diff --git a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.7.md b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.7.md
index c1b05bc..138a1db 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/rl-0.7.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes/rl-0.7.md
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ configuration formats.
   longer filtered and thus should be used instead.
 - Add dap-go for better dap configurations
 - Make noice.nvim customizable
+- Standardize border style options and add custom borders
 
 [rust-tools.nvim]: https://github.com/simrat39/rust-tools.nvim
 [rustaceanvim]: https://github.com/mrcjkb/rustaceanvim
diff --git a/lib/types/default.nix b/lib/types/default.nix
index 928bbae..6751229 100644
--- a/lib/types/default.nix
+++ b/lib/types/default.nix
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   typesCustom = import ./custom.nix {inherit lib;};
 in {
   inherit (typesDag) dagOf;
-  inherit (typesPlugin) pluginsOpt extraPluginType mkPluginSetupOption luaInline pluginType;
+  inherit (typesPlugin) pluginsOpt extraPluginType mkPluginSetupOption luaInline pluginType borderType;
   inherit (typesLanguage) diagnostics mkGrammarOption;
   inherit (typesCustom) anythingConcatLists char;
 }
diff --git a/lib/types/plugins.nix b/lib/types/plugins.nix
index c0e89d6..7d24163 100644
--- a/lib/types/plugins.nix
+++ b/lib/types/plugins.nix
@@ -51,9 +51,13 @@
       };
     };
   };
+
+  borderPresets = ["none" "single" "double" "rounded" "solid" "shadow"];
 in {
   inherit extraPluginType fromInputs pluginType;
 
+  borderType = either (enum borderPresets) (listOf (either str (listOf str)));
+
   pluginsOpt = {
     description,
     example,
diff --git a/modules/plugins/lsp/lspconfig/config.nix b/modules/plugins/lsp/lspconfig/config.nix
index 15d42fd..1c1f0a0 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/lsp/lspconfig/config.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/lsp/lspconfig/config.nix
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   inherit (lib.strings) optionalString;
   inherit (lib.attrsets) mapAttrs;
   inherit (lib.nvim.dag) entryAfter;
+  inherit (lib.nvim.lua) toLuaObject;
 
   cfg = config.vim.lsp;
 in {
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ in {
 
           ${
             optionalString config.vim.ui.borders.enable ''
-              require('lspconfig.ui.windows').default_options.border = '${config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle}'
+              require('lspconfig.ui.windows').default_options.border = ${toLuaObject config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle}
             ''
           }
         '';
diff --git a/modules/plugins/lsp/nvim-code-action-menu/config.nix b/modules/plugins/lsp/nvim-code-action-menu/config.nix
index 9acc34d..145cb60 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/lsp/nvim-code-action-menu/config.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/lsp/nvim-code-action-menu/config.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   inherit (lib.modules) mkIf;
   inherit (lib.nvim.dag) entryAnywhere;
   inherit (lib.nvim.binds) mkSetBinding addDescriptionsToMappings pushDownDefault;
+  inherit (lib.nvim.lua) toLuaObject;
 
   cfg = config.vim.lsp;
 
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ in {
 
       pluginRC.code-action-menu = entryAnywhere ''
         -- border configuration
-        vim.g.code_action_menu_window_border = '${config.vim.ui.borders.plugins.code-action-menu.style}'
+        vim.g.code_action_menu_window_border = ${toLuaObject config.vim.ui.borders.plugins.code-action-menu.style}
 
         -- show individual sections of the code action menu
         ${lib.optionalString cfg.nvimCodeActionMenu.show.details "vim.g.code_action_menu_show_details = true"}
diff --git a/modules/plugins/ui/borders/borders.nix b/modules/plugins/ui/borders/borders.nix
index 37589dc..9951591 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/ui/borders/borders.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/ui/borders/borders.nix
@@ -4,31 +4,34 @@
   ...
 }: let
   inherit (lib.options) mkOption mkEnableOption;
-  inherit (lib.lists) optionals;
-  inherit (lib.types) enum;
+  inherit (lib.nvim.types) borderType;
 
   cfg = config.vim.ui.borders;
-
-  defaultStyles = ["none" "single" "double" "rounded"];
 in {
   options.vim.ui.borders = {
     enable = mkEnableOption "visible borders for most windows";
 
     globalStyle = mkOption {
-      type = enum defaultStyles;
+      type = borderType;
       default = "rounded";
       description = ''
         The global border style to use.
+
+        If a list is given, it should have a length of eight or any divisor of
+        eight. The array will specify the eight chars building up the border in
+        a clockwise fashion starting with the top-left corner. You can specify
+        a different highlight group for each character by passing a
+        [char, "YourHighlightGroup"] instead
       '';
+      example = ["╔" "═" "╗" "║" "╝" "═" "╚" "║"];
     };
 
