diff --git a/src/render/OpenGL.cpp b/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
index 5eecdfdf..0acf2bb7 100644
--- a/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
+++ b/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
@@ -158,12 +158,13 @@ void CHyprOpenGLImpl::end() {
         wlr_box monbox = {0, 0, m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.x, m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.y};
 
         if (m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor != 1.f) {
-            const auto MOUSEPOS = g_pInputManager->getMouseCoordsInternal() - m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecPosition;
-            monbox.x -= MOUSEPOS.x;
-            monbox.y -= MOUSEPOS.y;
+            const auto ZOOMCENTER =
+                m_RenderData.mouseZoomUseMouse ? g_pInputManager->getMouseCoordsInternal() - m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecPosition : m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecSize / 2.f;
+            monbox.x -= ZOOMCENTER.x;
+            monbox.y -= ZOOMCENTER.y;
             scaleBox(&monbox, m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor);
-            monbox.x += *PZOOMRIGID ? m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.x / 2 : MOUSEPOS.x;
-            monbox.y += *PZOOMRIGID ? m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.y / 2 : MOUSEPOS.y;
+            monbox.x += *PZOOMRIGID ? m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.x / 2 : ZOOMCENTER.x;
+            monbox.y += *PZOOMRIGID ? m_RenderData.pMonitor->vecTransformedSize.y / 2 : ZOOMCENTER.y;
 
             if (monbox.x > 0)
                 monbox.x = 0;
@@ -177,9 +178,10 @@ void CHyprOpenGLImpl::end() {
 
         clear(CColor(11.0 / 255.0, 11.0 / 255.0, 11.0 / 255.0, 1.0));
 
-        m_bEndFrame                     = true;
-        m_bApplyFinalShader             = true;
-        m_RenderData.useNearestNeighbor = true;
+        m_bEndFrame         = true;
+        m_bApplyFinalShader = true;
+        if (m_RenderData.mouseZoomUseMouse)
+            m_RenderData.useNearestNeighbor = true;
 
         renderTexture(m_RenderData.pCurrentMonData->primaryFB.m_cTex, &monbox, 1.f, 0);
 
@@ -189,9 +191,10 @@ void CHyprOpenGLImpl::end() {
     }
 
     // reset our data
-    m_RenderData.pMonitor        = nullptr;
-    m_iWLROutputFb               = 0;
-    m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor = 1.f;
+    m_RenderData.pMonitor          = nullptr;
+    m_iWLROutputFb                 = 0;
+    m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor   = 1.f;
+    m_RenderData.mouseZoomUseMouse = true;
 }
 
 void CHyprOpenGLImpl::initShaders() {
@@ -816,7 +819,7 @@ CFramebuffer* CHyprOpenGLImpl::blurMainFramebufferWithDamage(float a, wlr_box* p
 }
 
 void CHyprOpenGLImpl::markBlurDirtyForMonitor(CMonitor* pMonitor) {
-    const auto PWORKSPACE = g_pCompositor->getWorkspaceByID(pMonitor->activeWorkspace);
+    const auto PWORKSPACE  = g_pCompositor->getWorkspaceByID(pMonitor->activeWorkspace);
     const auto PFULLWINDOW = g_pCompositor->getFullscreenWindowOnWorkspace(pMonitor->activeWorkspace);
 
     if (PWORKSPACE->m_bHasFullscreenWindow && PWORKSPACE->m_efFullscreenMode == FULLSCREEN_FULL && PFULLWINDOW && !PFULLWINDOW->m_vRealSize.isBeingAnimated() &&
diff --git a/src/render/OpenGL.hpp b/src/render/OpenGL.hpp
index be65cb85..1b9c3c8d 100644
--- a/src/render/OpenGL.hpp
+++ b/src/render/OpenGL.hpp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ struct SCurrentRenderData {
 
     SRenderModifData    renderModif;
     float               mouseZoomFactor    = 1.f;
+    bool                mouseZoomUseMouse  = true; // true by default
     bool                useNearestNeighbor = false;
 
     Vector2D            primarySurfaceUVTopLeft     = Vector2D(-1, -1);
diff --git a/src/render/Renderer.cpp b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
index 0962feb8..62a0ac05 100644
--- a/src/render/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
@@ -788,6 +788,20 @@ void CHyprRenderer::renderMonitor(CMonitor* pMonitor) {
     if (!*PDAMAGEBLINK)
         damageBlinkCleanup = 0;
 
+    static bool firstLaunch = true;
+
+    float       zoomInFactorFirstLaunch = 1.f;
+
+    if (firstLaunch) {
+        firstLaunch = false;
+        m_tRenderTimer.reset();
+    }
+
+    if (m_tRenderTimer.getSeconds() < 1.5f) { // TODO: make the animation system more damage-flexible so that this can be migrated to there
+        zoomInFactorFirstLaunch = 2.f - g_pAnimationManager->getBezier("default")->getYForPoint(m_tRenderTimer.getSeconds() / 1.5);
+        damageMonitor(pMonitor);
+    }
+
     startRender = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
 
     if (*PDEBUGOVERLAY == 1) {
@@ -970,6 +984,12 @@ void CHyprRenderer::renderMonitor(CMonitor* pMonitor) {
     else
         g_pHyprOpenGL->m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor = 1.f;
 
+    if (zoomInFactorFirstLaunch > 1.f) {
+        g_pHyprOpenGL->m_RenderData.mouseZoomFactor    = zoomInFactorFirstLaunch;
+        g_pHyprOpenGL->m_RenderData.mouseZoomUseMouse  = false;
+        g_pHyprOpenGL->m_RenderData.useNearestNeighbor = false;
+    }
+
     EMIT_HOOK_EVENT("render", RENDER_LAST_MOMENT);
 
     g_pHyprOpenGL->end();
diff --git a/src/render/Renderer.hpp b/src/render/Renderer.hpp
index c882a478..3e73287c 100644
--- a/src/render/Renderer.hpp
+++ b/src/render/Renderer.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "../helpers/Workspace.hpp"
 #include "../Window.hpp"
 #include "OpenGL.hpp"
+#include "../helpers/Timer.hpp"
 
 struct SMonitorRule;
 
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ class CHyprRenderer {
     float            m_fCrashingDistort    = 0.5f;
     wl_event_source* m_pCrashingLoop       = nullptr;
 
+    CTimer           m_tRenderTimer;
+
   private:
     void arrangeLayerArray(CMonitor*, const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SLayerSurface>>&, bool, wlr_box*);
     void renderWorkspaceWithFullscreenWindow(CMonitor*, CWorkspace*, timespec*);