diff --git a/lib/Xtc/Xtc.cpp b/lib/Xtc/Xtc.cpp
index 1142c763..8052c88e 100644
--- a/lib/Xtc/Xtc.cpp
+++ b/lib/Xtc/Xtc.cpp
@@ -173,37 +173,53 @@ bool Xtc::generateCoverBmp() const {
     return false;
   }
 
-  // Write 1-bit BMP header (top-down row order)
-  BmpHeader bmpHeader;
-  createBmpHeader(&bmpHeader, pageInfo.width, pageInfo.height, BmpRowOrder::TopDown);
-  coverBmp.write(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(&bmpHeader), sizeof(bmpHeader));
-
-  const uint32_t rowSize = ((pageInfo.width + 31) / 32) * 4;
-
-  // Write bitmap data
-  // BMP requires 4-byte row alignment
-  const size_t dstRowSize = (pageInfo.width + 7) / 8;  // 1-bit destination row size
-
   if (bitDepth == 2) {
-    // XTH 2-bit mode: Two bit planes, column-major order
+    // XTH 2-bit mode: preserve all 4 gray levels in a 2-bit BMP so the sleep
+    // screen's grayscale pass can render them (a 1-bit cover would silently
+    // disable it). Source is two bit planes, column-major order:
     // - Columns scanned right to left (x = width-1 down to 0)
     // - 8 vertical pixels per byte (MSB = topmost pixel in group)
     // - First plane: Bit1, Second plane: Bit2
-    // - Pixel value = (bit1 << 1) | bit2
+    // - Pixel value = (bit1 << 1) | bit2: 0=white, 1=dark gray,
+    //   2=light gray, 3=black
+    // 70-byte 2-bit BMP header (14 file + 40 DIB + 4-entry gray palette),
+    // top-down rows. Only the size and dimension fields vary; patch them in.
+    // clang-format off
+    uint8_t hdr[70] = {
+        'B', 'M', 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 70, 0, 0, 0,            // file header
+        40, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0,          // DIB: w/h patched
+        0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0x13, 0x0B, 0, 0, 0x13, 0x0B, 0, 0,  // 0, 2835 DPI
+        4, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0,                                   // 4 palette colors
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x00,           // black, dark gray
+        0xAA, 0xAA, 0xAA, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00};          // light gray, white
+    // clang-format on
+    const uint32_t rowSize2 = ((static_cast<uint32_t>(pageInfo.width) * 2 + 31) / 32) * 4;
+    const uint32_t imageSize = rowSize2 * pageInfo.height;
+    const uint32_t fileSize = sizeof(hdr) + imageSize;
+    const int32_t topDownHeight = -static_cast<int32_t>(pageInfo.height);
+    memcpy(hdr + 2, &fileSize, 4);
+    memcpy(hdr + 18, &pageInfo.width, 2);  // biWidth (upper bytes stay 0)
+    memcpy(hdr + 22, &topDownHeight, 4);   // negative biHeight = top-down
+    memcpy(hdr + 34, &imageSize, 4);
+    coverBmp.write(hdr, sizeof(hdr));
+
     const size_t planeSize = (static_cast<size_t>(pageInfo.width) * pageInfo.height + 7) / 8;
     const uint8_t* plane1 = pageBuffer;                 // Bit1 plane
     const uint8_t* plane2 = pageBuffer + planeSize;     // Bit2 plane
     const size_t colBytes = (pageInfo.height + 7) / 8;  // Bytes per column
 
-    // Allocate a row buffer for 1-bit output
-    uint8_t* rowBuffer = static_cast<uint8_t*>(malloc(dstRowSize));
+    // 2 bits per pixel, MSB first, rows padded to 4 bytes
+    uint8_t* rowBuffer = static_cast<uint8_t*>(malloc(rowSize2));
     if (!rowBuffer) {
       free(pageBuffer);
       return false;
     }
 
+    // XTH value -> BMP palette index (palette: 0=black, 1=dark, 2=light, 3=white)
+    static constexpr uint8_t kXthToBmp[4] = {3, 1, 2, 0};
+
     for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageInfo.height; y++) {
-      memset(rowBuffer, 0xFF, dstRowSize);  // Start with all white
+      memset(rowBuffer, 0x00, rowSize2);
 
       for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageInfo.width; x++) {
         // Column-major, right to left: column index = (width - 1 - x)
@@ -216,28 +232,22 @@ bool Xtc::generateCoverBmp() const {
         const uint8_t bit2 = (plane2[byteOffset] >> bitInByte) & 1;
         const uint8_t pixelValue = (bit1 << 1) | bit2;
 
-        // Threshold: 0=white (1); 1,2,3=black (0)
-        if (pixelValue >= 1) {
-          // Set bit to 0 (black) in BMP format
-          const size_t dstByte = x / 8;
-          const size_t dstBit = 7 - (x % 8);
-          rowBuffer[dstByte] &= ~(1 << dstBit);
-        }
+        const uint8_t bmpVal = kXthToBmp[pixelValue];
+        rowBuffer[(x * 2) / 8] |= bmpVal << (6 - ((x * 2) % 8));
       }
 
-      // Write converted row
-      coverBmp.write(rowBuffer, dstRowSize);
-
-      // Pad to 4-byte boundary
-      uint8_t padding[4] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
-      size_t paddingSize = rowSize - dstRowSize;
-      if (paddingSize > 0) {
-        coverBmp.write(padding, paddingSize);
-      }
+      // Row buffer is rowSize2 bytes and zero-padded, write it whole
+      coverBmp.write(rowBuffer, rowSize2);
     }
 
     free(rowBuffer);
   } else {
+    // Write 1-bit BMP header (top-down row order)
+    BmpHeader bmpHeader;
+    createBmpHeader(&bmpHeader, pageInfo.width, pageInfo.height, BmpRowOrder::TopDown);
+    coverBmp.write(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(&bmpHeader), sizeof(bmpHeader));
+
+    const uint32_t rowSize = ((pageInfo.width + 31) / 32) * 4;
     // 1-bit source: write directly with proper padding
     const size_t srcRowSize = (pageInfo.width + 7) / 8;