diff --git a/datalad_next/annexremotes/tests/test_archivist.py b/datalad_next/annexremotes/tests/test_archivist.py
index 23a1c5e4..f4157db6 100644
--- a/datalad_next/annexremotes/tests/test_archivist.py
+++ b/datalad_next/annexremotes/tests/test_archivist.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from .. import UnsupportedRequest
 from ..archivist import ArchivistRemote
 from datalad_next.datasets import Dataset
-from datalad_next.runners import CommandError
+from datalad_core.runners import CommandError
 
 from datalad_next.tests import assert_result_count
 
diff --git a/datalad_next/constraints/git.py b/datalad_next/constraints/git.py
index 46657c83..2ba16e6d 100644
--- a/datalad_next/constraints/git.py
+++ b/datalad_next/constraints/git.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """Constraints for Git-related concepts and parameters"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     CommandError,
     call_git,
     call_git_oneline,
diff --git a/datalad_next/gitremotes/datalad_annex.py b/datalad_next/gitremotes/datalad_annex.py
index 5c267c18..42ce084f 100755
--- a/datalad_next/gitremotes/datalad_annex.py
+++ b/datalad_next/gitremotes/datalad_annex.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
     LegacyGitRepo as GitRepo,
 )
 from datalad_next.exceptions import CapturedException
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     CommandError,
     call_git,
     call_git_oneline,
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
index 4e950bb9..e534156a 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 from datalad_next.consts import on_windows
 from datalad_next.repo_utils import has_initialized_annex
-from datalad_next.runners import iter_git_subproc
+from datalad_core.runners import iter_git_subproc
 
 from .gitworktree import (
     GitWorktreeItem,
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitdiff.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitdiff.py
index d4e11abb..f5be0069 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitdiff.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitdiff.py
@@ -25,13 +25,11 @@
 
 from datalad_next.consts import PRE_INIT_COMMIT_SHA
 from datasalad.gitpathspec import GitPathSpecs
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     CommandError,
-    iter_git_subproc,
-)
-from datalad_next.runners import (
     call_git,
     call_git_oneline,
+    iter_git_subproc,
 )
 
 from .gittree import (
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitstatus.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitstatus.py
index 4abafb37..ea10733f 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitstatus.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitstatus.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 )
 
 from datalad_next.consts import PRE_INIT_COMMIT_SHA
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     call_git_lines,
 )
 from datalad_next.repo_utils import (
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gittree.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gittree.py
index 83a85582..85eb98eb 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gittree.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gittree.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     itemize,
 )
 
-from datalad_next.runners import iter_git_subproc
+from datalad_core.runners import iter_git_subproc
 
 from .utils import PathBasedItem
 
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitworktree.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitworktree.py
index ede18c5a..893b7681 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitworktree.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/gitworktree.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     itemize,
 )
 
-from datalad_next.runners import iter_git_subproc
+from datalad_core.runners import iter_git_subproc
 from datasalad.gitpathspec import GitPathSpecs
 from .utils import (
     FileSystemItem,
diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/tests/test_itergitstatus.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/tests/test_itergitstatus.py
index fca05642..fc165c55 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/tests/test_itergitstatus.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/tests/test_itergitstatus.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from datalad_next.datasets import Dataset
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     call_git_success,
 )
 
diff --git a/datalad_next/patches/replace_sshremoteio.py b/datalad_next/patches/replace_sshremoteio.py
index 6e47b388..1a73ca83 100644
--- a/datalad_next/patches/replace_sshremoteio.py
+++ b/datalad_next/patches/replace_sshremoteio.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
 from datalad_next.exceptions import CapturedException
 from datalad_next.patches import apply_patch
-from datalad_next.runners import CommandError
+from datalad_core.runners import CommandError
 from datalad_next.shell import (
     FixedLengthResponseGeneratorPosix,
     shell,
diff --git a/datalad_next/repo_utils/annex.py b/datalad_next/repo_utils/annex.py
index f08f969a..07616d11 100644
--- a/datalad_next/repo_utils/annex.py
+++ b/datalad_next/repo_utils/annex.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from datalad_next.runners import call_git_success
+from datalad_core.runners import call_git_success
 
