diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0b08c8cc3..adf6c04f0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ MANAGE += pyenv pyenv.install pyenv.uninstall
 MANAGE += format.python
 MANAGE += test.yamllint test.pylint test.black test.pybabel test.unit test.coverage test.robot test.rst test.clean test.themes test.types.dev test.types.ci
 MANAGE += themes.all themes.fix themes.test
-MANAGE += themes.simple themes.simple.pygments themes.simple.fix
 MANAGE += static.build.commit static.build.drop static.build.restore
 MANAGE += nvm.install nvm.clean nvm.status nvm.nodejs
 
diff --git a/client/simple/package.json b/client/simple/package.json
index 2e38f67d6..2f6ec539b 100644
--- a/client/simple/package.json
+++ b/client/simple/package.json
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
   "version": "1.0.0",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "vite build",
+    "clean": "rm -Rf node_modules",
+    "build": "node theme_icons.js && vite build",
     "fix": "eslint --fix && stylelint --fix strict 'src/**/*.{css,scss,sass,less,styl,vue,svelte}'",
     "icons.html": "node theme_icons.js"
   },
diff --git a/docs/admin/settings/settings_ui.rst b/docs/admin/settings/settings_ui.rst
index 75f617683..0e0235594 100644
--- a/docs/admin/settings/settings_ui.rst
+++ b/docs/admin/settings/settings_ui.rst
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 ``center_alignment`` : default ``false``
   When enabled, the results are centered instead of being in the left (or RTL)
   side of the screen.  This setting only affects the *desktop layout*
-  (:origin:`min-width: @tablet <searx/static/themes/simple/src/less/definitions.less>`)
+  (:origin:`min-width: @tablet <client/simple/src/less/definitions.less>`)
 
 .. cache_url:
 
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 23eca3202..25d071f83 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ html_sidebars = {
     ],
 }
 singlehtml_sidebars = {"index": ["project.html", "localtoc.html"]}
-html_logo = "../src/brand/searxng-wordmark.svg"
+html_logo = "../client/simple/src/brand/searxng-wordmark.svg"
 html_title = "SearXNG Documentation ({})".format(VERSION_STRING)
 html_show_sourcelink = True
 
diff --git a/docs/dev/makefile.rst b/docs/dev/makefile.rst
index 383113bae..a66ce2f22 100644
--- a/docs/dev/makefile.rst
+++ b/docs/dev/makefile.rst
@@ -180,10 +180,13 @@ sources of the theme need to be rebuild.  You can do that by running::
 
   $ make themes.all
 
-Alternatively to ``themes.all`` you can run *live builds* of the theme you are
-modify (:ref:`make themes`)::
+..
+   ToDo: vite server is not implemented yet / will be done in a follow up PR
 
-  $ LIVE_THEME=simple make run
+   Alternatively to ``themes.all`` you can run *live builds* of the theme you are
+   modify (:ref:`make themes`)::
+
+    $ LIVE_THEME=simple make run
 
 .. _make format.python:
 
diff --git a/manage b/manage
index a49ad0cfb..61bc68b74 100755
--- a/manage
+++ b/manage
@@ -314,6 +314,18 @@ format.python() {
     dump_return $?
 }
 
+docs.prebuild() {
+    build_msg DOCS "build ${DOCS_BUILD}/includes"
+    (
+        set -e
+        [ "$VERBOSE" = "1" ] && set -x
+        mkdir -p "${DOCS_BUILD}/includes"
+        ./utils/searxng.sh searxng.doc.rst >  "${DOCS_BUILD}/includes/searxng.rst"
+        pyenv.cmd searxng_extra/docs_prebuild
+    )
+    dump_return $?
+}
+
 # shellcheck disable=SC2119
 main() {
 
