diff --git a/.changeset/clean-up-knip-config.md b/.changeset/clean-up-knip-config.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..902451d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/clean-up-knip-config.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"perstack": patch
+"create-expert": patch
+---
+
+refactor: remove phantom dependencies and clean up knip config
diff --git a/apps/create-expert/package.json b/apps/create-expert/package.json
index 6ed91690..22f5c473 100644
--- a/apps/create-expert/package.json
+++ b/apps/create-expert/package.json
@@ -25,10 +25,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@perstack/perstack-toml": "workspace:*",
     "@perstack/runtime": "workspace:*",
-    "commander": "^14.0.3",
-    "dotenv": "^17.3.1",
-    "ink": "^6.7.0",
-    "react": "^19.2.4"
+    "commander": "^14.0.3"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@perstack/tui": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/apps/create-expert/tsup.config.ts b/apps/create-expert/tsup.config.ts
index a0d09ce0..42ce0ac3 100644
--- a/apps/create-expert/tsup.config.ts
+++ b/apps/create-expert/tsup.config.ts
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ export default defineConfig({
   entry: {
     "bin/cli": "bin/cli.ts",
   },
+  external: ["react-devtools-core"],
 })
diff --git a/apps/perstack/package.json b/apps/perstack/package.json
index 8f9f9077..7ac6b8c3 100644
--- a/apps/perstack/package.json
+++ b/apps/perstack/package.json
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "commander": "^14.0.3",
-    "dotenv": "^17.3.1",
-    "ink": "^6.7.0",
-    "react": "^19.2.4"
+    "commander": "^14.0.3"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@perstack/installer": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/apps/perstack/tsup.config.ts b/apps/perstack/tsup.config.ts
index 2d9c52ff..69a987b3 100644
--- a/apps/perstack/tsup.config.ts
+++ b/apps/perstack/tsup.config.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export const cliConfig: Options = {
   entry: {
     "bin/cli": "bin/cli.ts",
   },
+  external: ["react-devtools-core"],
 }
 
 export default defineConfig(cliConfig)
diff --git a/knip.json b/knip.json
index 4a492f11..2b990517 100644
--- a/knip.json
+++ b/knip.json
@@ -15,14 +15,10 @@
   ],
   "workspaces": {
     "apps/perstack": {
-      "entry": ["bin/cli.ts"],
-      "ignoreDependencies": ["dotenv", "ink", "react"]
+      "entry": ["bin/cli.ts"]
     },
     "apps/create-expert": {
-      "ignoreDependencies": ["@perstack/runtime", "dotenv", "ink", "react"]
-    },
-    "packages/tui-components": {
-      "ignore": ["src/components/index.ts", "src/utils/index.ts"]
+      "ignoreDependencies": ["@perstack/runtime"]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/tui-components/src/utils/index.ts b/packages/tui-components/src/utils/index.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index c3be0952..00000000
--- a/packages/tui-components/src/utils/index.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-export { EventQueue } from "./event-queue.js"
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index b3698060..e0dc2a97 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -105,15 +105,6 @@ importers:
       commander:
         specifier: ^14.0.3
         version: 14.0.3
-      dotenv:
-        specifier: ^17.3.1
-        version: 17.3.1
-      ink:
-        specifier: ^6.7.0
-        version: 6.7.0(@types/react@19.2.14)(react@19.2.4)
-      react:
-        specifier: ^19.2.4
-        version: 19.2.4
     devDependencies:
       '@perstack/tui':
         specifier: workspace:*
@@ -170,15 +161,6 @@ importers:
       commander:
         specifier: ^14.0.3
         version: 14.0.3
-      dotenv:
-        specifier: ^17.3.1
-        version: 17.3.1
-      ink:
-        specifier: ^6.7.0
-        version: 6.7.0(@types/react@19.2.14)(react@19.2.4)
-      react:
-        specifier: ^19.2.4
-        version: 19.2.4
     devDependencies:
       '@perstack/installer':
         specifier: workspace:*