diff --git a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/default.nix b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/default.nix
index b3b5801a..206df8ff 100644
--- a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/default.nix
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
 }:
 
 let
+  # for a python script that needs the lib/ directory
+  # TODO: would be better to package the lib directory as its own python library
+  pythonWithLib = args: static-nix-shell.mkPython3Bin (args // {
+    postInstall = args.postInstall or "" + ''
+      mkdir -p $out/bin/lib
+      cp -R lib/* $out/bin/lib/
+    '';
+  });
   nix-shell-scripts = {
     # anything added to this attrset gets symlink-joined into `sane-scripts`
     # and is made available through `sane-scripts.passthru`
@@ -18,12 +26,12 @@ let
       src = ./src;
       pkgs = [ "duplicity" ];
     };
-    bt-add = static-nix-shell.mkPython3Bin {
+    bt-add = pythonWithLib {
       pname = "sane-bt-add";
       src = ./src;
       pkgs = [ "transmission" ];
     };
-    bt-rm = static-nix-shell.mkBash {
+    bt-rm = pythonWithLib {
       pname = "sane-bt-rm";
       src = ./src;
       pkgs = [ "transmission" ];
diff --git a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/lib/sane_torrent.py b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/lib/sane_torrent.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44b285ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/lib/sane_torrent.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, Namespace
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+import os.path
+import subprocess
+
+@dataclass
+class MediaMeta:
+    title: str | None
+    prefix: str | None
+    author: str | None
+    type_: "film" | "show" | "book" | "audiobook" | "vn"  # TODO: use enumeration
+
+    @classmethod
+    def add_arguments(self, parser: ArgumentParser):
+        parser.add_argument("--prefix", help="additional path component before anything implied by the other options (but after the base media dir")
+        parser.add_argument("--film", action="store_true")
+        parser.add_argument("--show", help="ShowTitle")
+        parser.add_argument("--book", help="BookTitle")
+        parser.add_argument("--audiobook", help="AudiobookTitle")
+        parser.add_argument("--vn", help="VisualNovelTitle  (for comics/manga)")
+        parser.add_argument("--author", help="FirstnameLastname")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_arguments(self, args: Namespace) -> Self:
+        title = None
+        type_ = None
+        if args.film:
+            type_ = "film"
+        if args.show != None:
+            type_ = "show"
+            title = args.show
+        if args.book != None:
+            type_ = "book"
+            title = args.book
+        if args.audiobook != None:
+            type_ = "audiobook"
+            title = args.audiobook
+        if args.vn != None:
+            type_ = "vn"
+            title = args.vn
+        assert type_ is not None, "no torrent type specified!"
+        return MediaMeta(
+            title=title,
+            prefix=args.prefix,
+            author=args.author,
+            type_=type_,
+        )
+
+    @property
+    def type_path(self) -> str:
+        return dict(
+            film="Videos/Film/",
+            show="Videos/Shows/",
+            book="Books/Books/",
+            audiobook="Books/Audiobooks/",
+            vn="Books/Visual/",
+        )[self.type_]
+
+    def fs_path(self, base: str="/var/lib/uninsane/media/"):
+        return os.path.join(base, self.prefix or "", self.type_path, self.author or "", self.title or "")
+
+
+def dry_check_call(args: list[str]):
+    print("not invoking because dry run: " + ' '.join(args))
+
+class TransmissionApi:
+    ENDPOINT="https://bt.uninsane.org/transmission/rpc"
+    PASSFILE="/run/secrets/transmission_passwd"
+
+    def __init__(self, check_call = subprocess.check_call):
+        self.check_call = check_call
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def add_arguments(parser: ArgumentParser):
+        parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true", help="only show what would be done; don't invoke transmission")
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def from_arguments(args: Namespace) -> Self:
+        return TransmissionApi(check_call = dry_check_call if args.dry_run else subprocess.check_call)
+
+    @property
+    def auth(self) -> str:
+        return open(self.PASSFILE, "r").read().strip()
+
+    def add_torrent(self, meta: MediaMeta, torrent: str):
+        print(f"saving to {meta.fs_path()}")
+        self.call_transmission([
+            "--download-dir", meta.fs_path(),
+            "--add", torrent,
+        ])
+
+    def rm_torrent(self, torrent: str | int):
+        print(f"deleting {torrent}")
+        self.call_transmission([
+            "--torrent", torrent,
+            "--remove-and-delete"
+        ])
+
+    def call_transmission(self, args: list[str]):
+        self.check_call([
+            "transmission-remote",
+            self.ENDPOINT,
+            "--auth", f"colin:{self.auth}",
+        ] + args)
diff --git a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-add b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-add
index ec0498d1..4b14ab34 100755
--- a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-add
+++ b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-add
@@ -3,52 +3,23 @@
 # vim: set filetype=python :
 
