diff --git a/packages/auth/package.json b/packages/auth/package.json
index c8e499876..e348601d0 100644
--- a/packages/auth/package.json
+++ b/packages/auth/package.json
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@
 		"better-auth": "1.6.23",
 		"drizzle-orm": "1.0.0-rc.4",
 		"jose": "^6.2.3",
-		"react": "^19.2.7",
-		"zod": "^4.4.3"
+		"react": "^19.2.7"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
 		"@reactive-resume/config": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/packages/auth/src/types.ts b/packages/auth/src/types.ts
index 2d5bc5454..e5d6e9ee3 100644
--- a/packages/auth/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/auth/src/types.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import type { auth } from "./config";
-import z from "zod";
 
 export type AuthSession = {
 	session: typeof auth.$Infer.Session.session;
 	user: typeof auth.$Infer.Session.user;
 };
 
-const authProviderSchema = z.enum(["credential", "passkey", "google", "github", "linkedin", "custom"]);
-
-export type AuthProvider = z.infer<typeof authProviderSchema>;
+// ponytail: plain union replaces z.enum solely used for type inference
+export type AuthProvider = "credential" | "passkey" | "google" | "github" | "linkedin" | "custom";
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 480c19691..3c4618524 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -706,9 +706,6 @@ importers:
       react:
         specifier: ^19.2.7
         version: 19.2.7
-      zod:
-        specifier: ^4.4.3
-        version: 4.4.3
     devDependencies:
       '@reactive-resume/config':
         specifier: workspace:*