diff --git a/bin/bin/stoww b/bin/bin/stoww
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..38a0ff33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/bin/stoww
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# narrow symlinker
+
+while [ ! -z "$1" ]; do
+    echo "$1"
+    cd "$HOME/.dotfiles/$1"
+    find . -type f | while read -r path; do
+	target="${HOME}/${path}"
+	target=$(echo "$target" | sed 's#/\./#/#')
+
+	path="$(pwd)/${path}"
+	path=$(echo "$path" | sed 's#/\./#/#')
+
+	mkdir -p "$(dirname "$target")"
+
+	if readlink "$target" >/dev/null; then
+	    if [ "$(readlink "$target")" = "$path" ]; then
+		continue
+	    fi
+
+	    rm "$target"
+	fi
+
+	if [ -f "$target" ]; then
+	    if [ -z "$BS" ]; then
+		echo "skipping conflict: $target (set BS=t to override)" 1>&2
+		continue
+	    fi
+
+	    rm "$target"
+	fi
+
+	echo ln -s "$path" "$target"
+	ln -s "$path" "$target"
+    done
+
+    shift
+    echo
+done
diff --git a/bootstrap b/bootstrap
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 2a614d2a..0461a7b3
--- a/bootstrap
+++ b/bootstrap
@@ -2,18 +2,15 @@
 # depends on git, sh.
 
 for dir in bin git notes .config; do
-  mkdir -p "~/$dir"
+  mkdir -p "$HOME/$dir"
 done
 
-[ ! -d "~/.dotfiles" ] && git clone "https://github.com/neeasade/dotfiles" "~/.dotfiles"
-cd "~/.dotfiles"
+[ ! -d "$HOME/.dotfiles" ] && git clone "https://github.com/neeasade/dotfiles" "$HOME/.dotfiles"
+cd "$HOME/.dotfiles"
 
+echo >/tmp/stow_conflicts
 stoww() {
-  if [ ! -d "~/git/stowsh" ]; then
-      git clone "https://github.com/neeasade/stowsh" "~/git/stowsh"
-  fi
-
-  "~/git/stowsh/stowsh" -t .. "$@"
+    "${HOME}/.dotfiles/bin/bin/stoww" "$@" 2>/tmp/stow_conflicts
 }
 
 core() {
@@ -21,7 +18,7 @@ core() {
 }
 
 emacs() {
-  git clone "https://github.com/neeasade/emacs.d" "~/.emacs.d"
+  git clone "https://github.com/neeasade/emacs.d" "$HOME/.emacs.d"
 
   # initial launch/install packages
   type emacs >/dev/null 2>&1 && emacs
@@ -36,7 +33,7 @@ windows() {
   # prereq: windows/bootstrap.cmd
   core
 
-  for item in "$(cat ~/.dotfiles/windows/scoop.txt)"; do
+  for item in "$(cat $HOME/.dotfiles/windows/scoop.txt)"; do
     scoop install $item
   done
 
@@ -53,8 +50,13 @@ docker() {
 
 [ "$USER" = "emacser" ] && docker
 
+if [ -z "$*" ]; then
+    echo "options: core, rice, emacs"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # core, emacs, rice, windows
-op=${1:-core}
-echo bootstrapping $op...
-$op
-echo done.
+echo bootstrapping ${1}...
+$1
+cat /tmp/stow_conflicts | grep conflict
+echo bootstrapped ${1}...