diff --git a/src/bin/ent/main.rs b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
index 4118ed3..1698954 100644
--- a/src/bin/ent/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
@@ -99,12 +99,6 @@ enum Commands {
         issue_id: String,
         done_time: Option<String>,
     },
-
-    /// get or add a dependency to the issue
-    Depend {
-        issue_id: String,
-        dependency_id: Option<String>,
-    },
 }
 
 fn handle_command(
@@ -516,43 +510,6 @@ fn handle_command(
                 },
             };
         }
-
-        Commands::Depend {
-            issue_id,
-            dependency_id,
-        } => match dependency_id {
-            Some(dep_id) => {
-                let ent_db = entomologist::database::make_issues_database(
-                    issues_database_source,
-                    entomologist::database::IssuesDatabaseAccess::ReadWrite,
-                )?;
-                let mut issues = entomologist::issues::Issues::new_from_dir(&ent_db.dir)?;
-                if issues.issues.contains_key(dep_id) {
-                    if let Some(issue) = issues.issues.get_mut(issue_id) {
-                        issue.add_dependency(dep_id.clone())?;
-                    } else {
-                        Err(anyhow::anyhow!("issue {} not found", issue_id))?;
-                    };
-                } else {
-                    Err(anyhow::anyhow!("dependency {} not found", dep_id))?;
-                };
-            }
-            None => {
-                let ent_db = entomologist::database::read_issues_database(issues_database_source)?;
-
-                let Some(issue) = ent_db.issues.get(issue_id) else {
-                    Err(anyhow::anyhow!("issue {} not found", issue_id))?
-                };
-                println!("DEPENDENCIES:");
-                if let Some(list) = &issue.dependencies {
-                    for dependency in list {
-                        println!("{}", dependency);
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    println!("NONE");
-                }
-            }
-        },
     }
 
     Ok(())
@@ -574,7 +531,7 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         (Some(_), Some(_)) => {
             return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
                 "don't specify both `--issues-dir` and `--issues-branch`"
-            ));
+            ))
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/src/issue.rs b/src/issue.rs
index 5022ace..e129dff 100644
--- a/src/issue.rs
+++ b/src/issue.rs
@@ -62,12 +62,6 @@ pub enum IssueError {
     StdioIsNotTerminal,
     #[error("Failed to parse issue ID")]
     IdError,
-    #[error("Dependency not found")]
-    DepNotFound,
-    #[error("Dependency already exists")]
-    DepExists,
-    #[error("Self-dependency not allowed")]
-    DepSelf,
 }
 
 impl FromStr for State {
@@ -134,8 +128,15 @@ impl Issue {
                         std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?.trim(),
                     )?;
                     done_time = Some(raw_done_time.into());
-                } else if file_name == "dependencies" && direntry.metadata()?.is_dir() {
-                    dependencies = Self::read_dependencies(&direntry.path())?;
+                } else if file_name == "dependencies" {
+                    let dep_strings = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
+                    let deps: Vec<IssueHandle> = dep_strings
+                        .lines()
+                        .map(|dep| IssueHandle::from(dep))
+                        .collect();
+                    if deps.len() > 0 {
+                        dependencies = Some(deps);
+                    }
                 } else if file_name == "tags" {
                     let contents = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
                     tags = contents
@@ -198,23 +199,6 @@ impl Issue {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn read_dependencies(dir: &std::path::Path) -> Result<Option<Vec<IssueHandle>>, IssueError> {
-        let mut dependencies: Option<Vec<String>> = None;
-        for direntry in dir.read_dir()? {
-            if let Ok(direntry) = direntry {
-                match &mut dependencies {
-                    Some(deps) => {
-                        deps.push(direntry.file_name().into_string().unwrap());
-                    }
-                    None => {
-                        dependencies = Some(vec![direntry.file_name().into_string().unwrap()]);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        Ok(dependencies)
-    }
-
     /// Add a new Comment to the Issue.  Commits.
     pub fn add_comment(
         &mut self,
@@ -423,46 +407,6 @@ impl Issue {
         }
         return false;
     }
-
-    pub fn add_dependency(&mut self, dep: IssueHandle) -> Result<(), IssueError> {
-        if self.id == dep {
-            Err(IssueError::DepSelf)?;
-        }
-        match &mut self.dependencies {
-            Some(v) => v.push(dep.clone()),
-            None => self.dependencies = Some(vec![dep.clone()]),
-        }
-        let mut dir = std::path::PathBuf::from(&self.dir);
-        dir.push("dependencies");
-        if !dir.exists() {
-            std::fs::create_dir(&dir)?;
-        }
-
-        dir.push(dep.clone());
-
-        if !dir.exists() {
-            std::fs::File::create(&dir)?;
-            self.commit(&format!("add dep {} to issue {}", dep, self.id))?;
-        } else {
-            Err(IssueError::DepExists)?;
-        }
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
-    pub fn remove_dependency(&mut self, dep: IssueHandle) -> Result<(), IssueError> {
-        match &mut self.dependencies {
-            Some(v) => {
-                if let Some(i) = v.iter().position(|d| d == &dep) {
-                    v.remove(i);
-                } else {
-                    Err(IssueError::DepNotFound)?;
-                }
-            }
-            None => Err(IssueError::DepNotFound)?,
-        }
-        self.commit(&format!("remove dep {} from issue {}", dep, self.id))?;
-        Ok(())
-    }
 }
 
 // This is the internal/private API of Issue.
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71e4ee3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f
+dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561 b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000