 
 def has_initialized_annex(
diff --git a/datalad_next/repo_utils/tests/test_head.py b/datalad_next/repo_utils/tests/test_head.py
index 5530f447..9163ce1c 100644
--- a/datalad_next/repo_utils/tests/test_head.py
+++ b/datalad_next/repo_utils/tests/test_head.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 
-from datalad_next.runners import call_git
+from datalad_core.runners import call_git
 
 from .. import get_worktree_head
 
diff --git a/datalad_next/repo_utils/worktree.py b/datalad_next/repo_utils/worktree.py
index e5fb7426..2222fdf3 100644
--- a/datalad_next/repo_utils/worktree.py
+++ b/datalad_next/repo_utils/worktree.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from datalad_next.exceptions import CapturedException
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     CommandError,
     call_git_lines,
 )
diff --git a/datalad_next/runners/__init__.py b/datalad_next/runners/__init__.py
index 6e6ab831..c2658b29 100644
--- a/datalad_next/runners/__init__.py
+++ b/datalad_next/runners/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 """Execution of subprocesses
 
+.. deprecated:: 1.6
+   This module is deprecated. It has been partially migrated to the
+   `datalad-core library <https://pypi.org/project/datalad-core>`__. Imports
+   should be adjusted to ``datalad_core.runners``.
+
 This module provides all relevant components for subprocess execution.  The
 main work horse is :func:`~datalad_next.runners.iter_subproc`, a context
 manager that enables interaction with a subprocess in the form of an iterable
@@ -63,59 +68,95 @@
    StdOutErrCapture
 """
 
-from .iter_subproc import (
-    iter_subproc,
-)
-from .git import (
-    call_git,
-    call_git_lines,
-    call_git_oneline,
-    call_git_success,
-    iter_git_subproc,
+__all__ = [
+    'call_git',
+    'call_git_lines',
+    'call_git_oneline',
+    'call_git_success',
+    'iter_git_subproc',
+    'iter_subproc',
+    'CommandError',
+    'GitRunner',
+    'KillOutput',
+    'NoCapture',
+    'Protocol',
+    'Runner',
+    'StdErrCapture',
+    'StdOutCapture',
+    'StdOutErrCapture',
+    'STDERR_FILENO',
+    'STDOUT_FILENO',
+    'ThreadedRunner',
+    'LineSplitter',
+    'GeneratorMixIn',
+    'NoCaptureGeneratorProtocol',
+    'StdOutCaptureGeneratorProtocol',
+    'DEVNULL',
+]
+
+import warnings
+
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
+from subprocess import (
+    DEVNULL,
 )
 
 # runners
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
-from datalad.runner import (
-    GitRunner,
-    Runner,
-)
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
-from datalad.runner.nonasyncrunner import ThreadedRunner
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
 # protocols
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
 from datalad.runner import (
+    GitRunner,
     KillOutput,
     NoCapture,
     Protocol,
-    StdOutCapture,
+    Runner,
     StdErrCapture,
+    StdOutCapture,
     StdOutErrCapture,
 )
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
-from datalad.runner.protocol import GeneratorMixIn
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
-from .protocols import (
-    NoCaptureGeneratorProtocol,
-    StdOutCaptureGeneratorProtocol,
-)
-# exceptions
-# The following import supports legacy code that uses `CommandError` from this
-# module. If you are writing new code, please use `CommandError` from
-# `datalad.support.exceptions`. We intend to remove this import in the future.
-from datalad_next.exceptions import CommandError
 
