diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ec293f5..4181c3a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ public/css/tailwind.css
 # js
 node_modules
 public/js/*.min.js
+
+# hot reload
+public/__hotreload__
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8d770cc..9546aa7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,4 +13,7 @@ hermes: $(SOURCE)
 run:
 	tailwindcss -i public/css/base.css -o public/css/tailwind.css
 	templ generate -path pages
-	go run .
\ No newline at end of file
+	go run .
+
+dev:
+	bash hotreload.sh
diff --git a/hotreload.sh b/hotreload.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db89418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hotreload.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+BINARY=hermes
+PID=
+
+set -e
+
+function restart() {
+  date +%s.%N > public/__hotreload__
+  set +e
+  [[ -z "$PID" ]] || kill -15 $PID
+  make build -B
+  set -e
+  ./$BINARY 2>&1 &
+  PID=$(pidof $BINARY)
+}
+
+function cleanup() {
+    rm -f public/__hotreload__
+    [[ -z "$PID" ]] || kill -15 $PID
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+restart
+while inotifywait -r -e modify fonts/ lib/ pages/ public/ server/; do
+  restart
+done
diff --git a/pages/components/head.templ b/pages/components/head.templ
index 975e6ec..20c0c8e 100644
--- a/pages/components/head.templ
+++ b/pages/components/head.templ
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ templ Head() {
 			}'
 		/>
 		<script src="/js/htmx.js" integrity="sha384-Xh+GLLi0SMFPwtHQjT72aPG19QvKB8grnyRbYBNIdHWc2NkCrz65jlU7YrzO6qRp" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
+		if ctx.Value("env") != "production" {
+			<script defer src="/js/hotreload.js"></script>
+		}
 		<script type="text/javascript">
 			// helper functions
 			var $ = selector => document.querySelector(selector)
diff --git a/public/js/hotreload.js b/public/js/hotreload.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2af758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/js/hotreload.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/**
+ * This script polls /__hotreload__ and reloads the page if the response changes.
+ */
+
+
+// TODO: get commit from environment
+const commit = "000000"
+
+console.log(`running ${commit} in development mode`)
+
+async function fetchStatus() {
+    const r = await fetch("/__hotreload__", { cache: "no-cache" })
+    return await r.text()
+}
+
+async function hotreload() {
+    const status = await fetchStatus()
+    setInterval(async () => {
+        const newStatus = await fetchStatus()
+        if (status !== newStatus) window.location.reload()
+    }, 1_000)
+}
+hotreload().catch(console.error)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 17f7577..4784ff2 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+
 	"github.com/ekzyis/hermes/pages"
 	"github.com/labstack/echo/v4"
 	"github.com/labstack/echo/v4/middleware"
@@ -30,10 +33,19 @@ func New() *Server {
 	// e.HTTPErrorHandler = ...
 
 	e.GET("/", func(c echo.Context) error {
-		return pages.Index().Render(c.Request().Context(), c.Response().Writer)
+		return pages.Index().Render(getContext(c), c.Response().Writer)
 	})
 
 	s := &Server{e}
 
 	return s
 }
+
+func getContext(c echo.Context) context.Context {
+	ctx := c.Request().Context()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "env", os.Getenv("ENVIRONMENT"))
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "session", c.Get("session"))
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "commit", os.Getenv("GIT_COMMIT"))
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "path", c.Request().URL.Path)
+	return ctx
+}