 import argparse
-import subprocess
 import sys
 
 sys.path.insert(0, ".")  # to import `lib`
 
-from lib.sane_torrent import MediaMeta
+from lib.sane_torrent import MediaMeta, TransmissionApi
 
-def dry_check_call(args: list[str]):
-    print("not invoking because dry run: " + ' '.join(args))
-
-class Executor:
-    ENDPOINT="https://bt.uninsane.org/transmission/rpc"
-    PASSFILE="/run/secrets/transmission_passwd"
-
-    def __init__(self, check_call = subprocess.check_call):
-        self.check_call = check_call
-
-    @property
-    def auth(self) -> str:
-        return open(self.PASSFILE, "r").read()
-
-    def add_torrent(self, meta: MediaMeta, torrent: str):
-        print(f"saving to {meta.fs_path()}")
-        self.call_transmission([
-            "--download-dir", meta.fs_path(),
-            "--add", torrent,
-        ])
-
-    def call_transmission(self, args: list[str]):
-        self.check_call([
-            "transmission-remote",
-            self.ENDPOINT,
-            "--auth", f"colin:{self.auth}",
-        ] + args)
 
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    TransmissionApi.add_arguments(parser)
     MediaMeta.add_arguments(parser)
-    parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true", help="only show what would be done; don't invoke transmission")
     parser.add_argument("torrent", help="magnet: URI or file path to torrent")
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
     meta = MediaMeta.from_arguments(args)
-    dry_run = args.dry_run
+    executor = TransmissionApi.from_arguments(args)
     torrent = args.torrent
-    executor = Executor(check_call = dry_check_call if dry_run else subprocess.check_call)
 
     executor.add_torrent(meta, torrent)
 
diff --git a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-rm b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-rm
index 5d2908b7..5f65de46 100755
--- a/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-rm
+++ b/pkgs/additional/sane-scripts/src/sane-bt-rm
@@ -1,11 +1,27 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env nix-shell
-#!nix-shell -i bash -p transmission
+#!nix-shell -i python3 -p "python3.withPackages (ps: [  ])" -p transmission
+# vim: set filetype=python :
 
 # removes a torrent and trashes its data
-# usage: sane-bt-rm <torrent>
-# where <torrent> is a magnet URL, or an identifier from sane-bt-show (e.g. 132)
 
-endpoint=https://bt.uninsane.org/transmission/rpc
-PASS=$(sudo cat /run/secrets/transmission_passwd)
+import argparse
+import sys
 
-transmission-remote "$endpoint" --auth "colin:$PASS" --torrent "$1" --remove-and-delete
+sys.path.insert(0, ".")  # to import `lib`
+
+from lib.sane_torrent import TransmissionApi
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    TransmissionApi.add_arguments(parser)
+    parser.add_argument("torrent", help="numerical ID of the torrent in the transmission list (see sane-bt-show)")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    executor = TransmissionApi.from_arguments(args)
+    torrent = args.torrent
+
+    executor.rm_torrent(torrent)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()