diff --git a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
index 2c5ef42..1c94591 100644
--- a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ actix-rt = { workspace = true }
 # boilerplate
 derive_more = { workspace = true }
 derive-with = { workspace = true }
+thiserror = { workspace = true }
 
 # Webhooks
 serde = { workspace = true }
@@ -46,6 +47,9 @@ time = { workspace = true }
 secrecy = { workspace = true }
 standardwebhooks = { workspace = true }
 
+# file watcher (linux)
+inotify = { workspace = true }
+
 [dev-dependencies]
 # Testing
 assert2 = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/crates/cli/README.md b/crates/cli/README.md
index f8b52f9..f6cbee1 100644
--- a/crates/cli/README.md
+++ b/crates/cli/README.md
@@ -523,7 +523,6 @@ stateDiagram-v2
     cli --> forge
     cli --> repo_actor
     cli --> webhook_actor
-    cli --> file_watcher_actor
 
     forge --> core
     forge --> forge_forgejo
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/file_watcher.rs b/crates/cli/src/file_watcher.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1235c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/cli/src/file_watcher.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+//
+use actix::prelude::*;
+
+use actix::Recipient;
+use inotify::{EventMask, Inotify, WatchMask};
+
+use std::{path::PathBuf, time::Duration};
+
+const CHECK_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Message)]
+#[rtype(result = "()")]
+pub struct WatchFile;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Message)]
+#[rtype(result = "()")]
+pub struct FileUpdated;
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum Error {
+    #[error("io")]
+    Io(#[from] std::io::Error),
+}
+
+pub struct FileWatcher {
+    inotify: Inotify,
+    recipient: Recipient<FileUpdated>,
+    run_interval: Option<SpawnHandle>,
+}
+impl FileWatcher {
+    pub fn new(path: PathBuf, recipient: Recipient<FileUpdated>) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let inotify = Inotify::init()?;
+        inotify.watches().add(
+            path,
+            WatchMask::MODIFY | WatchMask::CREATE | WatchMask::DELETE | WatchMask::ATTRIB,
+        )?;
+        Ok(Self {
+            inotify,
+            recipient,
+            run_interval: None,
+        })
+    }
+}
+impl Actor for FileWatcher {
+    type Context = Context<Self>;
+
+    fn started(&mut self, ctx: &mut Self::Context) {
+        tracing::info!("Starting file watcher actor");
+        self.run_interval
+            .replace(ctx.run_interval(CHECK_INTERVAL, |_act, ctx| {
+                ctx.notify(WatchFile);
+            }));
+    }
+}
+
+impl Handler<WatchFile> for FileWatcher {
+    type Result = ();
+
+    fn handle(&mut self, _msg: WatchFile, _ctx: &mut Self::Context) -> Self::Result {
+        let mut buffer = [0u8; 4096];
+        if let Ok(mut events) = self.inotify.read_events(&mut buffer) {
+            if events.any(|event| {
+                event.mask.contains(EventMask::MODIFY) || event.mask.contains(EventMask::ATTRIB)
+            }) {
+                tracing::info!("File modified");
+                self.recipient.do_send(FileUpdated);
+            };
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/main.rs b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
index ee3ee78..724a8bc 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 //
+mod file_watcher;
 mod init;
 mod server;
 
diff --git a/crates/server-actor/MESSAGES.md b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/MESSAGES.md
similarity index 100%
rename from crates/server-actor/MESSAGES.md
rename to crates/cli/src/server/actor/MESSAGES.md
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/file_updated.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/file_updated.rs
index 64fef78..7aa6d49 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/file_updated.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/file_updated.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-//-
+//
 use actix::prelude::*;
 
 use git_next_core::server::ServerConfig;
-use git_next_file_watcher_actor::FileUpdated;
 
-use crate::server::actor::{messages::ReceiveServerConfig, ServerActor};
+use crate::{
+    file_watcher::FileUpdated,
+    server::actor::{messages::ReceiveServerConfig, ServerActor},
+};
 
 impl Handler<FileUpdated> for ServerActor {
     type Result = ();
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
index 9fbf0ce..d5136a1 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ mod tests;
 
 use actix::prelude::*;
 
