diff --git a/common.go b/common.go
index c41970d..075b026 100644
--- a/common.go
+++ b/common.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package repolist
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -172,3 +176,34 @@ func (rl *RepoList) TotalGo() int {
 	}
 	return count
 }
+
+// very much a hack job
+func (rl *RepoList) MakeGoWork() error {
+	goSrcDir := os.Getenv("REPO_WORK_PATH")
+	filename := filepath.Join(goSrcDir, "go.work")
+
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(filename, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(f, "go 1.21.4") // fix this
+	fmt.Fprintln(f, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(f, "use (")
+	for _, repo := range rl.allrepos {
+		if repo.Status.GoPath() == "" {
+			// skip repos that aren't go
+			// todo: handle non-flat repos?
+			continue
+		}
+		if repo.Status.Exists("go.mod") {
+			fmt.Fprintln(f, "\t"+repo.Status.GoPath())
+		} else {
+			log.Info("missing go.mod for", repo.Status.Path())
+			repo.Status.MakeRedomod()
+		}
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintln(f, ")")
+	return nil
+}