diff --git a/Shakefile.hs b/Shakefile.hs
index d01937e88..73e4c4080 100644
--- a/Shakefile.hs
+++ b/Shakefile.hs
@@ -14,172 +14,41 @@ main = do
     shakeOptions
       { shakeFiles = "_build",
         shakeThreads = 0,
-        shakeChange = ChangeModtimeAndDigest,
-        -- we ignore a lot of generated/downloaded dependency files so
-        -- that the output of `shake --lint-fsatrace` is usable. There
-        -- are probably a few untracked dependencies due to these ignores
-        -- (in particular relying on scripts in `node_modules`) but the
-        -- additional benefits are marginal compared to the effort required
-        -- to get everything 100% buttoned down. Long term, it'd be better to
-        -- move node dependencies into nix (either by using proper packages
-        -- where available or npm2nix where not.)
-        shakeLintIgnore =
-          [ "node_modules/**/*",
-            "elm-stuff/**/*",
-            "styleguide/elm-stuff/**/*"
-          ]
+        shakeChange = ChangeModtimeAndDigest
       }
     $ do
-      want ["test"]
-      -- phonies. These provide a nice public API for using shake (`shake
-      -- clean`, `shake test`, etc.)
-      phony "clean" $ do
-        removeFilesAfter "elm-stuff" ["//*"]
-        removeFilesAfter "log" ["//*"]
-        removeFilesAfter "node_modules" ["//*"]
-        removeFilesAfter "public" ["//*"]
-        removeFilesAfter "styleguide" ["elm.js", "bundle.js", "elm-stuff"]
+      phony "bla" $ need ["single-dep"]
 
-      phony "public" $ need ["log/public.txt"]
-
-      phony "test" $ do
-        need
-          [ "log/npm-install.txt",
-            "tests/elm-verify-examples.json",
-            "log/elm-verify-examples.txt",
-            "log/elm-test.txt",
-            "log/elm-test-styleguide.txt",
-            "log/elm-review.txt",
-            "log/elm-review-styleguide.txt",
-            "log/puppeteer-tests.txt",
-            "log/forbidden-imports-report.txt",
-            "log/check-exposed.txt",
-            "log/format.txt",
-            "log/documentation.json"
-          ]
-
-      phony "ci" $ do need ["test", "public"]
-
-      -- things that should be kept under version control
-      "tests/elm-verify-examples.json" %> \out -> do
+      "single-dep" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
         need ["elm.json"]
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "jq" "--indent" "4" ["{ root: \"../src\", tests: .[\"exposed-modules\"] }"] "elm.json"
-
-      "deprecated-modules.csv" %> \out -> do
-        need ["elm.json", "script/deprecated-modules-csv.py"]
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "script/deprecated-modules-csv.py"
-
-      "forbidden-imports.toml" %> \out -> do
-        -- we always want to consume our own published deprecated modules list
-        -- so that we're not presenting outdated stuff in the styleguide! This
-        -- file can change separately from the CSV, but should always have at
-        -- least the deprecated modules in it.
-        need ["deprecated-modules.csv"]
-        cmd "elm-forbid-import" "forbid-from-csv" "deprecated-modules.csv"
-
-      -- temporary files, used to produce CI reports
-      "log/elm-test.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["tests/**/*.elm"]
-        -- I'm not sure why elm-test needs package.json, but fsatracing it
-        -- reveals the dep, so in it goes!
-        need (["package.json", "elm.json"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-test"
-
-      "log/elm-test-styleguide.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["styleguide/tests/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["package.json", "styleguide/elm.json"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (Cwd "styleguide") (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-test"
-
-      "log/elm-review.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["src/**/*.elm", "tests/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["package.json", "elm.json"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-review"
-
-      "log/elm-review-styleguide.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["styleguide/**/*.elm", "styleguide-app/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["package.json", "styleguide/elm.json"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (Cwd "styleguide") (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-review"
-
-      "log/elm-verify-examples.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["src/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["tests/elm-verify-examples.json"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-verify-examples"
-
-      "log/format.txt" %> \out -> do
-        need ["log/elm-format.txt", "log/prettier.txt"]
-        writeFileChanged out "formatting checks passed"
-
-      "log/elm-format.txt" %> \out -> do
-        let placesToLook = ["src", "tests", "styleguide", "styleguide-app"]
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." (map (\place -> place </> "**" </> "*.elm") placesToLook)
-        need elmFiles
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-format" "--validate" placesToLook
-
-      "log/prettier.txt" %> \out -> do
-        (Stdout trackedFilesOut) <- cmd "git" "ls-files"
-        let trackedFiles = lines trackedFilesOut
-        let jsFiles = filter (\name -> takeExtension name == ".js") trackedFiles
-        need ("log/npm-install.txt" : jsFiles)
-
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "./node_modules/.bin/prettier" "--check" jsFiles
-
-      "log/puppeteer-tests.txt" %> \out -> do
-        percyToken <- getEnv "PERCY_TOKEN"
-        case percyToken of
-          Nothing -> do
-            writeFileChanged out "PERCY_TOKEN not set, so skipping visual diff testing."