-    # TODO: make per-plugin borders configurable
     plugins = let
       mkPluginStyleOption = name: {
         enable = mkEnableOption "borders for the ${name} plugin" // {default = cfg.enable;};
 
         style = mkOption {
-          type = enum (defaultStyles ++ optionals (name != "which-key") ["shadow"]);
+          type = borderType;
           default = cfg.globalStyle;
           description = "The border style to use for the ${name} plugin";
         };
diff --git a/modules/plugins/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix b/modules/plugins/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
index 18df8c0..e173688 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
   ...
 }: let
   inherit (lib.options) mkOption mkEnableOption;
-  inherit (lib.types) nullOr listOf enum bool str int;
+  inherit (lib.types) nullOr listOf enum bool str int either;
   inherit (lib.modules) mkRenamedOptionModule;
-  inherit (lib.nvim.types) mkPluginSetupOption;
+  inherit (lib.nvim.types) mkPluginSetupOption borderType;
   mkSimpleIconOption = default:
     mkOption {
       inherit default;
@@ -212,8 +212,7 @@ in {
           # position = {}
 
           border = mkOption {
-            # TODO: let this type accept a custom string
-            type = enum ["single" "rounded" "double" "solid" "none"];
+            type = borderType;
             default = config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle;
             description = "border style to use";
           };
@@ -236,8 +235,7 @@ in {
               */
 
               border = mkOption {
-                # TODO: let this type accept a custom string
-                type = nullOr (enum ["single" "rounded" "double" "solid" "none"]);
+                type = borderType;
                 default = config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle;
                 description = "border style to use for the left section of Navbuddy UI";
               };
@@ -254,8 +252,7 @@ in {
               */
 
               border = mkOption {
-                # TODO: let this type accept a custom string
-                type = nullOr (enum ["single" "rounded" "double" "solid" "none"]);
+                type = borderType;
                 default = config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle;
                 description = "border style to use for the middle section of Navbuddy UI";
               };
@@ -265,8 +262,7 @@ in {
             # there is no size option for the right section, it fills the remaining space
             right = {
               border = mkOption {
-                # TODO: let this type accept a custom string
-                type = nullOr (enum ["single" "rounded" "double" "solid" "none"]);
+                type = borderType;
                 default = config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle;
                 description = "border style to use for the right section of Navbuddy UI";
               };
diff --git a/modules/plugins/utility/binds/which-key/config.nix b/modules/plugins/utility/binds/which-key/config.nix
index 03c85b4..d729688 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/utility/binds/which-key/config.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/utility/binds/which-key/config.nix
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ in {
 
         ${optionalString config.vim.ui.borders.plugins.which-key.enable ''
         window = {
-          border = "${config.vim.ui.borders.plugins.which-key.style}",
+          border = ${toLuaObject config.vim.ui.borders.plugins.which-key.style},
         },
       ''}
       })
diff --git a/modules/plugins/visuals/fidget/fidget.nix b/modules/plugins/visuals/fidget/fidget.nix
index c5f4eb6..79974bd 100644
--- a/modules/plugins/visuals/fidget/fidget.nix
+++ b/modules/plugins/visuals/fidget/fidget.nix
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   inherit (lib.options) mkEnableOption mkOption literalExpression;
   inherit (lib.strings) toUpper;
   inherit (lib.types) int float bool str enum listOf attrsOf oneOf nullOr submodule;
-  inherit (lib.nvim.types) mkPluginSetupOption luaInline;
+  inherit (lib.nvim.types) mkPluginSetupOption luaInline borderType;
   inherit (lib.generators) mkLuaInline;
 in {
   imports = [
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ in {
           };
           border = mkOption {
             description = "Border style of the notification window";
-            type = enum ["none" "single" "double" "rounded" "solid" "shadow"];
+            type = borderType;
             default =
               if config.vim.ui.borders.enable
               then config.vim.ui.borders.globalStyle