Hyprpaper "monitor has no target"?

Bugs / FRs / Support
, ,
1

Hello everyone,
I am having problems with my hyprpaper config. I updated it when the breaking change occured and it has worked fine since then but after a ```yay -Syu``yesterday, one of my three monitors no longer gets a wallpaper.
Here is the output from my terminal:

# hyprctl version:

Hyprland 0.53.3 built from branch v0.53.3 at commit dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3 clean (version: bump to 0.53.3).
Date: Sat Jan 24 20:02:06 2026
Tag: v0.53.3, commits: 6793

Libraries:
Hyprgraphics: built against 0.5.0, system has 0.5.0
Hyprutils: built against 0.11.0, system has 0.11.0
Hyprcursor: built against 0.1.13, system has 0.1.13
Hyprlang: built against 0.6.8, system has 0.6.8
Aquamarine: built against 0.10.0, system has 0.10.0

Version ABI string: dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3_aq_0.10_hu_0.11_hg_0.5_hc_0.1_hlg_0.6
no flags were set



# hyprctl monitors:

Monitor DP-1 (ID 1):
	[email protected] at 0x0
	description: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED 27E1Q 0000000000001
	make: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED
	model: 27E1Q
	physical size (mm): 600x330
	serial: 0000000000001
	active workspace: 13 (13)
	special workspace: 0 ()
	reserved: 0 0 0 0
	scale: 1.00
	transform: 0
	focused: yes
	dpmsStatus: 1
	vrr: false
	solitary: 0
	solitaryBlockedBy: windowed mode,missing candidate
	activelyTearing: false
	tearingBlockedBy: next frame is not torn,user settings,missing candidate
	directScanoutTo: 0
	directScanoutBlockedBy: user settings,missing candidate
	disabled: false
	currentFormat: XRGB8888
	mirrorOf: none
	availableModes: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 
	colorManagementPreset: srgb
	sdrBrightness: 1.00
	sdrSaturation: 1.00
	sdrMinLuminance: 0.20
	sdrMaxLuminance: 80

Monitor DP-2 (ID 2):
	[email protected] at 2560x0
	description: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED G2721P 0000000000001
	make: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED
	model: G2721P
	physical size (mm): 600x330
	serial: 0000000000001
	active workspace: 14 (14)
	special workspace: 0 ()
	reserved: 0 0 0 0
	scale: 1.00
	transform: 0
	focused: no
	dpmsStatus: 1
	vrr: false
	solitary: 0
	solitaryBlockedBy: windowed mode,missing candidate
	activelyTearing: false
	tearingBlockedBy: next frame is not torn,user settings,missing candidate
	directScanoutTo: 0
	directScanoutBlockedBy: user settings,missing candidate
	disabled: false
	currentFormat: XRGB8888
	mirrorOf: none
	availableModes: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 
	colorManagementPreset: srgb
	sdrBrightness: 1.00
	sdrSaturation: 1.00
	sdrMinLuminance: 0.20
	sdrMaxLuminance: 80

Monitor DP-3 (ID 3):
	[email protected] at 5120x0
	description: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED 27E1Q 0000000000001
	make: HKC OVERSEAS LIMITED
	model: 27E1Q
	physical size (mm): 600x330
	serial: 0000000000001
	active workspace: 15 (15)
	special workspace: 0 ()
	reserved: 0 28 0 0
	scale: 1.00
	transform: 0
	focused: no
	dpmsStatus: 1
	vrr: false
	solitary: 0
	solitaryBlockedBy: windowed mode,missing candidate
	activelyTearing: false
	tearingBlockedBy: next frame is not torn,user settings,missing candidate
	directScanoutTo: 0
	directScanoutBlockedBy: user settings,missing candidate
	disabled: false
	currentFormat: XRGB8888
	mirrorOf: none
	availableModes: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 
	colorManagementPreset: srgb
	sdrBrightness: 1.00
	sdrSaturation: 1.00
	sdrMinLuminance: 0.20
	sdrMaxLuminance: 80


# hyprpaper

DEBUG ]: Welcome to hyprpaper!
built from commit  ()
DEBUG ]: Found 3 output(s)
DEBUG ]: Monitor DP-1 has no target: no wp will be created

Notably, I have no other problems with the DP-1 monitor. I can open windows on it, move windows to it, it shows up in the right place so that I can move my mouse cursor over from the other monitors etc.

So… What is wrong? I already thinned down my hyprpaper config file to the absolute minimum:

wallpaper {
    monitor =
    path = ~/wallpaper.jpg
    fit_mode = cover
}

splash = false

I cannot find anything online where this error occurs and it is not a config fault. So what am I doing wrong?