-            need ["log/npm-install.txt", "log/public.txt"]
-            cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "script/puppeteer-tests-no-percy.sh"
-          Just _ -> do
-            need ["log/npm-install.txt", "log/public.txt"]
-            cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "script/puppeteer-tests-percy.sh"
-
-      "log/forbidden-imports-report.txt" %> \out -> do
-        need ["forbidden-imports.toml"]
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["src/**/*.elm", "tests/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["forbidden-imports.toml"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "elm-forbid-import" "check"
-
-      "log/check-exposed.txt" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["src/**/*.elm"]
-        need (["elm.json", "script/check-exposed.py"] ++ elmFiles)
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) "script/check-exposed.py"
-
-      "log/documentation.json" %> \out -> do
-        elmFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["src/**/*.elm"]
-        need elmFiles
-        cmd_ "elm" "make" "--docs" out
-
-      "public/bundle.js" %> \out -> do
-        libJsFiles <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["lib/**/*.js"]
-        need (["package.json", "lib/index.js", "styleguide/manifest.js", "log/npm-install.txt"] ++ libJsFiles)
-        cmd_ "./node_modules/.bin/browserify" "--entry" "styleguide/manifest.js" "--outfile" out
-
-      "public/elm.js" %> \out -> do
-        elmSources <- getDirectoryFiles "." ["styleguide-app/**/*.elm", "src/**/*.elm"]
-        need elmSources
-        cmd_ (Cwd "styleguide") "elm" "make" "Main.elm" "--output" (".." </> out)
-
-      "public/package.json" %> \out -> do
-        copyFileChanged "elm.json" out
-
-      "public/application.json" %> \out -> do
-        copyFileChanged "styleguide/elm.json" out
-
-      "public/**/*" %> \out ->
-        copyFileChanged (replaceDirectory1 out "styleguide") out
-
-      "log/public.txt" %> \out -> do
-        need (["public/index.html", "public/elm.js", "public/bundle.js", "public/package.json", "public/application.json"])
-        writeFileChanged out "built styleguide app successfully"
-
-      -- dev deps we get dynamically instead of from Nix (frowny face)
-      "log/npm-install.txt" %> \out -> do
-        -- npm looks in some unrelated files for whatever reason. We mark
-        -- them as used here to avoid getting linter errors.
-        gitHeads <- getDirectoryFiles "." [".git/refs/heads/*"]
-        trackRead (["README.md", ".git/HEAD"] ++ gitHeads)
-
-        -- now that we've satisfied the linter, let's build.
-        need ["package.json", "package-lock.json"]
-        cmd (WithStdout True) (FileStdout out) (FileStderr out) "npm" "install"
+        writeFile' out "hooray."
+
+      "all-elms" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
+        allElms <- getDirectoryFiles "" ["//*.elm"]
+        writeFile' out $ show allElms
+
+      "all-elm-contents" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
+        allElms <- getDirectoryFiles "" ["//*.elm"]
+        need allElms
+        writeFile' out "hooray."
+
+      "dependencies" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
+        elmFile <- readFile' "bla.elm"
+        need [elmFile]
+        writeFile' out "hooray."
+
+      "unsafe-dependencies" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
+        elmFile <- liftIO $ readFile "bla.elm"
+        need [elmFile]
+        writeFile' out "hooray."
+
+      "dirfiles" %> \out -> do
+        putNormal "this rule executed!"
+        allElms <- liftIO $ getDirectoryFilesIO "" ["//*.elm"]
+        need allElms
+        writeFile' out "hooray."
diff --git a/understand-shake.sh b/understand-shake.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0b38db90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/understand-shake.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# not really a script file, just logging my commands as i go through my learning Shakefile.hs
+
+shake single-dep
+# rule prints
+
+shake single-dep
+# rule doesn't print, caching yay
+
+rm elm.json
+shake single-dep
+# same error we get in ci!
+
+shake all-elms
+# rule prints
+
+shake all-elms
+# rule is cached
+
+rm src/CheckboxIcons.elm
+shake all-elms
+# rule doesn't break
+
+echo "bla" > src/EventExtras.elm
+shake all-elms
+# rule won't rebuild!
+
+git checkout src
+shake all-elm-contents
+# rule prints
+
+rm src/CheckboxIcons.elm
+shake all-elm-contents
+# rule rebuilds, no errors
+
+git co src
+printf "src/CheckboxIcons.elm" > bla.elm
+shake dependencies
+# rule prints
+
+rm src/CheckboxIcons.elm
+printf "src/EventExtras.elm" > bla.elm
+shake dependencies
+# rule prints
+
+git co src
+printf "src/CheckboxIcons.elm" > bla.elm
+shake unsafe-dependencies
+# rule prints
+
+rm src/CheckboxIcons.elm
+printf "src/EventExtras.elm" > bla.elm
+shake unsafe-dependencies
+# it still works wth?? i totes expected it to fail same as ci
+
+git co src
+shake dirfiles
+# rule prints
+
+rm src/CheckboxIcons.elm
+shake dirfiles
+# still works!! why???
+
+git co src
+