diff --git a/dot_config/tmux/tmux-remote.conf b/dot_config/tmux/tmux-remote.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..af5887f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_config/tmux/tmux-remote.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# remote tmux status bars go on bottom
+set -g status-position bottom
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf.tmpl b/dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf
similarity index 95%
rename from dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf.tmpl
rename to dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf
index 05cab39..95e5789 100644
--- a/dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/tmux/tmux.conf
@@ -75,6 +75,5 @@ wg_is_keys_off="#[fg=$color_light,bg=$color_window_off_indicator]#([ $(tmux show
 # the sysstat stuff comes from a plugin (https://github.com/samoshkin/tmux-plugin-sysstat)
 set -g status-right "$wg_is_keys_off #{sysstat_cpu} | #{sysstat_mem} | #{sysstat_loadavg} | $wg_user_host"
 
-{{- if eq .chezmoi.hostname "petrucci4prez" }}
-set -g status-position bottom
-{{- end }}
\ No newline at end of file
+# special stuff for remote sessions
+if-shell 'test -n "$SSH_CLIENT"' 'source-file ~/.config/tmux/tmux.remote.conf'