diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-link b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..4048ba2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# omarchy:summary=Point Omarchy at a local checkout for live editing
+# omarchy:group=dev
+# omarchy:args=<path-to-checkout>
+# omarchy:examples=omarchy dev link ~/Work/omarchy/omarchy-installer
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -ne 1 || $1 == "-h" || $1 == "--help" ]]; then
+  cat <<USAGE
+Usage: omarchy dev link <path-to-checkout>
+
+Writes /etc/omarchy.conf so OMARCHY_PATH resolves to <path-to-checkout>
+in all new shells, the Hyprland session, and Quickshell. Restarts
+omarchy-shell and reloads hyprctl so changes take effect immediately.
+
+Affects only \$OMARCHY_PATH-resolved trees: bin/, default/, shell/,
+themes/, applications/, config/. Files installed at fixed system paths
+(/etc/, /usr/lib/systemd/, udev rule bodies, /etc/skel after user
+creation, /usr/share/plymouth) are NOT covered — for those, use
+omarchy-dev-pkg-test to build and install the package from the checkout.
+USAGE
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+target=$(realpath -e "$1" 2>/dev/null) || {
+  echo "Error: path does not exist: $1" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+# Sanity: looks like an omarchy-installer checkout?
+for required in bin default shell; do
+  if [[ ! -d "$target/$required" ]]; then
+    echo "Warning: $target/$required not found — does this look like an omarchy-installer checkout?" >&2
+  fi
+done
+
+echo "Pointing Omarchy at $target"
+printf 'export OMARCHY_PATH="${OMARCHY_PATH:-%s}"\n' "$target" | sudo tee /etc/omarchy.conf >/dev/null
+
+# Update the current shell so the rest of this script and anything spawned
+# from it see the new path.
+export OMARCHY_PATH="$target"
+export PATH="$target/bin:$PATH"
+
+# Update the live Hyprland session if one is running.
+if command -v hyprctl >/dev/null 2>&1 && hyprctl version &>/dev/null; then
+  hyprctl setenv OMARCHY_PATH "$target" >/dev/null
+  hyprctl setenv PATH "$PATH" >/dev/null
+  echo "  Updated Hyprland session env."
+
+  systemctl --user import-environment OMARCHY_PATH PATH 2>/dev/null || true
+  echo "  Updated systemd --user env."
+
+  if pgrep -x quickshell >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    omarchy-restart-shell
+    echo "  Restarted omarchy-shell."
+  fi
+
+  hyprctl reload >/dev/null
+  echo "  Reloaded Hyprland config."
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "Done. Open a new shell (or restart existing ones) to pick up the new"
+echo "OMARCHY_PATH. Run 'omarchy dev unlink' to restore the package install."
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-pkg-test b/bin/omarchy-dev-pkg-test
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d835e167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-pkg-test
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# omarchy:summary=Build and install an Omarchy package from a local checkout
+# omarchy:group=dev
+# omarchy:args=[package-name] [path-to-checkout]
+# omarchy:examples=omarchy dev pkg-test omarchy-settings | omarchy dev pkg-test omarchy ~/Work/omarchy/omarchy-installer
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ ${1:-} == "-h" || ${1:-} == "--help" ]]; then
+  cat <<USAGE
+Usage: omarchy dev pkg-test [package-name] [path-to-checkout]
+
+Builds and installs an Omarchy package from a local omarchy-installer
+checkout. Use when changes need to land at fixed system paths (/etc/,
+/usr/lib/systemd/, udev rule bodies, plymouth) that omarchy-dev-link
+can't shadow.
+
+Defaults:
+  package-name      omarchy-settings
+  path-to-checkout  ~/Work/omarchy/omarchy-installer
+
+The pkgver of the built package is tagged 'dev.<short-sha>[.dirty]' so
+'pacman -Q' makes it obvious where the installed version came from.
+
+PKGBUILDs are read from \${OMARCHY_PKGBUILDS_DIR:-~/Work/omarchy/omarchy-pkgs/pkgbuilds}/<package-name>/.
+USAGE
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+PKG="${1:-omarchy-settings}"
+CHECKOUT="${2:-$HOME/Work/omarchy/omarchy-installer}"
+PKGBUILDS_ROOT="${OMARCHY_PKGBUILDS_DIR:-$HOME/Work/omarchy/omarchy-pkgs/pkgbuilds}"
+PKGBUILD_DIR="$PKGBUILDS_ROOT/$PKG"
+
+if [[ ! -d "$CHECKOUT" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: checkout not found at $CHECKOUT" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [[ ! -f "$PKGBUILD_DIR/PKGBUILD" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: PKGBUILD not found at $PKGBUILD_DIR/PKGBUILD" >&2
+  echo "       Pass a different package name as arg 1, or set OMARCHY_PKGBUILDS_DIR." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+build_dir=$(mktemp -d -t omarchy-dev-pkg-test.XXXXXX)
+trap 'rm -rf "$build_dir"' EXIT
+
+cp -a "$PKGBUILD_DIR/." "$build_dir/"
+
+# Mark the build with a versioned dev pkgver so pacman -Q makes the source obvious.