+use crate::file_watcher::{FileUpdated, FileWatcher};
 use actor::ServerActor;
 use git_next_core::git::RepositoryFactory;
-use git_next_file_watcher_actor::{FileUpdated, FileWatcher};
 
 use kxio::{fs::FileSystem, network::Network};
 use tracing::{error, info, level_filters::LevelFilter};
diff --git a/crates/file-watcher-actor/Cargo.toml b/crates/file-watcher-actor/Cargo.toml
index c3b048f..5b2b48f 100644
--- a/crates/file-watcher-actor/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/file-watcher-actor/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,31 +5,3 @@ edition = { workspace = true }
 license = { workspace = true }
 repository = { workspace = true }
 description = "Config file watcher for git-next, the trunk-based development manager"
-
-[dependencies]
-# logging
-tracing = { workspace = true }
-
-# file watcher
-inotify = { workspace = true }
-
-# Webhooks
-# bytes = { workspace = true }
-# warp = { workspace = true }
-
-# boilerplate
-# derive_more = { workspace = true }
-thiserror = { workspace = true }
-
-# Actors
-actix = { workspace = true }
-
-[dev-dependencies]
-# Testing
-# assert2 = { workspace = true }
-
-[lints.clippy]
-nursery = { level = "warn", priority = -1 }
-# pedantic = "warn"
-unwrap_used = "warn"
-expect_used = "warn"
diff --git a/crates/file-watcher-actor/README.md b/crates/file-watcher-actor/README.md
index ddc70e2..b90af45 100644
--- a/crates/file-watcher-actor/README.md
+++ b/crates/file-watcher-actor/README.md
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ development workflows where each commit must pass CI before being included in
 the main branch.
 
 See [git-next](https://crates.io/crates/git-next) for more information.
+
+N.B. this crate has been merged into [git-next](https://crates.io/git-next).
diff --git a/crates/file-watcher-actor/src/lib.rs b/crates/file-watcher-actor/src/lib.rs
index 2bdb140..23c7c85 100644
--- a/crates/file-watcher-actor/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/file-watcher-actor/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,68 +1 @@
-use actix::prelude::*;
-
-use actix::Recipient;
-use inotify::{EventMask, Inotify, WatchMask};
-use std::{path::PathBuf, time::Duration};
-
-const CHECK_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
-
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Message)]
-#[rtype(result = "()")]
-pub struct WatchFile;
-
-#[derive(Debug, Message)]
-#[rtype(result = "()")]
-pub struct FileUpdated;
-
-#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
-pub enum Error {
-    #[error("io")]
-    Io(#[from] std::io::Error),
-}
-
-pub struct FileWatcher {
-    inotify: Inotify,
-    recipient: Recipient<FileUpdated>,
-    run_interval: Option<SpawnHandle>,
-}
-impl FileWatcher {
-    pub fn new(path: PathBuf, recipient: Recipient<FileUpdated>) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        let inotify = Inotify::init()?;
-        inotify.watches().add(
-            path,
-            WatchMask::MODIFY | WatchMask::CREATE | WatchMask::DELETE | WatchMask::ATTRIB,
-        )?;
-        Ok(Self {
-            inotify,
-            recipient,
-            run_interval: None,
-        })
-    }
-}
-impl Actor for FileWatcher {
-    type Context = Context<Self>;
-
-    fn started(&mut self, ctx: &mut Self::Context) {
-        tracing::info!("Starting file watcher actor");
-        self.run_interval
-            .replace(ctx.run_interval(CHECK_INTERVAL, |_act, ctx| {
-                ctx.notify(WatchFile);
-            }));
-    }
-}
-
-impl Handler<WatchFile> for FileWatcher {
-    type Result = ();
-
-    fn handle(&mut self, _msg: WatchFile, _ctx: &mut Self::Context) -> Self::Result {
-        let mut buffer = [0u8; 4096];
-        if let Ok(mut events) = self.inotify.read_events(&mut buffer) {
-            if events.any(|event| {
-                event.mask.contains(EventMask::MODIFY) || event.mask.contains(EventMask::ATTRIB)
-            }) {
-                tracing::info!("File modified");
-                self.recipient.do_send(FileUpdated);
-            };
-        }
-    }
-}
+// moved to /crates/cli/src/file_watcher
diff --git a/crates/server/Cargo.toml b/crates/server/Cargo.toml
index 6541ce0..ecc9a24 100644
--- a/crates/server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/server/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,11 +5,3 @@ edition = { workspace = true }
 license = { workspace = true }
 repository = { workspace = true }
 description = "[deprecated crate] server for git-next, the trunk-based development manager"
-
-
-
-[lints.clippy]
-nursery = { level = "warn", priority = -1 }
-# pedantic = "warn"
-unwrap_used = "warn"
-expect_used = "warn"