diff --git a/modules/config/default/+evil-bindings.el b/modules/config/default/+evil-bindings.el
index 3bd46abca..7613a0a2a 100644
--- a/modules/config/default/+evil-bindings.el
+++ b/modules/config/default/+evil-bindings.el
@@ -510,8 +510,6 @@
        :desc "Copy link to remote"         "y"   #'+vc/browse-at-remote-kill
        :desc "Copy link to homepage"       "Y"   #'+vc/browse-at-remote-kill-homepage
        :desc "Git time machine"            "t"   #'git-timemachine-toggle
-       (:when (modulep! :ui hydra)
-        :desc "SMerge"                    "m"   #'+vc/smerge-hydra/body)
        (:when (modulep! :ui vc-gutter)
         :desc "Revert hunk at point"      "r"   #'+vc-gutter/revert-hunk
         :desc "stage hunk at point"       "s"   #'+vc-gutter/stage-hunk
diff --git a/modules/emacs/vc/config.el b/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
index dd2f47c7c..e8adb46dd 100644
--- a/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
+++ b/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
@@ -45,6 +45,20 @@
   (set-evil-initial-state! 'vc-dir-mode 'emacs))
 
 
+(use-package! smerge-mode
+  :defer t
+  :init
+  (add-hook! 'find-file-hook
+    (defun +vc-init-smerge-mode-h ()
+      (unless (bound-and-true-p smerge-mode)
+        (save-excursion
+          (goto-char (point-min))
+          (when (re-search-forward "^<<<<<<< " nil t)
+            (smerge-mode 1))))))
+  :config
+  (define-key smerge-mode-map (kbd doom-localleader-key) smerge-basic-map))
+
+
 (after! git-timemachine
   ;; Sometimes I forget `git-timemachine' is enabled in a buffer, so instead of
   ;; showing revision details in the minibuffer, show them in