+short_sha=$(git -C "$CHECKOUT" rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "local")
+dirty=""
+if [[ -d "$CHECKOUT/.git" ]] && [[ -n "$(git -C "$CHECKOUT" status --porcelain)" ]]; then
+  dirty=".dirty"
+fi
+new_pkgver="dev.${short_sha}${dirty}"
+sed -i "s/^pkgver=.*/pkgver=${new_pkgver}/" "$build_dir/PKGBUILD"
+
+echo "Building $PKG ${new_pkgver} from $CHECKOUT"
+echo "  build dir: $build_dir"
+echo "  PKGBUILD : $PKGBUILD_DIR/PKGBUILD"
+echo
+
+cd "$build_dir"
+OMARCHY_SRC="$CHECKOUT" makepkg -si --skipchecksums --noconfirm "${@:3}"
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-status b/bin/omarchy-dev-status
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..79f7c24c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-status
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# omarchy:summary=Show the current Omarchy dev-link state
+# omarchy:group=dev
+
+if [[ -f /etc/omarchy.conf ]]; then
+  # Source in a subshell so we don't mutate the caller's env.
+  configured=$(
+    OMARCHY_PATH=
+    # shellcheck disable=SC1091
+    . /etc/omarchy.conf
+    printf '%s' "${OMARCHY_PATH:-<empty>}"
+  )
+  echo "dev-link: ACTIVE"
+  echo "  /etc/omarchy.conf -> OMARCHY_PATH=$configured"
+else
+  configured="/usr/share/omarchy (default)"
+  echo "dev-link: inactive"
+fi
+
+echo "  current shell:       OMARCHY_PATH=${OMARCHY_PATH:-<unset>}"
+
+if [[ -f /etc/omarchy.conf && "${OMARCHY_PATH:-}" != "$configured" ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "Note: this shell predates dev-link. Open a new shell to pick up the change,"
+  echo "or 'export OMARCHY_PATH=$configured' to update just this shell."
+fi
+
+if command -v hyprctl >/dev/null 2>&1 && hyprctl version &>/dev/null; then
+  hypr_path=$(hyprctl getoption -j env 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's/.*OMARCHY_PATH=\([^"]*\).*/\1/p' | head -1)
+  if [[ -n "$hypr_path" ]]; then
+    echo "  hyprland session:   OMARCHY_PATH=$hypr_path"
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..dbdd0f52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# omarchy:summary=Restore Omarchy to the package install (undo omarchy-dev-link)
+# omarchy:group=dev
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ ${1:-} == "-h" || ${1:-} == "--help" ]]; then
+  cat <<USAGE
+Usage: omarchy dev unlink
+
+Removes /etc/omarchy.conf so OMARCHY_PATH falls back to /usr/share/omarchy
+(the package install). Updates Hyprland/systemd session env and restarts
+omarchy-shell so live state matches.
+USAGE
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -f /etc/omarchy.conf ]]; then
+  echo "Not currently linked. OMARCHY_PATH already resolves to /usr/share/omarchy."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+sudo rm -f /etc/omarchy.conf
+echo "Removed /etc/omarchy.conf"
+
+# Update the current shell.
+export OMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy
+# Drop the prepended checkout bin/ from PATH if present.
+PATH=$(printf '%s' "$PATH" | tr ':' '\n' | grep -vFx "$(dirname "$0")" | paste -sd:)
+export PATH
+
+# Update the live Hyprland session.
+if command -v hyprctl >/dev/null 2>&1 && hyprctl version &>/dev/null; then
+  hyprctl setenv OMARCHY_PATH /usr/share/omarchy >/dev/null
+  hyprctl setenv PATH "$PATH" >/dev/null
+  echo "  Updated Hyprland session env."
+
+  systemctl --user import-environment OMARCHY_PATH PATH 2>/dev/null || true
+  echo "  Updated systemd --user env."
+
+  if pgrep -x quickshell >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    omarchy-restart-shell
+    echo "  Restarted omarchy-shell."
+  fi
+
+  hyprctl reload >/dev/null
+  echo "  Reloaded Hyprland config."
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "Done. Existing shells still have the old OMARCHY_PATH until restarted."