCESSOR PID USER IO_PRIORITY IO_RATE IO_READ_RATE IO_WRITE_RATE PERCENT_SWAP_DELAY PERCENT_IO_DELAY Command
+.sort_key=IO_RATE
+.tree_sort_key=PID
+.tree_view=0
+.tree_view_always_by_pid=0
+.sort_direction=-1
+.tree_sort_direction=1
+.all_branches_collapsed=0
diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_singlecore.htoprc.in b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_singlecore.htoprc.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca5688f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc/screens_singlecore.htoprc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+screen:Main=PID USER PRIORITY NICE M_VIRT M_RESIDENT M_SHARE STATE PERCENT_CPU PERCENT_MEM TIME Command
+.sort_key=PERCENT_CPU
+.tree_sort_key=PID
+.tree_view=1
+.tree_view_always_by_pid=0
+.sort_direction=-1
+.tree_sort_direction=1
+.all_branches_collapsed=0
+screen:I/O=PID USER IO_PRIORITY IO_RATE IO_READ_RATE IO_WRITE_RATE PERCENT_SWAP_DELAY PERCENT_IO_DELAY Command
+.sort_key=IO_RATE
+.tree_sort_key=PID
+.tree_view=0
+.tree_view_always_by_pid=0
+.sort_direction=-1
+.tree_sort_direction=1
+.all_branches_collapsed=0
diff --git a/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc_1.0.bb b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc_1.0.bb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4705b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-config/htoprc/htoprc_1.0.bb
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+SUMMARY = "htoprc - global htop configuration"
+LICENSE = "MIT"
+LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://${COREBASE}/meta/files/common-licenses/MIT;md5=0835ade698e0bcf8506ecda2f7b4f302"
+
+SRC_URI = " \
+	file://common.htoprc.in \
+	file://meters_singlecore_no_swap.htoprc.in \
+	file://meters_singlecore_with_swap.htoprc.in \
+	file://screens_singlecore.htoprc.in \
+	file://screens_multicore.htoprc.in \
+"
+
+DEPENDS = "htop"
+PREFERRED_VERSION_htop = "3.2.2"
+
+PACKAGE_ARCH = "${MACHINE_ARCH}"
+
+# Sensible(?) defaults
+MACHINE_NUM_CORES ??= "1"
+HAS_SWAP ??= "0"
+
+do_compile() {
+	T=${B}/htoprc
+	cat ${WORKDIR}/common.htoprc.in > $T
+
+	if [ "${MACHINE_NUM_CORES}" -eq "1" ]; then
+		cat ${WORKDIR}/screens_singlecore.htoprc.in >> $T
+		if [ "${HAS_SWAP}" -eq "0" ]; then
+			cat ${WORKDIR}/meters_singlecore_no_swap.htoprc.in >> $T
+		else
+			cat ${WORKDIR}/meters_singlecore_with_swap.htoprc.in >> $T
+		fi
+	else
+		cat ${WORKDIR}/screens_multicore.htoprc.in >> $T
+		# TODO: these files do not exist yet
+		if [ "${HAS_SWAP}" -eq "0" ]; then
+			cat ${WORKDIR}/meters_multicore_no_swap.htoprc.in >> $T
+		else
+			cat ${WORKDIR}/meters_multicore_with_swap.htoprc.in >> $T
+		fi
+	fi
+}
+
+do_install() {
+	install -D -m 0644 ${B}/htoprc ${D}${sysconfdir}/htoprc
+}
diff --git a/recipes-core/images/helium-image-default.bb b/recipes-core/images/helium-image-default.bb
index e9da741..075422b 100644
--- a/recipes-core/images/helium-image-default.bb
+++ b/recipes-core/images/helium-image-default.bb
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ HARDENING = " \
 
 # helium base packages
 HELIUM_BASE = " \
+	htoprc \
 "
 
 # helium extra tools