diff --git a/includes/header.php b/includes/header.php
index e68c575..5fdcc75 100644
--- a/includes/header.php
+++ b/includes/header.php
@@ -11,9 +11,16 @@
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/modern-normalize.css">
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/common.css">
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/main.css">
-    <?php if (getenv('PHP_ENV') === 'development' || php_sapi_name() === 'cli-server'): ?>
+    <?php if (php_sapi_name() === 'cli-server'): ?>
         <!-- Live reload for development -->
-        <script src="/vendor/php-live-reload/php-live-reload/live-reload.js"></script>
+        <script>
+            (function poll() {
+                fetch('/live-reload.php')
+                    .then(r => r.json())
+                    .then(d => { if (d.changed) location.reload(); else setTimeout(poll, 1000); })
+                    .catch(() => setTimeout(poll, 2000));
+            })();
+        </script>
     <?php endif; ?>
 </head>
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 9d2bcdc..9998a08 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -27,11 +27,7 @@ serve:
     @echo "📍 Admin panel:  http://localhost:8000/admin/"
     @echo "🔒 Serving from public/ directory (matches production)"
     @echo ""
-    @if [ -d "vendor/php-live-reload" ]; then \
-        echo "✨ Live reload enabled - browser auto-refreshes on file save!"; \
-    else \
-        echo "💡 Tip: Run 'just setup' to enable live reload"; \
-    fi
+    @echo "✨ Live reload enabled - browser auto-refreshes on file save!"
     @echo ""
     @echo "Press Ctrl+C to stop"
     @echo ""
diff --git a/public/live-reload.php b/public/live-reload.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e88e085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/live-reload.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Simple live-reload endpoint for development.
+ * Polls file mtimes across all source directories and returns
+ * whether anything changed since last check.
+ *
+ * Only active when served by PHP's built-in CLI server.
+ */
+
+if (php_sapi_name() !== 'cli-server') {
+    http_response_code(403);
+    exit;
+}
+
+header('Content-Type: application/json');
+
+$root = dirname(__DIR__);
+
+$watchDirs = [
+    $root . '/public',
+    $root . '/includes',
+    $root . '/lib',
+    $root . '/config',
+];
+
+$watchExts = ['php', 'css', 'js', 'html'];
+
+$hash = '';
+foreach ($watchDirs as $dir) {
+    if (!is_dir($dir)) continue;
+    $it = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
+        new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($dir, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS)
+    );
+    foreach ($it as $file) {
+        if (in_array($file->getExtension(), $watchExts)) {
+            $hash .= $file->getMTime() . '|' . $file->getPathname() . "\n";
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+$fingerprint = md5($hash);
+$stateFile = sys_get_temp_dir() . '/posterg-live-reload.txt';
+
+$prev = file_exists($stateFile) ? file_get_contents($stateFile) : null;
+// First visit: write baseline, don't fire a reload
+if ($prev === null) {
+    file_put_contents($stateFile, $fingerprint);
+    $changed = false;
+} else {
+    $changed = $fingerprint !== $prev;
+    if ($changed) {
+        file_put_contents($stateFile, $fingerprint);
+    }
+}
+
+echo json_encode(['changed' => $changed]);