diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index 0ce2d3f..ae29377 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -22,5 +22,4 @@ in rec {
     };
 
   mkShellHook = userConfig: (make userConfig).config.shellHook;
-  mkCLI = userConfig: (make userConfig).config.packages.soonix;
 }
diff --git a/lib/module.nix b/lib/module.nix
index 3ea44aa..f1c9942 100644
--- a/lib/module.nix
+++ b/lib/module.nix
@@ -154,65 +154,57 @@ in {
   config = let
     hooks = config.hooks;
     # allow excluding gitignore since stuff like renovate can't use/commit it anyways
-    runHooks = concatMapStringsSep "\n" (hookName: let
-      hook = hooks.${hookName};
-      modes = {
-        link =
-          # sh
-          ''
-            if [[ ! -L "${hook.output}" ]] || [[ "$(readlink "${hook.output}")" != "${hook.generatedDerivation}" ]]; then
-              _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Creating symlink: ${hook.output} -> ${hook.generatedDerivation}"
-              if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
+    getHookNames = {includeGitignored ? true}:
+      if includeGitignored
+      then (builtins.attrNames hooks)
+      else
+        map
+        (hook: hook.name)
+        (builtins.filter (hook: !hook.hook.gitignore) (builtins.attrValues hooks));
+
+    runHooks = args:
+      concatMapStringsSep "\n" (hookName: let
+        hook = hooks.${hookName};
+        modes = {
+          link =
+            # sh
+            ''
+              if [[ ! -L "${hook.output}" ]] || [[ "$(readlink "${hook.output}")" != "${hook.generatedDerivation}" ]]; then
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Creating symlink: ${hook.output} -> ${hook.generatedDerivation}"
                 mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
                 ln -sf "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+                _changed=true
               else
-                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Would create symlink: ${hook.output} -> ${hook.generatedDerivation}"
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Symlink up to date: ${hook.output}"
               fi
-              _changed=true
-            else
-              _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Symlink up to date: ${hook.output}"
-            fi
-          '';
-        copy =
-          # sh
-          ''
-            if [[ ! -f "${hook.output}" ]] || ! cmp -s "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"; then
-              _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Copying file: ${hook.generatedDerivation} -> ${hook.output}"
-              if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
+            '';
+          copy =
+            # sh
+            ''
+              if [[ ! -f "${hook.output}" ]] || ! cmp -s "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"; then
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Copying file: ${hook.generatedDerivation} -> ${hook.output}"
                 mkdir -p "$(dirname "${hook.output}")"
                 # required since they're read only
                 rm -f "${hook.output}"
                 cp "${hook.generatedDerivation}" "${hook.output}"
+                _changed=true
               else
-                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Would copy file: ${hook.generatedDerivation} -> ${hook.output}"
+                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "File up to date: ${hook.output}"
               fi
-              _changed=true
-            else
-              _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "File up to date: ${hook.output}"
-            fi
-          '';
-      };
+            '';
+        };
 
-      optionalGitignore =
-        if hook.hook.gitignore
-        then ''
-          _soonix_add_to_gitignore "${hook.output}"
+        optionalGitignore =
+          if hook.hook.gitignore
+          then ''
+            _soonix_add_to_gitignore "${hook.output}"
+          ''
+          else "";
+      in
+        builtins.addErrorContext "[soonix] while generating script for ${hookName}"
+        # sh
         ''
-        else "";
-
-      isGitignored =
-        if hook.hook.gitignore
-        then "true"
-        else "false";
-    in
-      builtins.addErrorContext "[soonix] while generating script for ${hookName}"
-      # sh
-      ''
-        # Process hook: ${hookName}
-        # Skip if SKIP_GITIGNORE is set and this hook is gitignored
-        if [[ "$SKIP_GITIGNORE" == "true" && "${isGitignored}" == "true" ]]; then
-          : # skip
-        else
+          # Process hook: ${hookName}
           while IFS= read -r line; do
             case "$line" in
               UPDATED) _soonix_updated+=("${hookName}") ;;
@@ -225,15 +217,13 @@ in {
 
             ${modes.${hook.hook.mode} or (throw "Mode ${hook.hook.mode} doesnt exist")}
 
-            if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" != "true" ]]; then
-              # Add to gitignore if requested
-              ${optionalGitignore}
+            # Add to gitignore if requested
+            ${optionalGitignore}
 
