diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
index c478751cd..949d1ed00 100644
--- a/.cargo/config.toml
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ rustflags = ["--cfg", "tokio_unstable"]
 bump-versions = "run -p upgrade-version --"
 llm = "run --package xtask-llm-benchmark --bin llm_benchmark --"
 ci = "run -p ci --"
-smoketest = "run -p xtask-smoketest -- smoketest"
+smoketest = "ci smoketests --"
 smoketests = "smoketest"
 
 [target.x86_64-pc-windows-msvc]
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 5a98ba7e9..f2dadefea 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -11085,14 +11085,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "urlencoding",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "xtask-smoketest"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "anyhow",
- "clap 4.5.50",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "xxhash-rust"
 version = "0.8.15"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e0f89952a..cbb16a759 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ members = [
   "tools/generate-client-api",
   "tools/gen-bindings",
   "tools/xtask-llm-benchmark",
-  "tools/xtask-smoketest",
   "crates/bindings-typescript/test-app/server",
   "crates/bindings-typescript/test-react-router-app/server",
   "crates/query-builder",
diff --git a/tools/ci/README.md b/tools/ci/README.md
index e56fa4bc0..c3fc615dd 100644
--- a/tools/ci/README.md
+++ b/tools/ci/README.md
@@ -93,14 +93,45 @@ Executes the smoketests suite with some default exclusions.
 
 **Usage:**
 ```bash
-Usage: smoketests [ARGS]...
+Usage: smoketests [OPTIONS] [ARGS]... [COMMAND]
 ```
 
 **Options:**
 
-- `args`: Additional arguments to pass to the smoketests runner. These are usually set by the CI environment, such as `-- --docker`
+- `--server`: Run tests against a remote server instead of spawning local servers.
+
+When specified, tests will connect to the given URL instead of starting local server instances. Tests that require local server control (like restart tests) will be skipped.
+
+- `--dotnet`: 
+- `args`: 
 - `--help`: Print help (see a summary with '-h')
 
+#### `prepare`
+
+Only build binaries without running tests
+
+Use this before running `cargo test --all` to ensure binaries are built.
+
+**Usage:**
+```bash
+Usage: prepare
+```
+
+**Options:**
+
+- `--help`: Print help (see a summary with '-h')
+
+#### `help`
+
+**Usage:**
+```bash
+Usage: help [COMMAND]...
+```
+
+**Options:**
+
+- `subcommand`: 
+
 ### `update-flow`
 
 Tests the update flow
diff --git a/tools/ci/src/main.rs b/tools/ci/src/main.rs
index 4e9a80f06..308cab389 100644
--- a/tools/ci/src/main.rs
+++ b/tools/ci/src/main.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use std::{env, fs};
 const README_PATH: &str = "tools/ci/README.md";
 
 mod ci_docs;
+mod smoketest;
 
 /// SpacetimeDB CI tasks
 ///
@@ -236,13 +237,7 @@ enum CiCmd {
     /// Runs smoketests
     ///
     /// Executes the smoketests suite with some default exclusions.
-    Smoketests {
-        #[arg(
-            trailing_var_arg = true,
-            long_help = "Additional arguments to pass to the smoketests runner. These are usually set by the CI environment, such as `-- --docker`"
-        )]
-        args: Vec<String>,
-    },
+    Smoketests(smoketest::SmoketestsArgs),
     /// Tests the update flow
     ///
     /// Tests the self-update flow by building the spacetimedb-update binary for the specified
@@ -481,19 +476,8 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             .run()?;
         }
 
-        Some(CiCmd::Smoketests { args: smoketest_args }) => {
-            // Use cargo smoketest (alias for xtask-smoketest) which handles:
-            // - Building binaries first (prevents race conditions)
-            // - Building precompiled modules
-            // - Using nextest if available, falling back to cargo test
-            // - Running in release mode with optimal parallelism
-            cmd(
-                "cargo",
-                ["smoketest", "--"]
-                    .into_iter()
-                    .chain(smoketest_args.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).clone()),
-            )
-            .run()?;
+        Some(CiCmd::Smoketests(args)) => {
+            smoketest::run(args)?;
         }
 
