@babrahams @elgusto what I do when I need to dissect an app into shared local packages, is to make my git root the topmost folder containing apps and packages
/project
/project/global-packages
/project/web-app
/project/mobile-app
/project/admin-panel
/project/misc
and use PACKAGE_DIRS to point at /project/global-packages
Since I commit the project directory, I can easily track and share the changes to everything.
I use the misc directory for some docs, configuration files that are not security-sensitive etc.