diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/config.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
index 92ff355..4875d62 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { parseNerveConfig } from "../parse-nerve-config.js";
 
+function testConsole(): { warn: (...args: unknown[]) => void } {
+  return (globalThis as unknown as { console: { warn: (...args: unknown[]) => void } }).console;
+}
+
 const VALID_CONFIG = `
 senses:
   cpu:
@@ -27,11 +31,21 @@ workflows:
 `;
 
 describe("parseNerveConfig", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.spyOn(testConsole(), "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
   describe("valid configs", () => {
     it("parses a full valid config", () => {
       const result = parseNerveConfig(VALID_CONFIG);
       expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
       if (!result.ok) return;
+      expect(testConsole().warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringMatching(/top-level `reflexes`.*deprecated/i),
+      );
 
       expect(result.value.senses.cpu).toEqual({
         group: "system",
@@ -39,6 +53,8 @@ describe("parseNerveConfig", () => {
         timeout: null,
         gracePeriod: null,
         retention: 10_000,
+        interval: 30_000,
+        on: [],
       });
       expect(result.value.senses.memory).toEqual({
         group: "system",
@@ -46,6 +62,8 @@ describe("parseNerveConfig", () => {
         timeout: 10_000,
         gracePeriod: 3000,
         retention: 10_000,
+        interval: null,
+        on: ["high_usage"],
       });
       expect(result.value.reflexes).toHaveLength(2);
       expect(result.value.reflexes[0]).toEqual({
@@ -79,6 +97,7 @@ reflexes: []
       expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
       if (!result.ok) return;
       expect(result.value.reflexes).toEqual([]);
+      expect(testConsole().warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     it("parses config without workflows section", () => {
@@ -112,6 +131,8 @@ reflexes: []
         timeout: null,
         gracePeriod: null,
         retention: 10_000,
+        interval: null,
+        on: [],
       });
     });
 
@@ -456,16 +477,62 @@ reflexes: []
       expect(result.error.message).toMatch(/senses/);
     });
 
-    it("returns error when reflexes is missing", () => {
+    it("accepts config without reflexes key (inline triggers only)", () => {
       const yaml = `
 senses:
   cpu:
     group: system
+    interval: 5s
+    on:
+      - memory
+  memory:
+    group: system
+`;
+      const result = parseNerveConfig(yaml);
+      expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+      if (!result.ok) return;
+      expect(result.value.senses.cpu.interval).toBe(5000);
+      expect(result.value.senses.cpu.on).toEqual(["memory"]);
+      expect(result.value.reflexes).toEqual([
+        { kind: "sense", sense: "cpu", interval: 5000, on: ["memory"] },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it("returns error when legacy reflex interval conflicts with sense interval", () => {
+      const yaml = `
+senses:
+  cpu:
+    group: system
+    interval: 10s
+reflexes:
+  - sense: cpu
+    interval: 5s
 `;
       const result = parseNerveConfig(yaml);
       expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
       if (result.ok) return;
-      expect(result.error.message).toMatch(/reflexes/);
+      expect(result.error.message).toMatch(/conflicting interval/);
+    });
+
+    it("merges legacy reflex on[] into sense on and dedupes", () => {
+      const yaml = `
+senses:
+  cpu:
+    group: system
+    on:
+      - a
+reflexes:
+  - sense: cpu
+    interval: 1s
+    on:
+      - a
+      - b
+`;
+      const result = parseNerveConfig(yaml);
+      expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+      if (!result.ok) return;
+      expect(result.value.senses.cpu.on).toEqual(["a", "b"]);
+      expect(result.value.senses.cpu.interval).toBe(1000);
     });
 
     it("returns error for invalid group name", () => {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/parse-nerve-config.ts b/packages/core/src/parse-nerve-config.ts
index c24db8b..7196785 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/parse-nerve-config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/parse-nerve-config.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,102 @@ function validateSenseConfig(name: string, raw: unknown): Result<SenseConfig> {
   });
 }
 
