How I Help Rescue & Refactor Legacy Systems That Are Holding You Back

Your legacy PHP/LAMP system might feel like a ticking time bomb — brittle, undocumented, or slow. I step in, untangle the chaos, fix what’s broken, and lay down a clean path forward. No fluff, just practical fixes and sustainable improvements.

What’s Included In My Service
  • Deep-dive codebase review
  • Comprehensive technical assessment report
  • Priority bug fixes and performance tuning
  • Refactored, clean code with docs
  • Optional Slack/Email async support
  • Optional mini training for your team

My Process (Built to Minimize Risk & Maximize Value)

  • Step-by-step codebase analysis (no black box work)
  • Risk audit: what’s urgent, what’s not
  • Targeted refactoring and cleanup
  • Deployment-ready, thoroughly tested code

Asynchronous collaboration

Prefer async tools like email, Loom, Notion, and Git — no micromanaging or constant meetings.

Zero guesswork reports

You’ll know exactly what’s wrong, why it matters, and what I did to fix it — plain English, no jargon.

Custom support add-ons

Need post-project maintenance? Retainer options available — no lock-in contracts.

I usually start with read-only access to your codebase via GitHub, GitLab, or a zip archive if you’re old school. I scan for tech debt, outdated dependencies, broken logic, and risky patches. No changes are made until I’ve reviewed everything and given you a findings report with recommendations.

I specialize in PHP (especially legacy 5.x and 8.x), MySQL, Apache/Nginx, and Linux-based deployments. Think old-school LAMP. I also deal with custom CMS, homegrown codebases, weird frameworks, and Frankenstein apps that make most devs run. That’s where I thrive.

Both. I can slot into a team and handle legacy stabilization, or I can work directly with founders who inherited messy codebases and just want it to stop breaking. I’m independent, async-friendly, and don’t create friction in your workflow.

It depends on the size and complexity, but a small-to-medium audit + fix typically takes 2–4 weeks. Larger systems may need a phased approach. I break work down into weekly deliverables so you’re never left guessing what’s happening.

Testimonials

What People are Saying

These are few of my happy clients.

I’m happy with the result! We managed to run a startup app for connecting businesses with medical experts in order to streamline their communication.
Raid Aasoja
CEO, Limegrow
Produced a great final product and a pleasure to deal with. Will be working with Jawaid again.
Nathan
Managing Director, Sprint Finance
It was a real pleasure working with Jawaid!
Mike Tung
CEO, DiffBot
Working with Jawaid is HIGHLY recommended. Jawaid is very co-operative has fantastic communication skills and is able to work very pro-actively to solve problems. I would certainly recommend his work and would like to work with him in the future.
David Stockton
Director, Tek4 New Media Limited

Add-on Services

Legacy-to-modern migration planning (Audit + roadmap)
Security audit + patching legacy vulnerabilities

Stop Letting Bad Code Cost You Time, Money, and Sanity

If your app is fragile, slow, or a pain to update — let’s fix that. You don’t need a rebuild. You need someone who knows how to turn chaos into clean, maintainable systems.