diff --git a/src/renderer/src/intl/en-US.ts b/src/renderer/src/intl/en-US.ts
index 59a096a..1ca6217 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/intl/en-US.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/intl/en-US.ts
@@ -292,8 +292,8 @@ export default {
 		sectorCoreBorderColor: 'Core Sector Border Color',
 		sectorFrontierBorderStroke: 'Frontier Sector Borders',
 		sectorFrontierBorderColor: 'Frontier Sector Border Color',
-		unionBorderStroke: 'Union Borders',
-		unionBorderColor: 'Union Border Color',
+		unionBorderStroke: 'Union Joined Borders',
+		unionBorderColor: 'Union Joined Border Color',
 		unionMode: 'Union Mode',
 		unionSubjects: 'Subjects',
 		unionHegemonies: 'Hegemony Federations',
@@ -445,6 +445,9 @@ export default {
 		default: {
 			name: 'Empires',
 		},
+		unions: {
+			name: 'Unions',
+		},
 		wars: {
 			name: 'Wars',
 			tooltip_label: 'War Status',
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/SettingControl/index.svelte b/src/renderer/src/lib/SettingControl/index.svelte
index 8f0af99..e8fb4e9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/SettingControl/index.svelte
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/SettingControl/index.svelte
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
 				</div>
 			{/if}
 			<div class="grow" />
-			{#if config.type === 'stroke' || config.type === 'icon'}
+			{#if (config.type === 'stroke' && !config.noDisable) || config.type === 'icon'}
 				<div class="relative top-1 inline-block">
 					<SlideToggle
 						name={config.id}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/mapModes.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/mapModes.ts
index 5c74a7b..6f27151 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/mapModes.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/mapModes.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ export const mapModes: Record<string, MapMode> = {
 		id: 'default',
 		name: 'map_mode.default.name',
 	},
+	unions: {
+		id: 'unions',
+		name: 'map_mode.unions.name',
+	},
 	wars: {
 		id: 'wars',
 		name: 'map_mode.wars.name',
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/processMapData.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/processMapData.ts
index 7e12509..a857539 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/processMapData.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/map/data/processMapData.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export default async function processMapData(
 	const settings = { ...rawSettings };
 	if (settings.hyperlaneMetroStyle) settings.alignStarsToGrid = true;
 	if (settings.alignStarsToGrid) settings.hyperlaneSensitiveBorders = false;
-	if (settings.mapMode !== 'default') settings.unionMode = false;
+	settings.unionMode = settings.mapMode === 'unions';
 
 	// get these started right away; await just before needed
 	const emblemsPromise = timeItAsync(
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/SettingConfig.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/SettingConfig.ts
index 78192e9..350d0a5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/SettingConfig.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/SettingConfig.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export interface SettingConfigStroke<Settings, ID> extends SettingConfigBase<Set
 	requiresReprocessing?: boolean | RequiresReprocessingFunc<StrokeSetting>;
 	noSmoothing?: boolean;
 	noDashed?: boolean;
+	noDisable?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface SettingConfigIcon<Settings, ID> extends SettingConfigBase<Settings, ID> {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/mapSettingsConfig.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/mapSettingsConfig.ts
index 94ac585..26abcd5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/mapSettingsConfig.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/settings/mapSettingsConfig.ts
@@ -116,57 +116,48 @@ export const mapSettingsConfig: MapSettingConfigGroup[] = [
 				hideIf: (settings) =>
 					!settings.sectorTypeBorderStyles || !settings.sectorBorderStroke.enabled,
 			},
-			{
-				id: 'unionBorderStroke',
-				type: 'stroke',
-				requiresReprocessing: (prev, next) => prev.smoothing !== next.smoothing,
-				hideIf: (settings) =>
-					!settings.unionMode ||
-					![settings.unionFederations, settings.unionHegemonies, settings.unionSubjects].includes(
-						'joinedBorders',
-					),
-			},
-			{
-				id: 'unionBorderColor',
-				type: 'color',
-				hideIf: (settings) =>
-					!settings.unionBorderStroke.enabled ||
-					!settings.unionMode ||
-					![settings.unionFederations, settings.unionHegemonies, settings.unionSubjects].includes(
-						'joinedBorders',
-					),
-			},
 		],
 	},
 	{
 		id: 'unions',
 		name: 'setting.group.unions',
 		settings: [
-			{
-				id: 'unionMode',
-				type: 'toggle',
-				requiresReprocessing: true,
-			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionSubjects',
 				requiresReprocessing: true,
 				type: 'select',
 				options: unionOptions,
-				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.unionMode,
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionHegemonies',
 				requiresReprocessing: true,
 				type: 'select',
 				options: unionOptions,
-				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.unionMode,
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionFederations',
 				requiresReprocessing: true,
 				type: 'select',
 				options: unionOptions,
-				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.unionMode,
+			},
+			{
+				id: 'unionBorderStroke',
+				type: 'stroke',
+				requiresReprocessing: (prev, next) => prev.smoothing !== next.smoothing,
+				hideIf: (settings) =>
+					![settings.unionFederations, settings.unionHegemonies, settings.unionSubjects].includes(
+						'joinedBorders',
+					),
+				noDisable: true,
+			},
+			{
+				id: 'unionBorderColor',
+				type: 'color',
+				hideIf: (settings) =>
+					!settings.unionBorderStroke.enabled ||
+					![settings.unionFederations, settings.unionHegemonies, settings.unionSubjects].includes(
+						'joinedBorders',
+					),
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionFederationsColor',
@@ -177,14 +168,13 @@ export const mapSettingsConfig: MapSettingConfigGroup[] = [
 					{ id: 'leader', name: 'option.union_federations_color.leader' },
 				],
 				hideIf: (settings) =>
-					!settings.unionMode ||
-					(settings.unionFederations === 'off' && settings.unionHegemonies === 'off'),
+					settings.unionFederations === 'off' && settings.unionHegemonies === 'off',
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionLeaderSymbol',
 				type: 'select',
 				options: glyphOptions,
-				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.unionMode || !settings.countryEmblems,
+				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.countryEmblems,
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionLeaderSymbolSize',
@@ -192,13 +182,12 @@ export const mapSettingsConfig: MapSettingConfigGroup[] = [
 				min: 0.05,
 				max: 1,
 				step: 0.05,
-				hideIf: (settings) =>
-					!settings.unionMode || !settings.countryEmblems || settings.unionLeaderSymbol === 'none',
+				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.countryEmblems || settings.unionLeaderSymbol === 'none',
 			},
 			{
 				id: 'unionLeaderUnderline',
 				type: 'toggle',
-				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.unionMode || !settings.countryNames,
+				hideIf: (settings) => !settings.countryNames,
 			},
 		],
 	},