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
 # utilities
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
 from datalad.runner.nonasyncrunner import (
-    STDOUT_FILENO,
     STDERR_FILENO,
+    STDOUT_FILENO,
+    ThreadedRunner,
 )
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
+
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
+from datalad.runner.protocol import GeneratorMixIn
+
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
 from datalad.runner.utils import (
     LineSplitter,
 )
-# TODO REMOVE FOR V2.0
-from subprocess import (
-    DEVNULL,
+from datalad_core.runners import (
+    call_git,
+    call_git_lines,
+    call_git_oneline,
+    call_git_success,
+    iter_git_subproc,
+    iter_subproc,
+)
+
+# exceptions
+# The following import supports legacy code that uses `CommandError` from this
+# module. If you are writing new code, please use `CommandError` from
+# `datalad_core.runners`. We intend to remove this import in the future.
+from datalad_next.exceptions import CommandError
+
+# TODO: REMOVE FOR V2.0
+from .protocols import (
+    NoCaptureGeneratorProtocol,
+    StdOutCaptureGeneratorProtocol,
+)
+
+warnings.warn(
+    '`datalad_next.runners` has been partially migrated to the '
+    'datalad-core library, '
+    'check docs, and adjust imports to `datalad_core.runners`',
+    DeprecationWarning,
+    stacklevel=1,
 )
diff --git a/datalad_next/runners/git.py b/datalad_next/runners/git.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 9dcdf2a7..00000000
--- a/datalad_next/runners/git.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,212 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import os
-from pathlib import Path
-import subprocess
-
-from datalad_next.exceptions import CapturedException
-
-from .iter_subproc import (
-    CommandError,
-    iter_subproc,
-)
-
-
-def _call_git(
-    args: list[str],
-    *,
-    capture_output: bool = False,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    check: bool = False,
-    text: bool | None = None,
-    input: str | bytes | None = None,
-    force_c_locale: bool = False,
-) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
-    """Wrapper around ``subprocess.run`` for calling Git command
-
-    ``args`` is a list of argument for the Git command. This list must not
-    contain the Git executable itself. It will be prepended (unconditionally)
-    to the arguments before passing them on.
-
-    If ``force_c_locale`` is ``True`` the environment of the Git process
-    is altered to ensure output according to the C locale. This is useful
-    when output has to be processed in a locale invariant fashion.
-
-    All other argument are pass on to ``subprocess.run()`` verbatim.
-    """
-    env = None
-    if force_c_locale:
-        env = dict(os.environ, LC_ALL='C')
-
-    # make configurable
-    git_executable = 'git'
-    cmd = [git_executable, *args]
-    try:
-        return subprocess.run(
-            cmd,
-            capture_output=capture_output,
-            cwd=cwd,
-            check=check,
-            text=text,
-            input=input,
-            env=env,
-        )
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        # TODO we could support post-error forensics, but some client
-        # might call this knowing that it could fail, and may not
-        # appreciate the slow-down. Add option `expect_fail=False`?
-        #
-        # normalize exception to datalad-wide standard
-        raise CommandError(
-            cmd=cmd,
-            code=e.returncode,
-            stdout=e.stdout,
-            stderr=e.stderr,
-            cwd=cwd,
-        ) from e
-
-
-def call_git(
-    args: list[str],
-    *,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    force_c_locale: bool = False,
-) -> None:
-    """Call Git with no output capture, raises on non-zero exit.
-
-    If ``cwd`` is not None, the function changes the working directory to
-    ``cwd`` before executing the command.
-
-    If ``force_c_locale`` is ``True`` the environment of the Git process
-    is altered to ensure output according to the C locale. This is useful
-    when output has to be processed in a locale invariant fashion.
-    """
-    _call_git(
-        args,
-        capture_output=False,
-        cwd=cwd,
-        check=True,
-        force_c_locale=force_c_locale,
-    )
-
-
-def call_git_success(
-    args: list[str],
-    *,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    capture_output: bool = False,
-) -> bool:
-    """Call Git and report success or failure of the command
-
-    ``args`` is a list of arguments for the Git command. This list must not
-    contain the Git executable itself. It will be prepended (unconditionally)
-    to the arguments before passing them on.
-
-    If ``cwd`` is not None, the function changes the working directory to
-    ``cwd`` before executing the command.
-
-    If ``capture_output`` is ``True``, process output is captured, but not