-              # Run extra commands if file changed
-              if [[ "$_changed" == "true" && -n "${hook.hook.extra}" ]]; then
-                _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Running extra command: ${hook.hook.extra}"
-                eval "${hook.hook.extra}"
-              fi
+            # Run extra commands if file changed
+            if [[ "$_changed" == "true" && -n "${hook.hook.extra}" ]]; then
+              _soonix_log "info" "${hookName}" "Running extra command: ${hook.hook.extra}"
+              eval "${hook.hook.extra}"
             fi
 
             if [[ "$_changed" == "true" ]]; then
@@ -245,17 +235,13 @@ in {
             _soonix_log "error" "${hookName}" "Failed to process hook"
             _soonix_failed+=("${hookName}")
           }
-        fi
-      '')
-    (builtins.attrNames hooks);
+        '')
+      (getHookNames args);
 
-    generateShellHook =
+    generateShellHook = args:
       builtins.addErrorContext "[soonix] while generating shell hook"
       # sh
       ''
-        CHECK_MODE=''${CHECK_MODE:-false}
-        SKIP_GITIGNORE=''${SKIP_GITIGNORE:-false}
-
         _soonix_log() {
           local level="$1"
           local hook="$2"
@@ -289,16 +275,13 @@ in {
         _soonix_failed=()
         _soonix_uptodate=()
 
-        ${runHooks}
+        ${runHooks args}
 
         local output=$'\E[msoonix:\E[38;5;8m'
         local status=0
 
         if [[ ''${#_soonix_updated[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
           output="$output [updated: ''${_soonix_updated[*]}]" >&2
-          if [[ "$CHECK_MODE" == "true" ]]; then
-            status=2
-          fi
         fi
         if [[ ''${#_soonix_uptodate[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
           output="$output [unchanged: ''${_soonix_uptodate[*]}]" >&2
@@ -310,8 +293,8 @@ in {
 
         printf "%s\E[m\n" "$output" >&2
 
-        if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
-          exit $status
+        if [[ $status -eq 1 ]]; then
+          exit 1
         fi
       '';
 
@@ -325,7 +308,7 @@ in {
     # nothing to do if no hooks exist
     shellHook =
       if (builtins.length (builtins.attrNames config.hooks) > 0)
-      then generateShellHook
+      then generateShellHook {}
       else "";
     shellHookFile = pkgs.writeShellScript "shellHook" shellHook;
     devshellModule = {
@@ -342,7 +325,6 @@ in {
           set -euo pipefail
 
           SKIP_GITIGNORE=false
-          CHECK_MODE=false
           COMMAND=""
 
           show_help() {
@@ -354,7 +336,6 @@ in {
 
           COMMANDS:
               update              Update all managed files
-              check               Check if all files are up to date (dry-run)
               list                List all managed file targets
               help                Show this help message
 
@@ -371,7 +352,7 @@ in {
 
           while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
             case "$1" in
-              update|check|list|help)
+              update|list|help)
                 COMMAND="$1"
                 shift
                 ;;
@@ -415,18 +396,17 @@ in {
           '') (builtins.attrNames hooks)}
               ;;
             update)
-              function _soonix() {
-                ${generateShellHook}
-              }
-              _soonix
-              ;;
-            check)
-              CHECK_MODE=true
-              echo "Checking files..."
-              function _soonix() {
-                ${generateShellHook}
-              }
-              _soonix
+              if [[ "$SKIP_GITIGNORE" == "true" ]]; then
+                function _soonix() {
+                  ${generateShellHook {includeGitignored = false;}}
+                }
+                _soonix
+              else
+                function _soonix() {
+                  ${generateShellHook {}}
+                }
+                _soonix
+              fi
               ;;
             esac
         '';
diff --git a/tests/soonix_test.nix b/tests/soonix_test.nix
index 39b6bbf..e5d266a 100644
--- a/tests/soonix_test.nix
+++ b/tests/soonix_test.nix
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ in {
             assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "test.json"
 
             assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "SKIP_GITIGNORE"
-            assert_file_contains "${soonixBin}" "CHECK_MODE"
           '';
       }
     ];