diff --git a/.config/rail.toml b/.config/rail.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70020454
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/rail.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# cargo-rail configuration for helix-db fork
+# Documentation: https://github.com/loadingalias/cargo-rail
+
+# Targets
+targets = [
+  "aarch64-apple-darwin",
+  "aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu",
+  "x86_64-apple-darwin",
+  "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
+  "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu",
+]
+
+[unify]
+include_paths = true
+include_renamed = false
+
+pin_transitives = false  # enable for hakari/workspace-hack users
+transitive_host = "root"  # only used if pin_transitives = true
+
+strict_version_compat = true
+exact_pin_handling = "warn"
+major_version_conflict = "warn"  # warn = skip, bump = force highest
+
+msrv = true
+msrv_source = "workspace"  # deps | workspace | max
+enforce_msrv_inheritance = false  # Ensure members inherit workspace rust-version
+
+detect_unused = true
+remove_unused = true  # requires detect_unused = true
+
+prune_dead_features = true
+preserve_features = []  # glob patterns to keep from pruning
+detect_undeclared_features = true
+fix_undeclared_features = true  # requires detect_undeclared_features = true
+skip_undeclared_patterns = [
+  "default",
+  "std",
+  "alloc",
+  "*_backend",
+  "*_impl",
+]
+
+exclude = []  # excluding one workspace member excludes its whole member cohort
+include = []  # workspace-member cohorts are auto-included
+max_backups = 3
+sort_dependencies = false  # false to preserve existing order
+
+
+[release]
+
+[change-detection]
+
+[run]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 3e44c652..39b01eb8 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,32 @@ members = [
 ]
 resolver = "2"
 
+[workspace.dependencies]
+serde_json = "^1.0.143" #unified
+reqwest = { version = "^0.12.23", features = ["blocking", "json"] } #unified
+helix-metrics = { path = "metrics", version = "^0.1.1" } #unified
+clap = { version = "^4.5.53", features = ["derive"] } #unified
+helix-db = { path = "helix-db", version = "^1.2.8" } #unified
+serial_test = "^3.2.0" #unified
+sha2 = "^0.10.8" #unified
+dotenvy = "^0.15.7" #unified
+chrono = { version = "^0.4.42", features = ["serde"] } #unified
+bumpalo = { version = "^3.19.0", features = ["boxed", "collections", "serde"] } #unified
+tracing = "^0.1.41" #unified
+flume = { version = "^0.12.0", default-features = false, features = ["async", "select"] } #unified
+tokio = { version = "^1.47.1", features = ["full"] } #unified
+helix-macros = { path = "helix-macros", version = "^0.1.7" } #unified
+rand = "^0.9.1" #unified
+heed3 = "^0.22.0" #unified
+inventory = "^0.3.19" #unified
+tempfile = "^3.23.0" #unified
+num_cpus = "^1.17.0" #unified
+serde = { version = "^1.0.228", features = ["derive"] } #unified
+uuid = { version = "^1.18.1", features = ["fast-rng"] } #unified
+
+[workspace.package]
+rust-version = "1.88.0"
+
 [profile.release]
 opt-level = 2
 codegen-units = 1
diff --git a/helix-cli/Cargo.toml b/helix-cli/Cargo.toml
index 8e7ce6aa..b9a0ff2a 100644
--- a/helix-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/helix-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,39 +4,39 @@ version = "2.2.8"
 edition = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
-helix-metrics = { path = "../metrics" }
-helix-db = { path = "../helix-db" }
-clap = { version = "4.5.53", features = ["derive"] }
-serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
-tokio = { version = "1.47.1", features = ["full"] }
+helix-metrics = { workspace = true } #unified
+helix-db = { workspace = true } #unified
+clap = { workspace = true } #unified
+serde = { workspace = true } #unified
+tokio = { workspace = true } #unified
 eyre = "0.6.12"
 toml = "0.9.5"
 dirs = "6.0.0"
-reqwest = { version = "0.12.23", features = ["json"] }
-serde_json = "1.0.143"
+reqwest = { workspace = true, features = ["blocking"] } #unified
+serde_json = { workspace = true } #unified
 color-eyre = "0.6.5"
 cliclack = "0.3.7"
 async-trait = "0.1.89"
 iota = "0.2.3"
 self_update = "0.42.0"
-uuid = { version = "1.18.1", features = ["v4", "v6", "fast-rng"] }
-chrono = "0.4.42"
-flume = { version = "0.12.0",default-features = false,  features = ["async", "select"] }
-dotenvy = "0.15.7"
+uuid = { workspace = true, features = ["serde", "v4", "v6", "v7"] } #unified
+chrono = { workspace = true, features = ["serde"] } #unified
+flume = { workspace = true } #unified
+dotenvy = { workspace = true } #unified
 tokio-tungstenite = "0.28.0"
 futures-util = "0.3.31"
 regex = "1.11.2"
 reqwest-eventsource = "0.6"
 indicatif = "0.18.3"
 webbrowser = "1.0"
-heed3 = "0.22.0"
+heed3 = { workspace = true } #unified
 open = "5.3"
 ratatui = "0.29"
 crossterm = "0.28"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-tempfile = "3.23.0"
-serial_test = "3.2"
+tempfile = { workspace = true } #unified
+serial_test = { workspace = true } #unified
 