-    returned. By default process output is not captured.
-    """
-    try:
-        _call_git(
-            args,
-            capture_output=capture_output,
-            cwd=cwd,
-            check=True,
-        )
-    except CommandError as e:
-        CapturedException(e)
-        return False
-    return True
-
-
-def call_git_lines(
-    args: list[str],
-    *,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    input: str | None = None,
-    force_c_locale: bool = False,
-) -> list[str]:
-    """Call Git for any (small) number of lines of output
-
-    ``args`` is a list of arguments for the Git command. This list must not
-    contain the Git executable itself. It will be prepended (unconditionally)
-    to the arguments before passing them on.
-
-    If ``cwd`` is not None, the function changes the working directory to
-    ``cwd`` before executing the command.
-
-    If ``input`` is not None, the argument becomes the subprocess’s stdin.
-    This is intended for small-scale inputs. For call that require processing
-    large inputs, ``iter_git_subproc()`` is to be preferred.
-
-    If ``force_c_locale`` is ``True`` the environment of the Git process
-    is altered to ensure output according to the C locale. This is useful
-    when output has to be processed in a locale invariant fashion.
-
-    Raises
-    ------
-    CommandError if the call exits with a non-zero status.
-    """
-    res = _call_git(
-        args,
-        capture_output=True,
-        cwd=cwd,
-        check=True,
-        text=True,
-        input=input,
-        force_c_locale=force_c_locale,
-    )
-    return res.stdout.splitlines()
-
-
-def call_git_oneline(
-    args: list[str],
-    *,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    input: str | None = None,
-    force_c_locale: bool = False,
-) -> str:
-    """Call Git for a single line of output
-
-    If ``cwd`` is not None, the function changes the working directory to
-    ``cwd`` before executing the command.
-
-    If ``input`` is not None, the argument becomes the subprocess’s stdin.
-    This is intended for small-scale inputs. For call that require processing
-    large inputs, ``iter_git_subproc()`` is to be preferred.
-
-    If ``force_c_locale`` is ``True`` the environment of the Git process
-    is altered to ensure output according to the C locale. This is useful
-    when output has to be processed in a locale invariant fashion.
-
-    Raises
-    ------
-    CommandError if the call exits with a non-zero status.
-    AssertionError if there is more than one line of output.
-    """
-    lines = call_git_lines(args, cwd=cwd, input=input,
-                           force_c_locale=force_c_locale)
-    if len(lines) > 1:
-        raise AssertionError(
-            f"Expected Git {args} to return a single line, but got {lines}"
-        )
-    return lines[0]
-
-
-def iter_git_subproc(
-    args: list[str],
-    **kwargs
-):
-    """``iter_subproc()`` wrapper for calling Git commands
-
-    All argument semantics are identical to those of ``iter_subproc()``,
-    except that ``args`` must not contain the Git binary, but need to be
-    exclusively arguments to it. The respective `git` command/binary is
-    automatically added internally.
-    """
-    cmd = ['git']
-    cmd.extend(args)
-
-    return iter_subproc(cmd, **kwargs)
diff --git a/datalad_next/runners/iter_subproc.py b/datalad_next/runners/iter_subproc.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 24154773..00000000
--- a/datalad_next/runners/iter_subproc.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,122 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import (
-    Iterable,
-    List,
-)
-from datasalad.runners import CommandError as SaladCommandError
-from datasalad.iterable_subprocess import iterable_subprocess
-
-from datalad_next.exceptions import CommandError
-from datalad_next.consts import COPY_BUFSIZE
-
-__all__ = ['iter_subproc']
-
-
-def iter_subproc(
-    args: List[str],
-    *,
-    input: Iterable[bytes] | None = None,
-    chunk_size: int = COPY_BUFSIZE,
-    cwd: Path | None = None,
-    bufsize: int = -1,
-):
-    """Context manager to communicate with a subprocess using iterables
-
-    .. deprecated:: 1.6
-
-       Use ``datasalad.runners.iter_proc`` instead. Renamed ``input`` argument
-       to ``inputs``, and raises datalad's ``CommandError``.
-
-    This offers a higher level interface to subprocesses than Python's
-    built-in ``subprocess`` module. It allows a subprocess to be naturally
-    placed in a chain of iterables as part of a data processing pipeline.
-    It is also helpful when data won't fit in memory and has to be streamed.
-
-    This is a convenience wrapper around ``datalad_next.iterable_subprocess``,
-    which itself is a slightly modified (for use on Windows) fork of
-    https://github.com/uktrade/iterable-subprocess, written by
-    Michal Charemza.
-
