diff --git a/overlays.nix b/overlays.nix
index 24da28f..e29673f 100644
--- a/overlays.nix
+++ b/overlays.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 flake_input@{ kpcli-py, nixgl, rust-overlay, ... }: [
+
   nixgl.overlays.default
+
   rust-overlay.overlays.default
+
   (final: prev: {
     # use python3.9, which works because of cython somehow?
     kpcli-py = final.poetry2nix.mkPoetryApplication {
@@ -16,5 +19,6 @@ flake_input@{ kpcli-py, nixgl, rust-overlay, ... }: [
       });
     };
   })
+
 ]
 
diff --git a/templates/rust-monorepo/.gitignore b/templates/rust-monorepo/.gitignore
index 4a45e6e..ca401be 100644
--- a/templates/rust-monorepo/.gitignore
+++ b/templates/rust-monorepo/.gitignore
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 debug/
 target/
 
-# Remove Cargo.lock from gitignore if creating an executable, leave it for libraries
-# More information here https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/guide/cargo-toml-vs-cargo-lock.html
-Cargo.lock
-
 # These are backup files generated by rustfmt
 **/*.rs.bk
 
diff --git a/templates/rust-monorepo/README.md b/templates/rust-monorepo/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22b176a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/rust-monorepo/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Rust-monorepo. TODO: Change this to your monorepo name
+
+## About this template 
+
+[![built with nix](https://builtwithnix.org/badge.svg)](https://builtwithnix.org)
+
+- Bootstrapped with [pegasust/dotfiles](https://git.pegasust.com/pegasust/dotfiles)
+
+- Uses [naersk](https://github.com/nix-community/naersk.git) to build package(s)
+
+- Provides [devShell (`nix develop`)](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/new-cli/nix3-develop.html),
+[shell.nix (`nix-shell -p ./`)](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/nix-shell.html)
+for development environment. It contains:
+  - The default `devShell` provides Nightly rustc via 
+[`gh:oxalica/rust-overlay`](https://github.com/oxalica/rust-overlay.git)
+  - [rustc components](https://rust-lang.github.io/rustup/concepts/components.html) includes
+  `rust-src`, [`rust-analyzer`](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-analyzer.git),
+  `clippy`, `miri`
+  - [`evcxr`: Rust REPL]() and [`bacon`: Rust nodemon]()
+
+## Check out these [killer libraries](https://jondot.medium.com/12-killer-rust-libraries-you-should-know-c60bab07624f)
+### Application development
+
+- [Serde](https://github.com/serde-rs/serde) for (de)serialization needs
+  - Data-driven programming in Rust starts with Serde
+  - Service system programming starts with defining your message protocols & data formats
+
+- [Clap](https://docs.rs/clap/latest/clap/) declarative CLI arguments
+  - Data-driven CLI development in Rust starts with Clap
+
+- [itertools](https://lib.rs/crates/itertools) for extra juice to iterators
+
+- [log](https://lib.rs/crates/log) or [env-logger](https://docs.rs/env_logger/latest/env_logger)
+for logging needs
+
+### Library development
+
+- [proptest](https://lib.rs/crates/proptest) for hyppothesis testing
+  - Data-driven testing starts with proptest
+
+
diff --git a/templates/rust-monorepo/flake.nix b/templates/rust-monorepo/flake.nix
index f352b18..a75001f 100644
--- a/templates/rust-monorepo/flake.nix
+++ b/templates/rust-monorepo/flake.nix
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
         devShell = with pkgs; mkShell {
           buildInputs = [
             rust_pkgs
+            # rust's compiler is quite powerful enough to the point where
+            # a REPL is not really necessary.
+            # Rely on the compiler and bacon 99% of the time
+            # only use REPL if you need to explore/prototype
+            # In that case, might as well put the code into sandbox
+            pkgs.evcxr
+            pkgs.bacon
           ];
           shellHook = ''
             # nix flake update # is this even needed?