diff --git a/utils/lib_sxng_data.sh b/utils/lib_sxng_data.sh
index 50a932f6d..ab1204de6 100755
--- a/utils/lib_sxng_data.sh
+++ b/utils/lib_sxng_data.sh
@@ -59,15 +59,3 @@ data.locales() {
     )
     dump_return $?
 }
-
-docs.prebuild() {
-    build_msg DOCS "build ${DOCS_BUILD}/includes"
-    (
-        set -e
-        [ "$VERBOSE" = "1" ] && set -x
-        mkdir -p "${DOCS_BUILD}/includes"
-        ./utils/searxng.sh searxng.doc.rst >  "${DOCS_BUILD}/includes/searxng.rst"
-        pyenv.cmd searxng_extra/docs_prebuild
-    )
-    dump_return $?
-}
diff --git a/utils/lib_sxng_node.sh b/utils/lib_sxng_node.sh
index 0845723e0..27a69a62a 100755
--- a/utils/lib_sxng_node.sh
+++ b/utils/lib_sxng_node.sh
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ nodejs.ensure() {
 node.env() {
     nodejs.ensure
     (   set -e
-        build_msg INSTALL "[npm] ./searx/static/themes/simple/package.json"
-        npm --prefix searx/static/themes/simple install
+        build_msg INSTALL "[npm] ./client/simple/package.json"
+        npm --prefix client/simple install
     )
     dump_return $?
 }
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ node.clean() {
     fi
     build_msg CLEAN "themes -- locally installed npm dependencies"
     (   set -e
-        npm --prefix searx/static/themes/simple run clean \
+        npm --prefix client/simple run clean \
 	    | prefix_stdout "${_Blue}CLEAN    ${_creset} "
 	if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" -ne "0" ]; then
             return 1
diff --git a/utils/lib_sxng_static.sh b/utils/lib_sxng_static.sh
index d991d4b89..9c9ea085c 100755
--- a/utils/lib_sxng_static.sh
+++ b/utils/lib_sxng_static.sh
@@ -4,12 +4,7 @@
 
 STATIC_BUILD_COMMIT="[build] /static"
 STATIC_BUILT_PATHS=(
-    'searx/static/themes/simple/css'
-    'searx/static/themes/simple/js'
-    'searx/static/themes/simple/src/generated/pygments.less'
-    'searx/static/themes/simple/img'
-    'searx/templates/simple/searxng-wordmark.min.svg'
-    'searx/templates/simple/icons.html'
+    'searx/static/themes/simple'
 )
 
 static.help(){
@@ -101,7 +96,7 @@ static.build.commit() {
 
     (   set -e
         # fix & build the themes
-	themes.fix
+	    themes.fix
         themes.all
 
         # add build files
diff --git a/utils/lib_sxng_themes.sh b/utils/lib_sxng_themes.sh
index 059f9c86f..23faf0e4b 100755
--- a/utils/lib_sxng_themes.sh
+++ b/utils/lib_sxng_themes.sh
@@ -1,100 +1,36 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
-declare _Blue
-declare _creset
-
 themes.help(){
     cat <<EOF
 themes.:
   all       : test & build all themes
   test      : test all themes
   fix       : fix JS & CSS (LESS)
-  live      : to get live builds of CSS & JS use: LIVE_THEME=simple make run
-  simple.:    test & build simple theme ..
-    pygments: build pygment's LESS files for simple theme
-    test    : test simple theme
-    fix     : fix JS & CSS (LESS) of the simple theme
 EOF
 }
 
 themes.all() {
     (   set -e
-        node.env
-        themes.simple
+        build_msg SIMPLE "theme: run build"
+        vite.simple.build
     )
     dump_return $?
 }
 
 themes.fix() {
     (   set -e
-        node.env
-        themes.simple.fix
+        build_msg SIMPLE "theme: fix"
+        vite.simple.fix
     )
     dump_return $?
 }
 