-    This function provides a context manager.
-    On entering the context, the subprocess is started, the thread to read
-    from standard error is started, the thread to populate subprocess
-    input is started.
-    When running, the standard input thread iterates over the input,
-    passing chunks to the process, while the standard error thread
-    fetches the error output, and while the main thread iterates over
-    the process's output from client code in the context.
-
-    On context exit, the main thread closes the process's standard output,
-    waits for the standard input thread to exit, waits for the standard error
-    thread to exit, and wait for the process to exit. If the process exited
-    with a non-zero return code, a ``CommandError`` is raised,
-    containing the process's return code.
-
-    If the context is exited due to an exception that was raised in the
-    context, the main thread terminates the process via ``Popen.terminate()``,
-    closes the process's standard output, waits for the standard input
-    thread to exit, waits for the standard error thread to exit, waits
-    for the process to exit, and re-raises the exception.
-
-    Note, if an exception is raised in the context, this exception will bubble
-    up to the main thread. That means no ``CommandError`` will
-    be raised if the subprocess exited with a non-zero return code.
-    To access the return code in case of an exception inside the context,
-    use the ``code``-attribute of the ``as``-variable.
-    This object will always contain the return code of the subprocess.
-    For example, the following code will raise a ``StopIteration``-exception
-    in the context (by repeatedly using :func:`next`). The subprocess
-    will exit with ``2`` due to the illegal option ``-@``, and no
-    ``CommandError`` is raised. The return code is read from
-    the variable ``ls_stdout``
-
-    .. code-block:: python
-
-      >>> from datalad_next.runners import iter_subproc
-      >>> try:
-      ...     with iter_subproc(['ls', '-@']) as ls_stdout:
-      ...         while True:
-      ...             next(ls_stdout)
-      ... except Exception as e:
-      ...     print(repr(e), ls_stdout.returncode)
-      StopIteration() 2
-
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    args: list
-      Sequence of program arguments to be passed to ``subprocess.Popen``.
-    input: iterable, optional
-      If given, chunks of ``bytes`` to be written, iteratively, to the
-      subprocess's ``stdin``.
-    chunk_size: int, optional
-      Size of chunks to read from the subprocess's stdout/stderr in bytes.
-    cwd: Path
-      Working directory for the subprocess, passed to ``subprocess.Popen``.
-    bufsize: int, optional
-      Buffer size to use for the subprocess's ``stdin``, ``stdout``, and
-      ``stderr``. See ``subprocess.Popen`` for details.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    contextmanager
-    """
-    try:
-        return iterable_subprocess(
-            args,
-            tuple() if input is None else input,
-            chunk_size=chunk_size,
-            cwd=cwd,
-            bufsize=bufsize,
-        )
-    except SaladCommandError as e:
-        raise CommandError(
-            cmd=e.cmd,
-            msg=e.msg,
-            code=e.returncode,
-            stdout=e.stdout,
-            stderr=e.stderr,
-            cwd=e.cwd,
-        ) from e
diff --git a/datalad_next/tests/fixtures.py b/datalad_next/tests/fixtures.py
index 8edc5f22..50bee141 100644
--- a/datalad_next/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/datalad_next/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from urllib.request import urlopen
 
 from datalad_next.datasets import Dataset
-from datalad_next.runners import (
+from datalad_core.runners import (
     call_git_lines,
     call_git_success,
 )
diff --git a/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py b/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
index 47410747..8a2d33c7 100644
--- a/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
+++ b/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 from datalad_next.consts import COPY_BUFSIZE
 from datalad_next.config import ConfigManager
-from datalad_next.runners import CommandError
+from datalad_core.runners import CommandError
 from datalad_next.shell import (
     FixedLengthResponseGeneratorPosix,
     ShellCommandExecutor,
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index 435f2bd6..ad9f1944 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ as stable as possible. This includes signatures and return value behavior.
 
 As an example::
 
-    from datalad_next.runners import iter_git_subproc
+    from datalad_next.repo_utils import get_worktree_head
 
 imports a part of the public API, but::
 
-    from datalad_next.runners.git import iter_git_subproc
+    from datalad_next.repo_utils.worktree import get_worktree_head
 
 does not.