diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index fc774a24..5c51c74b 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -6780,6 +6780,19 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_json",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "schemars-nixgen"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "clap",
+ "color-eyre",
+ "schemars 1.2.3",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json_lenient",
+ "sha2",
+ "thiserror 2.0.21",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "schemars_derive"
 version = "1.2.3"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c1728b76..8beed758 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ members = [
   "komorebi-hotkeys",
   "crates/komorebi-version",
   "komorebi-recorder",
+  # a development tool (it writes the Nix options of the modules): built and tested by its own checks,
+  # not a default member, so that a bare `cargo build --release` never builds it and no release ships it
+  "crates/schemars-nixgen",
 ]
 
 default-members = [
diff --git a/crates/schemars-nixgen/Cargo.toml b/crates/schemars-nixgen/Cargo.toml
index 88409183..de791a3c 100644
--- a/crates/schemars-nixgen/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/schemars-nixgen/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 name = "schemars-nixgen"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2024"
-license-file = "LICENSE.md"
+license-file = "../../LICENSE.md"
+publish = false
 
 [lib]
 name = "schemars_nixgen"
@@ -13,10 +14,10 @@ name = "schemars-nixgen"
 path = "src/main.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
-clap = { version = "4", features = ["derive", "wrap_help"] }
-color-eyre = "0.6"
-schemars = "1.1"
-serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
-serde_json = { package = "serde_json_lenient", version = "0.2" }
+clap = { workspace = true }
+color-eyre = { workspace = true }
+schemars = { workspace = true }
+serde = { workspace = true }
+serde_json = { workspace = true }
 sha2 = "0.10"
 thiserror = "2"
diff --git a/deny.toml b/deny.toml
index d662f741..1ff6d50f 100644
--- a/deny.toml
+++ b/deny.toml
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ crate = "komorebi-recorder"
 expression = "LicenseRef-Komorebi-2.0"
 license-files = []
 
+[[licenses.clarify]]
+crate = "schemars-nixgen"
+expression = "LicenseRef-Komorebi-2.0"
+license-files = []
+
 [[licenses.clarify]]
 crate = "komorebi-hotkeys"
 expression = "LicenseRef-Komorebi-2.0"