Google has a reputation for killing products. RIP Google Reader, Google Podcasts, Google Cardboard, and hundreds of other devices, apps, and services.

But in a surprising turn of events, a long-dead project is rising from the Google Graveyard. Google has open sourced (most of) the operating system that powered the Pebble smartwatch and Pebble founder Eric Migicosvky says he plans to launch a new smartwatch that runs the newly open sourced operating system. It will have “basically the same specs and features as Pebble, though with some new fun stuff as well.”

Now, to be fair, Google didn’t actually kill Pebble. But Google acquired the company that did, and that means Google owns Pebble’s intellectual property and hasn’t really been doing much of anything with it.

The original Pebble smartwatch launched in 2013, and it was a device that both helped show that there was a market for smartwatches and that it was possible to use crowdfunding to kickstart a successful company. Pebble build a small but loyal fan base and an active developer community and the company released a couple of additional models over the next few years. But as bigger companies entered the smartwatch space, Pebble struggled to compete.

Eventually Fitbit acquired Pebble and then Google acquired Fitbit. Along the way, Pebble hardware, software, and services were officially discontinued… but kept somewhat functional thanks to the folks at the Rebble project, which developed replacement for the Pebble firmware and services.

Migicovsky says he’s still using Pebble watches, partly because none of the newer options that have emerged offer the features he was looking for including an always-on electronic paper display that’s easily visible without emitting light, a battery that lasts more than a few days, physical buttons for controls, and hackable software that makes it easy for developers to create new apps and watch faces.

I spoke with Migicovsky last week and he told me that one of his favorite things to do during Pebble’s heyday was to logon to reddit and see what new apps and watch faces independent developers had made available for download. He’s hoping to recreate that kind of community – but he’s also keeping his ambitions a little simpler for his new smartwatch project.

Basically the goal is to create new hardware that he wants to use, with the idea that there seems to be a small community of other folks who want the same thing. The plan is not to compete with Apple, Samsung and other major tech or fashion companies in the mainstream smartwatch space. Migicovsky wants to keep the new company intentionally small, focus on making a niche product for an enthusiast community, and not have to answer to outside investors who are looking for big returns on those investments.

He hasn’t announced how much the new watch will cost, exactly when you’ll be able to get your hands on one, or even what it’s going to be called (it won’t be called Pebble). But you can sign up at repebble.com to be notified when more information is available.

One thing to keep in mind is that Google has released most of the source code for PebbleOS, but not all of it. There were some proprietary components in the Bluetooth stack and chipset support that Google didn’t have the rights to release. And without those bits you cannot simply compile the code Google has released and expect it to work on a Pebble watch. But the newly open sourced software should help the folks at Rebble and Migicovsky’s company as they port PebbleOS to new hardware or continue to support the software running on older hardware.

Meanwhile the folks at Rebble have announced plans to form a non-profit foundation to continue development of the software that makes Pebble watches tick.