 [lib]
 name = "helix_cli"
diff --git a/helix-container/Cargo.toml b/helix-container/Cargo.toml
index 036078f9..d6b4299a 100644
--- a/helix-container/Cargo.toml
+++ b/helix-container/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,24 +4,23 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
-helix-db = { path = "../helix-db" }
-helix-macros = { path = "../helix-macros" }
-
-inventory = "0.3.16"
-rand = "0.9.1"
+helix-db = { workspace = true } #unified
+helix-macros = { workspace = true } #unified
+inventory = { workspace = true } #unified
+rand = { workspace = true } #unified
 dirs = "5.0.1"
-chrono = { version = "0.4.41", features = ["serde"] }
-serde = { version = "1.0.219", features = ["derive"] }
+chrono = { workspace = true } #unified
+serde = { workspace = true } #unified
 sonic-rs = "0.5.0"
-tokio = { version = "1.44.2", features = ["full"] }
-serde_json = "1.0.140"
-uuid = { version = "1.12.1", features = ["std", "v4", "v6", "fast-rng"] }
-heed3 = "0.22.0"
+tokio = { workspace = true } #unified
+serde_json = { workspace = true } #unified
+uuid = { workspace = true, features = ["serde", "std", "v4", "v6", "v7"] } #unified
+heed3 = { workspace = true } #unified
 async-trait = "0.1"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.20", features = ["env-filter"] }
-tracing = "0.1.41"
-dotenvy = "0.15.7"
-bumpalo = "3.19.0"
+tracing = { workspace = true } #unified
+dotenvy = { workspace = true } #unified
+bumpalo = { workspace = true, features = ["boxed", "collections", "serde"] } #unified
 
 [features]
 dev = ["helix-db/dev-instance"]
diff --git a/helix-db/Cargo.toml b/helix-db/Cargo.toml
index 816942da..facf344e 100644
--- a/helix-db/Cargo.toml
+++ b/helix-db/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,31 +8,25 @@ authors = ["HelixDB Team"]
 repository = "https://github.com/HelixDB/helix-db"
 
 [dependencies]
-# HelixDB dependencies
-helix-macros = { path = "../helix-macros" }
-helix-metrics = { path = "../metrics" }
-
-# external dependencies
-tokio = { version = "1.44.2", features = ["full"] }
-serde = { version = "1.0.217", features = ["derive"] }
+helix-macros = { workspace = true } #unified
+helix-metrics = { workspace = true } #unified
+tokio = { workspace = true } #unified
+serde = { workspace = true } #unified
 bincode = "1.3.3" # TODO: Figure out bincode 2 impl with current serde impl
 sonic-rs = "0.5.0"
-inventory = "0.3.16"
+inventory = { workspace = true } #unified
 twox-hash = "2.1.0"
-heed3 = "0.22.0"
-uuid = { version = "1.12.1", features = ["serde", "v4", "v6", "fast-rng"] }
-rand = "0.9.0"
-chrono = "0.4.39"
-flume = { version = "0.12.0", default-features = false, features = [
-    "async",
-    "select",
-] }
+heed3 = { workspace = true } #unified
+uuid = { workspace = true, features = ["serde", "v4", "v6", "v7"] } #unified
+rand = { workspace = true } #unified
+chrono = { workspace = true, features = ["serde"] } #unified
+flume = { workspace = true } #unified
 itertools = "0.14.0"
-tempfile = "3.20.0"
+tempfile = { workspace = true } #unified
 paste = "1.0.15"
 rayon = "1.11.0"
 mimalloc = "0.1.48"
-bumpalo = { version = "3.19.0", features = ["collections", "boxed", "serde"] }
+bumpalo = { workspace = true } #unified
 bytemuck = "1.24.0"
 indexmap = { version = "2.7", features = ["serde"] }
 
