diff --git a/pkg/arvo/app/runtime-version.hoon b/pkg/arvo/app/runtime-version.hoon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76cf35f088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/arvo/app/runtime-version.hoon
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/+  default-agent, dbug, verb
+=>
+|%
++$  app-state    [%0 latest=@t]
++$  card         card:agent:gall
++$  vere-update  [cur=vere next=(unit vere)]
+::
+++  set-timer
+  |=  now=@da
+  ^-  card
+  :*  %pass
+      /timer
+      %arvo
+      %b
+      %wait
+      (add now ~m30)
+  ==
+++  request-latest-vere
+  ^-  card
+  :*  %pass
+      /vere
+      %arvo
+      %i
+      %request
+      [%'GET' 'https://bootstrap.urbit.org/vere/live/last' ~ ~]
+      *outbound-config:iris
+  ==
+:: parse out the commit suffix for people on pre-release vere
+:: these revisions look like /vere/~.2.7-de2d39b
+:: we will have better pre-release (pace) handling later
+++  get-current-version
+  |=  current=vere
+  ^-  @t
+  =/  v
+    %+  rush
+      (slav %ta (rear rev.current))
+    ;~((glue hep) (star ;~(pose nud dot)) (star aln))
+  ?~  v  (slav %ta (rear rev.current))
+  (crip -.u.v)
+::
+++  is-equal-version
+  |=  [latest=@t current=vere]
+  =(latest (get-current-version current))
+--
+^-  agent:gall
+=|  app-state
+=*  state  -
+%-  agent:dbug
+%+  verb  |
+|_  =bowl:gall
++*  this  .
+    def   ~(. (default-agent this %|) bowl)
+::
+++  on-init
+  ^-  (quip card _this)
+  =/  cur  .^(vere %$ /(scot %p our.bowl)//(scot %da now.bowl)/zen/ver)
+  :-  [request-latest-vere ~]
+  this(latest (get-current-version cur))
+::
+++  on-save
+  ^-  vase
+  !>(state)
+::
+++  on-load
+  |=  =vase
+  ^-  (quip card _this)
+  =/  old  !<(app-state vase)
+  `this(state old)
+::
+++  on-watch
+  |=  =path
+  ^-  (quip card _this)
+  ?>  (team:title our.bowl src.bowl)
+  ?+  path  (on-watch:def path)
+      [%version ~]
+    =/  cur  .^(vere %$ /(scot %p our.bowl)//(scot %da now.bowl)/zen/ver)
+    :_  this
+    :_  ~
+    ?:  (is-equal-version latest cur)
+      [%give %fact ~ %vere-update !>([cur=cur next=~])]
+    =|  next=vere
+    :*  %give  %fact  ~  %vere-update
+        !>(`vere-update`[cur=cur next=`next(rev /vere/(scot %ta latest))])
+    ==
+  ==
+::
+++  on-arvo
+  |=  [=wire =sign-arvo]
+  ^-  (quip card _this)
+  ?+  wire  (on-arvo:def wire sign-arvo)
+    ::
+      [%timer ~]
+    ?>  ?=([%behn %wake *] sign-arvo)
+    ?<  ?=(^ error.sign-arvo)
+    [[request-latest-vere (set-timer now.bowl) ~] this]
+    ::
+      [%vere ~]
+    ?>  ?=([%iris %http-response %finished *] sign-arvo)
+    ?>  =(200 status-code.response-header.client-response.sign-arvo)
+    =/  res  full-file.client-response.sign-arvo
+    ?<  ?=(~ res)
+    =/  cur  .^(vere %$ /(scot %p our.bowl)//(scot %da now.bowl)/zen/ver)
+    :_  this(latest q.data.u.res)
+    ?:  =(q.data.u.res latest)  ~
+    =|  next=vere
+    :_  ~
+    :*  %give  %fact  ~[/version]  %vere-update
+        !>(`vere-update`[cur=cur next=`next(rev /vere/(scot %ta latest))])
+    ==
+  ==
+::
+++  on-poke   on-poke:def
+++  on-leave  on-leave:def
+++  on-peek   on-peek:def
+++  on-agent  on-agent:def
+++  on-fail   on-fail:def
+--
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/mar/vere-update.hoon b/pkg/arvo/mar/vere-update.hoon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1fae1004e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/arvo/mar/vere-update.hoon
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+|_  [cur=vere next=(unit vere)]
+++  en-vere
+  |=  v=vere
+  %-  pairs:enjs:format
+  :-  [%non s+non.v]
+  :-  [%rev (path:enjs:format rev.v)]
+  %+  turn  kel.v
+  |=  w=weft
+  [lal.w (numb:enjs:format num.w)]
+::
+++  grab
+  |%
+  ++  noun  ,[cur=vere next=(unit vere)]
+  --
+++  grow
+  |%
+  ++  json
+    %-  pairs:enjs:format
+    :-  [%cur (en-vere cur)]
+    ?~  next  ~
+    :-  [%next (en-vere u.next)]  ~
+  --
+++  grad  %noun
+--
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/mar/vere.hoon b/pkg/arvo/mar/vere.hoon
deleted file mode 120000
index 1fd0934f01..0000000000
--- a/pkg/arvo/mar/vere.hoon
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../base-dev/mar/vere.hoon
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/base-dev/mar/vere.hoon b/pkg/base-dev/mar/vere.hoon
deleted file mode 100644
index 18a8e125c6..0000000000
--- a/pkg/base-dev/mar/vere.hoon
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-|_  v=vere
-++  grab
-  |%
-  ++  noun  vere
-  --
-++  grow
-  |%
-  ++  json
-    %-  pairs:enjs:format
-    :-  [%non s+non.v]
-    :-  [%rev (path:enjs:format rev.v)]
-    %+  turn  kel.v
-    |=  w=weft
-    [lal.w (numb:enjs:format num.w)]
-  --
-++  grad  %noun
---