diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index b3f43b6..149576c 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ updates:
     allow:
       - dependency-type: direct
       - dependency-type: indirect
-    ignore:
-      # Bincode is unmaintained and considered complete (sans CVE fixes). v3
-      # exists but is effectively an empty crate. For context, see:
-      # https://crates.io/crates/bincode/3.0.0
-      - dependency-name: bincode
-        update-types: ["version-update:semver-major"]
     groups:
       cargo:
         patterns:
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index db34207..bea0cd6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -246,7 +246,6 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "brioche-packed-userland-exec"
 version = "0.1.1"
 dependencies = [
- "bincode",
  "brioche-pack",
  "brioche-resources",
  "bstr",
@@ -992,7 +991,6 @@ checksum = "7a2d987857b319362043e95f5353c0535c1f58eec5336fdfcf626430af7def58"
 name = "runnable-core"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
- "bincode",
  "brioche-resources",
  "bstr",
  "schemars 1.2.0",
diff --git a/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/Cargo.toml b/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/Cargo.toml
index 61544ae..e010bdf 100644
--- a/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ edition.workspace = true
 rust-version.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
-bincode = "2.0.0-rc.3"
 brioche-pack = { workspace = true }
 brioche-resources = { path = "../brioche-resources" }
 bstr = "1.12.1"
diff --git a/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/src/linux.rs b/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/src/linux.rs
index f0d9b1f..8f2f64c 100644
--- a/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/src/linux.rs
+++ b/crates/brioche-packed-userland-exec/src/linux.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ fn error_summary(error: &PackedError) -> &'static str {
             brioche_pack::ExtractPackError::MalformedMarker => {
                 "malformed marker at the end of the packed program"
             }
-            brioche_pack::ExtractPackError::InvalidPack(_) => "failed to parse pack: bincode error",
+            brioche_pack::ExtractPackError::InvalidPack(_) => "failed to deserialize pack data",
             brioche_pack::ExtractPackError::TryFromIntError(_) => "integer conversion error",
         },
         PackedError::PackResourceDirError(error) => match error {
diff --git a/crates/brioche-packer/Cargo.toml b/crates/brioche-packer/Cargo.toml
index fa73c5c..bd2141b 100644
--- a/crates/brioche-packer/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/brioche-packer/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ color-eyre = "0.6.5"
 eyre = "0.6.12"
 globset = "0.4.18"
 goblin = "0.10.4"
-runnable-core = { path = "../runnable-core" }
+runnable-core = { path = "../runnable-core", features = ["schema"] }
 schemars = "1.2.0"
 serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = { version = "1.0.149" }
diff --git a/crates/runnable-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/runnable-core/Cargo.toml
index 91706c1..fd100d2 100644
--- a/crates/runnable-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/runnable-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,13 +4,16 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 edition.workspace = true
 rust-version.workspace = true
 
+[features]
+default = []
+schema = ["dep:schemars", "serde_with/schemars_1"]
+
 [dependencies]
-bincode = "2.0.0-rc.3"
 brioche-resources = { path = "../brioche-resources" }
 bstr = "1.12.1"
-schemars = "1.2.0"
+schemars = { version = "1.2.0", optional = true }
 serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
-serde_with = { version = "3.16.1", features = ["schemars_1"] }
+serde_with = "3.16.1"
 thiserror = "2.0.17"
 tick-encoding = "0.1.3"
 
diff --git a/crates/runnable-core/src/encoding.rs b/crates/runnable-core/src/encoding.rs
index 26af19d..96f999f 100644
--- a/crates/runnable-core/src/encoding.rs
+++ b/crates/runnable-core/src/encoding.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "schema")]
 impl<T> serde_with::schemars_1::JsonSchemaAs<T> for TickEncoded {
     fn schema_name() -> Cow<'static, str> {
         "TickEncoded".into()
diff --git a/crates/runnable-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/runnable-core/src/lib.rs
index 424cecc..2647228 100644
--- a/crates/runnable-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/runnable-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,14 +8,8 @@ pub mod encoding;
 pub const FORMAT: &str = "application/vnd.brioche.runnable-v0.1.0+json";
 
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct Runnable {
     pub command: Template,
@@ -33,14 +27,8 @@ pub struct Runnable {
     pub source: Option<RunnableSource>,
 }
 
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 #[serde(tag = "type")]
 pub enum ArgValue {
@@ -52,15 +40,8 @@ pub enum ArgValue {
 }
 
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    Clone,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 #[serde(tag = "type")]
 pub enum EnvValue {
@@ -89,16 +70,8 @@ pub enum EnvValue {
 }
 
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    Clone,
-    Default,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct Template {
     pub components: Vec<TemplateComponent>,
@@ -163,15 +136,8 @@ impl Template {
 }
 
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    Clone,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 #[serde(tag = "type")]
 pub enum TemplateComponent {
@@ -192,29 +158,16 @@ pub enum TemplateComponent {
     },
 }
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct RunnableSource {
     pub path: RunnablePath,
 }
 
 #[serde_with::serde_as]
-#[derive(
-    Debug,
-    Clone,
-    serde::Serialize,
-    serde::Deserialize,
-    schemars::JsonSchema,
-    bincode::Encode,
-    bincode::Decode,
-)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 #[serde(tag = "type")]
 pub enum RunnablePath {