diff --git a/system/install.sh b/system/install.sh
index 7700d53..380b5b5 100755
--- a/system/install.sh
+++ b/system/install.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,19 @@ repo="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
 # pacman: shared [options] snippet
 sudo install -m644 "$repo/pacman/options.conf" /etc/pacman.d/options.conf
-if ! grep -q '^Include = /etc/pacman.d/options.conf' /etc/pacman.conf; then
-    sudo sed -i '/^\[options\]/a Include = /etc/pacman.d/options.conf' /etc/pacman.conf
+# The Include goes at the end of [options] (just before the first repo section,
+# commented or not), so later-wins options like ParallelDownloads override
+# pacman.conf's own defaults. Any old copy (e.g. straight after [options]) is
+# removed first, so re-running this also moves it into place.
+include='Include = /etc/pacman.d/options.conf'
+tmp="$(mktemp)"
+awk -v inc="$include" '
+    $0 == inc { next }
+    seen && !done && /^#?\[/ { print inc; print ""; done = 1 }
+    /^\[options\]/ { seen = 1 }
+    { print }
+' /etc/pacman.conf >"$tmp"
+if ! cmp -s "$tmp" /etc/pacman.conf; then
+    sudo install -m644 "$tmp" /etc/pacman.conf
 fi
+rm -f "$tmp"
diff --git a/system/pacman/options.conf b/system/pacman/options.conf
index 8f806af..9ef7a3a 100644
--- a/system/pacman/options.conf
+++ b/system/pacman/options.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # Shared pacman [options], included from /etc/pacman.conf.
-# Installed to /etc/pacman.d/options.conf by system/install.sh.
+# Installed to /etc/pacman.d/options.conf by system/install.sh, which places the
+# Include at the *end* of [options] so these override pacman.conf's own defaults
+# (e.g. its ParallelDownloads = 5).
 Color
-#ILoveCandy
-#VerbosePkgLists
+# Pac-Man progress bars instead of [#####]
+ILoveCandy
+# Table of old/new versions and sizes before "Proceed with installation?"
+VerbosePkgLists
+ParallelDownloads = 10