         Some(CiCmd::UpdateFlow {
diff --git a/tools/xtask-smoketest/src/main.rs b/tools/ci/src/smoketest.rs
similarity index 75%
rename from tools/xtask-smoketest/src/main.rs
rename to tools/ci/src/smoketest.rs
index 44bb0a4b0..595f702a9 100644
--- a/tools/xtask-smoketest/src/main.rs
+++ b/tools/ci/src/smoketest.rs
@@ -1,44 +1,32 @@
 #![allow(clippy::disallowed_macros)]
 use anyhow::{ensure, Result};
-use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
+use clap::{Args, Subcommand};
 use std::env;
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 
-/// SpacetimeDB development tasks
-#[derive(Parser)]
-#[command(name = "cargo xtask")]
-struct Cli {
+#[derive(Args)]
+/// This command first builds the spacetimedb-cli and spacetimedb-standalone binaries,
+/// then runs the smoketests. This prevents race conditions when running tests in parallel
+/// with nextest, where multiple test processes might try to build the same binaries
+/// simultaneously.
+pub struct SmoketestsArgs {
     #[command(subcommand)]
-    cmd: XtaskCmd,
-}
+    cmd: Option<SmoketestCmd>,
 
-#[derive(Subcommand)]
-enum XtaskCmd {
-    /// Run smoketests with pre-built binaries
+    /// Run tests against a remote server instead of spawning local servers.
     ///
-    /// This command first builds the spacetimedb-cli and spacetimedb-standalone binaries,
-    /// then runs the smoketests. This prevents race conditions when running tests in parallel
-    /// with nextest, where multiple test processes might try to build the same binaries
-    /// simultaneously.
-    Smoketest {
-        #[command(subcommand)]
-        cmd: Option<SmoketestCmd>,
+    /// When specified, tests will connect to the given URL instead of starting
+    /// local server instances. Tests that require local server control (like
+    /// restart tests) will be skipped.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    server: Option<String>,
 
-        /// Run tests against a remote server instead of spawning local servers.
-        ///
-        /// When specified, tests will connect to the given URL instead of starting
-        /// local server instances. Tests that require local server control (like
-        /// restart tests) will be skipped.
-        #[arg(long)]
-        server: Option<String>,
+    #[arg(long, default_value_t = true, action = clap::ArgAction::Set)]
+    dotnet: bool,
 
-        #[arg(long, default_value_t = true, action = clap::ArgAction::Set)]
-        dotnet: bool,
-
-        /// Additional arguments to pass to the test runner
-        #[arg(trailing_var_arg = true)]
-        args: Vec<String>,
-    },
+    /// Additional arguments to pass to the test runner
+    #[arg(trailing_var_arg = true)]
+    args: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Subcommand)]
@@ -49,24 +37,14 @@ enum SmoketestCmd {
     Prepare,
 }
 
-fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    let cli = Cli::parse();
-
-    match cli.cmd {
-        XtaskCmd::Smoketest {
-            cmd: Some(SmoketestCmd::Prepare),
-            ..
-        } => {
+pub fn run(args: SmoketestsArgs) -> Result<()> {
+    match args.cmd {
+        Some(SmoketestCmd::Prepare) => {
             build_binaries()?;
             eprintln!("Binaries ready. You can now run `cargo test --all`.");
             Ok(())
         }
-        XtaskCmd::Smoketest {
-            cmd: None,
-            server,
-            args,
-            dotnet: use_dotnet,
-        } => run_smoketest(server, use_dotnet, args),
+        None => run_smoketest(args.server, args.dotnet, args.args),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/xtask-smoketest/Cargo.toml b/tools/xtask-smoketest/Cargo.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0af68c2d6..000000000
--- a/tools/xtask-smoketest/Cargo.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-[package]
-name = "xtask-smoketest"
-version = "0.1.0"
-edition.workspace = true
-
-[dependencies]
-anyhow.workspace = true
-clap.workspace = true