Thanks for helping

André

Hyprland version 
Hyprland 0.53.3 built from branch v0.53.3 at commit dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3 clean (version: bump to 0.53.3).
Date: Sat Jan 24 20:02:06 2026
Tag: v0.53.3, commits: 6793

Libraries:
Hyprgraphics: built against 0.5.0, system has 0.5.0
Hyprutils: built against 0.11.0, system has 0.11.0
Hyprcursor: built against 0.1.13, system has 0.1.13
Hyprlang: built against 0.6.8, system has 0.6.8
Aquamarine: built against 0.10.0, system has 0.10.0

Version ABI string: dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3_aq_0.10_hu_0.11_hg_0.5_hc_0.1_hlg_0.6
no flags were set
2

This looks familiar. :stuck_out_tongue:

Can you give:

wallpaper {
    monitor = *
    path = ~/wallpaper.jpg
    fit_mode = cover
}

splash = false

a try?
And run it as hyprpaper --verbose

3

Made the change to the config file and ran hyprpaper again with --verbose

The output is too long to paste it here and I cannot (yet) upload a file, so I copied everything to pastebin:

Thanks for the quick reply

André

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to mention that the wallpaper is still not displayed

4

Can’t really see anything that can go wrong in the source.
So the only thing i can think of is editing the wrong file, or the file you are editing are in some cache and not actually on disk yet?
Double check that the file you are editing is actually ~/.config/hypr/hyprpaper.conf or create a new file and start with that.
For example put wallpaper[]:path = ~/wallpaper.jpg in ~/test.conf and run: hyprpaper -c ~/test.conf

5

I checked it again - the file is the correct one.

I also tried your suggestion. I put the one-liner in a file test.conf directly in /home/andre/ and ran hyprpaper -c /home/andre/test.conf with the same result as before.

Do you have any other suggestions? I see there has been an update to hyprpaper yesterday… Unfortunately, I don’t know any more C++ than the absolute minimums used for arduino projects with my son, so I can’t tell for sure, but judging by the fact that the problem arose yesterday, it seems reasonable that there might be a bug in the latest code for hyprpaper?

I tried to install an older version of hyprpaper (hyprpaper-git in the AUR was the only one I could find), but the installation kept asking me to remove a lot of other hyprland-related packages and finally failed completely.

Greetings
André

6

Might want to try and force set it with IPC.
pkill -efc hyprpaper && hyprpaper
then
hyprctl hyprpaper "wallpaper DP-1,~/wallpaper.jpg"

But now that i test it, i also see a problem with the first entry using a empty or * monitor.
I’ll go investigate some more.
Using IPC seems to work though.

Edit:

7

Thanks for pointing me to the github issue. There was an update yesterday that fixed the problem!

Greetings

André

8

I read through most of the issues on this topic including the github, and i can’t seem to get it to work using the solutions people have provided. I have hyprpaper v0.8.3, hyprland 0.53.3, and ive quadruple checked all my configs are set up right, but it still cannot find the monitor to apply the background to. I ran the –verbose version but the ouput was too big so i put it on this pastebin. https://pastes.io/hyprpaper-
i tried using the git version, but the dependencies (that the rest of hyprland seems to depend on) are in conflict so i can’t delete the non-git version, but i also can’t use the git version for just hyprpaper. I also tried downgrading but when i ran it it didnt seem happy. When i ran it then checked the versions, it didnt seem like it worked because of dependencies again. Have i somehow tangled up my dependencies like crossed wires? I’m fairly new so i kind of know what im doing. I followed a tutorial from youtube for a beginning ricing setup and his worked fine. The video was uploaded about a year ago tho, so things might have changed.

sudo downgrade hyprpaper
loading packages…
warning: downgrading package hyprpaper (0.8.3-2.1 => 0.8.1-1)
resolving dependencies…
warning: cannot resolve “libhyprwire.so=2-64”, a dependency of “hyprpaper”
:: The following package cannot be upgraded due to unresolvable dependencies:
hyprpaper

:: Do you want to skip the above package for this upgrade? [y/N]
error: failed to prepare transaction (could not satisfy dependencies)
:: unable to satisfy dependency ‘libhyprwire.so=2-64’ required by hyprpaper

~ 16s
❯ hyprpaper -v
hyprpaper v0.8.3

~
❯ hyprland -v
Hyprland 0.53.3 built from branch v0.53.3 at commit dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3 clean (version: bump to 0.53.3).
Date: Sat Jan 24 20:02:06 2026
Tag: v0.53.3, commits: 6793

Libraries:
Hyprgraphics: built against 0.5.0, system has 0.5.0
Hyprutils: built against 0.11.0, system has 0.11.0
Hyprcursor: built against 0.1.13, system has 0.1.13
Hyprlang: built against 0.6.8, system has 0.6.8
Aquamarine: built against 0.10.0, system has 0.10.0

Version ABI string: dd220efe7b1e292415bd0ea7161f63df9c95bfd3_aq_0.10_hu_0.11_hg_0.5_hc_0.1_hlg_0.6
no flags were set