@@ -40,16 +34,11 @@ indexmap = { version = "2.7", features = ["serde"] }
 pest = { version = "2.7", optional = true }
 pest_derive = { version = "2.7", optional = true }
 ariadne = { version = "0.5", optional = true }
-
-# embedding dependencies
-reqwest = { version = "0.12.15", features = [
-    "json",
-    "blocking",
-], optional = true }
+reqwest = { workspace = true, optional = true } #unified
 url = { version = "2.5", optional = true }
 tokio-util = { version = "0.7.15", features = ["compat"] }
 axum = "0.8.4"
-tracing = "0.1.41"
+tracing = { workspace = true } #unified
 core_affinity = "0.8.3"
 async-trait = "0.1.88"
 thiserror = "2.0.12"
@@ -58,18 +47,18 @@ polars = { version = "0.46.0", features = [
     "lazy",
     "json",
 ], optional = true }
-sha2 = "0.10"
+sha2 = { workspace = true } #unified
 subtle = "2.5"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-rand = "0.9.0"
+rand = { workspace = true } #unified
 lazy_static = "1.4.0"
-num_cpus = "1.17"     # TODO: write ourselves
+num_cpus = { workspace = true } #unified
 proptest = "1.4"
 criterion = "0.5"
 loom = "0.7"          # Concurrency model checking
 tokio-test = "0.4"    # Tokio testing utilities
-serial_test = "3.2"   # Serialize LMDB stress tests to avoid interference
+serial_test = { workspace = true } #unified
 
 [features]
 debug-output = ["helix-macros/debug-output"]
diff --git a/hql-tests/Cargo.toml b/hql-tests/Cargo.toml
index 874ee24d..293b3e8f 100644
--- a/hql-tests/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hql-tests/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ name = "test"
 path = "src/main.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
-tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["full"] }
-clap = { version = "4.0", features = ["derive"] }
+tokio = { workspace = true } #unified
+clap = { workspace = true } #unified
 anyhow = "1.0"
 futures = "0.3" 
 octocrab = "0.44.1"
-serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
-sha2 = "0.10"
-base64 = "0.22" 
\ No newline at end of file
+serde = { workspace = true } #unified
+sha2 = { workspace = true } #unified
+base64 = "0.22" 
diff --git a/metrics/Cargo.toml b/metrics/Cargo.toml
index dfe711b4..8c7985a9 100644
--- a/metrics/Cargo.toml
+++ b/metrics/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@ license = "AGPL-3.0"
 description = "Metrics for HelixDB"
 
 [dependencies]
-reqwest = "0.12.11"
-serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
+reqwest = { workspace = true, features = ["blocking", "json"] } #unified
+serde = { workspace = true } #unified
 sonic-rs = "0.5.3"
-chrono = "0.4"
-uuid = { version = "1.18.0", features = ["v7", "fast-rng"] }
-tokio = { version = "1.39", features = ["full"] }
+chrono = { workspace = true, features = ["serde"] } #unified
+uuid = { workspace = true, features = ["serde", "v4", "v6", "v7"] } #unified
+tokio = { workspace = true } #unified
 async-trait = "0.1.88"
-flume = { version = "0.12.0", default-features = false, features = ["async", "select"] }
-num_cpus = "1.17.0"
\ No newline at end of file
+flume = { workspace = true } #unified
+num_cpus = { workspace = true } #unified