+const LEGACY_REFLEXES_DEPRECATION =
+  "[nerve] Deprecated: top-level `reflexes` in nerve.yaml is deprecated. Move each reflex's `interval` and `on` fields onto the corresponding sense under `senses.<name>`.";
+
+/** Uses `globalThis` so declaration emit works without DOM / Node `lib` typings for `console`. */
+function warnToConsole(message: string): void {
+  const c = (globalThis as unknown as { console: { warn: (m: string) => void } }).console;
+  c.warn(message);
+}
+
+function mergeOnLists(existing: readonly string[], extra: readonly string[]): string[] {
+  const seen = new Set(existing);
+  const out = [...existing];
+  for (const name of extra) {
+    if (seen.has(name)) continue;
+    seen.add(name);
+    out.push(name);
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+function mergeSenseIntervalFromLegacyReflex(
+  senseName: string,
+  senseInterval: number | null,
+  reflexInterval: number | null,
+  reflexIndex: number,
+): Result<number | null> {
+  if (reflexInterval === null) return ok(senseInterval);
+  if (senseInterval === null) return ok(reflexInterval);
+  if (senseInterval === reflexInterval) return ok(senseInterval);
+  return err(
+    new Error(
+      `reflexes[${reflexIndex}].sense "${senseName}": conflicting interval (sense has ${senseInterval} ms, reflex has ${reflexInterval} ms); use a single interval source`,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+function buildReflexesFromSenses(senses: Record<string, SenseConfig>): ReflexConfig[] {
+  const reflexes: ReflexConfig[] = [];
+  for (const [senseName, sc] of Object.entries(senses)) {
+    if (sc.interval !== null || sc.on.length > 0) {
+      reflexes.push({
+        kind: "sense" as const,
+        sense: senseName,
+        interval: sc.interval,
+        on: sc.on,
+      });
+    }
+  }
+  return reflexes;
+}
+
+/**
+ * If `reflexes` is present and non-empty, parse legacy entries and merge `interval` / `on`
+ * into the corresponding sense. Emits a deprecation warning once when any legacy row exists.
+ */
+function mergeLegacyReflexesIntoSenses(
+  obj: Record<string, unknown>,
+  senses: Record<string, SenseConfig>,
+  senseNames: Set<string>,
+): Result<Record<string, SenseConfig>> {
+  if (!Object.hasOwn(obj, "reflexes") || obj.reflexes === undefined || obj.reflexes === null) {
+    return ok(senses);
+  }
+  if (!Array.isArray(obj.reflexes)) {
+    return err(new Error("reflexes: must be an array if provided"));
+  }
+
+  if (obj.reflexes.length > 0) {
+    warnToConsole(LEGACY_REFLEXES_DEPRECATION);
+  }
+
+  let merged: Record<string, SenseConfig> = senses;
+  for (let i = 0; i < obj.reflexes.length; i++) {
+    const reflexResult = validateReflexConfig(i, obj.reflexes[i], senseNames);
+    if (!reflexResult.ok) return reflexResult;
+    const ref = reflexResult.value;
+    const senseName = ref.sense;
+    const sense = merged[senseName];
+    const intervalResult = mergeSenseIntervalFromLegacyReflex(
+      senseName,
+      sense.interval,
+      ref.interval,
+      i,
+    );
+    if (!intervalResult.ok) return intervalResult;
+    const next: SenseConfig = {
+      ...sense,
+      interval: intervalResult.value,
+      on: mergeOnLists(sense.on, ref.on),
+    };
+    merged = { ...merged, [senseName]: next };
+  }
+
+  return ok(merged);
+}
+
 function parseOnField(index: number, obj: Record<string, unknown>): Result<string[]> {
   if (obj.on === undefined || obj.on === null) return ok([]);
   if (!Array.isArray(obj.on) || !obj.on.every((item): item is string => typeof item === "string")) {
@@ -264,24 +360,6 @@ function parseSenses(
   return ok({ senses, senseNames });
 }
 
-function parseReflexes(
-  obj: Record<string, unknown>,
-  senseNames: Set<string>,
-): Result<ReflexConfig[]> {
-  if (!Array.isArray(obj.reflexes)) {
-    return err(new Error("reflexes: required array"));
-  }
-
-  const reflexes: ReflexConfig[] = [];
-  for (let i = 0; i < obj.reflexes.length; i++) {
-    const result = validateReflexConfig(i, obj.reflexes[i], senseNames);
-    if (!result.ok) return result;
-    reflexes.push(result.value);
-  }
-
-  return ok(reflexes);
-}
-
 const DEFAULT_API_BIND_HOST = "127.0.0.1";
 
 /** Hosts that may bind the HTTP API without `api.token` (loopback-only). */
@@ -389,8 +467,10 @@ export function parseNerveConfig(raw: string): Result<NerveConfig> {
   if (!sensesResult.ok) return sensesResult;
   const { senses, senseNames } = sensesResult.value;
 
-  const reflexesResult = parseReflexes(obj, senseNames);
-  if (!reflexesResult.ok) return reflexesResult;
+  const mergedSensesResult = mergeLegacyReflexesIntoSenses(obj, senses, senseNames);
+  if (!mergedSensesResult.ok) return mergedSensesResult;
+  const mergedSenses = mergedSensesResult.value;
+  const reflexes = buildReflexesFromSenses(mergedSenses);
 
   const workflowsResult = parseWorkflows(obj);
   if (!workflowsResult.ok) return workflowsResult;
@@ -403,8 +483,8 @@ export function parseNerveConfig(raw: string): Result<NerveConfig> {
 
   return ok({
     maxRounds: maxRoundsResult.value,
-    senses,
-    reflexes: reflexesResult.value,
+    senses: mergedSenses,
+    reflexes,
     workflows: workflowsResult.value,
     api: apiResult.value,
   });