 themes.test() {
     (   set -e
-        node.env
-        themes.simple.test
+        # we run a build to test (in CI)
+        build_msg SIMPLE "theme: run build (to test)"
+        vite.simple.build
     )
     dump_return $?
 }
-
-themes.live() {
-    local LIVE_THEME="${LIVE_THEME:-${1}}"
-    case "${LIVE_THEME}" in
-        simple)
-            theme="searx/static/themes/${LIVE_THEME}"
-            ;;
-        '')
-            die 42 "missing theme argument"
-            ;;
-        *)
-            die 42 "unknown theme '${LIVE_THEME}' // [simple]'"
-            ;;
-    esac
-    build_msg SIMPLE "theme: $1 (live build)"
-    node.env
-    themes.simple.pygments
-    cd "${theme}"
-    {
-        npm run watch
-    } # 2>&1 \
-      #       | prefix_stdout "${_Blue}THEME ${1} ${_creset}  " \
-      #       | grep -E --ignore-case --color 'error[s]?[:]? |warning[s]?[:]? |'
-}
-
-themes.simple() {
-    (   set -e
-        themes.simple.pygments
-        build_msg SIMPLE "theme: run build"
-        # "run build" includes tests from eslint and stylelint
-        npm --prefix searx/static/themes/simple run build
-    )
-    dump_return $?
-}
-
-themes.simple.pygments() {
-    build_msg PYGMENTS "searxng_extra/update/update_pygments.py"
-    pyenv.cmd python searxng_extra/update/update_pygments.py \
-        | prefix_stdout "${_Blue}PYGMENTS ${_creset} "
-    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" -ne "0" ]; then
-        build_msg PYGMENTS "building LESS files for pygments failed"
-        return 1
-    fi
-    return 0
-}
-
-themes.simple.fix() {
-    build_msg SIMPLE "theme: fix"
-    npm --prefix searx/static/themes/simple run fix
-    dump_return $?
-}
-
-themes.simple.test() {
-    build_msg SIMPLE "theme: run test"
-    npm --prefix searx/static/themes/simple run test
-    dump_return $?
-}
diff --git a/utils/lib_sxng_vite.sh b/utils/lib_sxng_vite.sh
index d188fe503..7eb670fba 100644
--- a/utils/lib_sxng_vite.sh
+++ b/utils/lib_sxng_vite.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
+declare _Blue
+declare _creset
 
 vite.help(){
     cat <<EOF
@@ -12,25 +14,24 @@ EOF
 }
 
 VITE_SIMPLE_THEME="${REPO_ROOT}/client/simple"
-VITE_SIMPLE_DIST="${REPO_ROOT}/searx/static/themes/simple"
 
-vite.simple.dev() {
-
-    (   set -e
-        build_msg SIMPLE "start server for FE development of: ${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
-        pushd "${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
-        npm install
-        npm exec -- vite
-        popd &> /dev/null
-    )
-
-}
+# ToDo: vite server is not implemented yet / will be done in a follow up PR
+#
+# vite.simple.dev() {
+#     (   set -e
+#         build_msg SIMPLE "start server for FE development of: ${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
+#         pushd "${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
+#         npm install
+#         npm exec -- vite
+#         popd &> /dev/null
+#     )
+# }
 
 vite.simple.build() {
-
-    # build static files of the simple theme
-
     (   set -e
+        templates.simple.pygments
+
+        node.env
         build_msg SIMPLE "run build of theme from: ${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
 
         pushd "${VITE_SIMPLE_THEME}"
@@ -38,6 +39,24 @@ vite.simple.build() {
         npm run fix
         npm run icons.html
         npm run build
-
+        popd &> /dev/null
     )
 }
+
+vite.simple.fix() {
+    (   set -e
+        node.env
+        npm --prefix client/simple run fix
+    )
+}
+
+templates.simple.pygments() {
+    build_msg PYGMENTS "searxng_extra/update/update_pygments.py"
+    pyenv.cmd python searxng_extra/update/update_pygments.py \
+        | prefix_stdout "${_Blue}PYGMENTS ${_creset} "
+    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" -ne "0" ]; then
+        build_msg PYGMENTS "building LESS files for pygments failed"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    return 0
+}