diff --git a/platform/instrumentation.ts b/platform/instrumentation.ts
index edaa838..c0a16ef 100644
--- a/platform/instrumentation.ts
+++ b/platform/instrumentation.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import relay from '@chatbotkit-dev/relay'
 
 import { assertTrustedSigninEnv } from '@/lib/auth.trusted'
 import { BANNER } from '@/lib/banner'
-import { startClock } from '@/lib/clock'
 import { warnlog } from '@/lib/debug'
 import { isDevelopment } from '@/lib/env'
 
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ export async function register() {
     // @note a hard stop, not a warning: trusted sign-in on a shared deployment
     // opens every account, so a process configured that way must not serve a
     // single request - see lib/auth.trusted.ts
+
     try {
       assertTrustedSigninEnv()
     } catch (e) {
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export async function register() {
     // (lib/auth.providers.ts sendVerificationRequest), and RUNAS_USERID
     // impersonates any account for every session (lib/session.get.js
     // getSession)
+
     if (isDevelopment && process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
       warnlog(
         'WARNING: TARGET_ENV=development on a production build - sign-in rate limits are disabled, sign-in codes are written to the log' +
@@ -50,6 +51,11 @@ export async function register() {
 
     // @note the one place the platform has that outlives a request - see
     // lib/clock.ts.
+    // @note keep the import inside the runtime guard: the clock's queue
+    // dependencies require Node APIs that the Edge compiler cannot resolve
+
+    const { startClock } = await import('@/lib/clock')
+
     startClock()
 
     // @note a relay that is a process rather than a service runs here, in the
diff --git a/platform/instrumentation.utest.js b/platform/instrumentation.utest.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be942e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/instrumentation.utest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/**
+ * @jest-environment node
+ */
+
+jest.mock('@chatbotkit-dev/observability/next/server', () => ({
+  onRequestError: jest.fn(),
+  register: jest.fn(),
+}))
+
+jest.mock('@chatbotkit-dev/relay', () => ({
+  __esModule: true,
+  default: { listen: jest.fn() },
+}))
+
+jest.mock('@/lib/clock', () => {
+  // @note importing the clock reaches Node-only request and queue modules
+  if (process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME === 'edge') {
+    throw new Error("Module not found: Can't resolve 'crypto'")
+  }
+
+  return { startClock: jest.fn() }
+})
+
+describe('instrumentation runtime boundary', () => {
+  const originalRuntime = process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalRuntime === undefined) {
+      delete process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME
+    } else {
+      process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME = originalRuntime
+    }
+
+    jest.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it('registers Edge observability without importing the Node-only clock', async () => {
+    process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME = 'edge'
+
+    await jest.isolateModulesAsync(async () => {
+      const { register, onRequestError } = await import('./instrumentation')
+      const observability = await import(
+        '@chatbotkit-dev/observability/next/server'
+      )
+
+      await register()
+
+      expect(observability.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(onRequestError).toBe(observability.onRequestError)
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('starts the clock and relay when registering the Node runtime', async () => {
+    process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME = 'nodejs'
+
+    jest.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+    await jest.isolateModulesAsync(async () => {
+      const { register } = await import('./instrumentation')
+      const { startClock } = await import('@/lib/clock')
+      const { default: relay } = await import('@chatbotkit-dev/relay')
+      const observability = await import(
+        '@chatbotkit-dev/observability/next/server'
+      )
+
+      await register()
+
+      expect(startClock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(relay.listen).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(observability.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/platform/tailwind.config.js b/platform/tailwind.config.js
index 3b8fada..6cc4b02 100644
--- a/platform/tailwind.config.js
+++ b/platform/tailwind.config.js
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ export default {
         // black: 'rgb(13, 17, 23)',
 
         white: '#fdfdfd',
-        black: '#0a0a0a',
+        // black: '#0a0a0a',
+        black: '#121212',
 
         gray: {
           50: colors.zinc[50],
@@ -186,10 +187,15 @@ export default {
           400: colors.zinc[400],
           500: colors.zinc[500],
           600: colors.zinc[600],
-          700: colors.zinc[700],
-          800: colors.zinc[800],
-          900: colors.zinc[900],
-          950: colors.zinc[950],
+          // @note charcoal steps separate the canvas, panels, raised surfaces and borders
+          // 700: colors.zinc[700],
+          // 800: colors.zinc[800],
+          // 900: colors.zinc[900],
+          // 950: colors.zinc[950],
+          700: '#3f3f3f',
+          800: '#2e2e2e',
+          900: '#222222',
+          950: '#181818',
         },
 
         // charts