diff --git a/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/environment.ts b/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/environment.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7423ea32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/environment.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import {environmentFile, metadataFile} from "./paths";
+import * as fs from "node:fs";
+
+const ENVIRONMENT_V = "v0.4";
+
+export class Root {
+	metadata: Metadata;
+    environment: Environment|undefined;
+
+    constructor(metadata: Metadata, environment: Environment|undefined) {
+        this.metadata = metadata;
+        this.environment = environment;
+    }
+}
+
+export class Metadata {
+    v: string;
+    rootPath: string;
+
+    constructor(v: string, rootPath: string = "") {
+        this.v = v;
+        this.rootPath = rootPath;
+    }
+}
+
+export class Environment {
+    accountToken: string;
+    zId: string;
+    apiEndpoint: string;
+
+    constructor(accountToken: string, zId: string, apiEndpoint: string) {
+        this.accountToken = accountToken;
+        this.zId = zId;
+        this.apiEndpoint = apiEndpoint;
+    }
+}
+
+export const loadRoot = (): Root => {
+	if(rootExists()) {
+        let metadata = loadMetadata();
+        let environment = loadEnvironment();
+        return new Root(metadata, environment);
+    }
+    throw new Error("unable to load root; did you 'zrok enable'?");
+};
+
+export const rootExists = (): boolean => {
+    return fs.existsSync(metadataFile());
+}
+
+const loadMetadata = (): Metadata => {
+    let f = metadataFile();
+    let data = fs.readFileSync(f);
+    let obj = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+    if(obj.v != ENVIRONMENT_V) {
+        throw new Error("invalid environment version! got version '" + obj.v + "' expected '" + ENVIRONMENT_V + "'");
+    }
+    return new Metadata(obj.v, f);
+}
+
+const loadEnvironment = (): Environment|undefined => {
+	let f = environmentFile();
+    if(!fs.existsSync(f)) {
+        return undefined;
+    }
+    let data = fs.readFileSync(f);
+    let obj = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+    return new Environment(obj.zrok_token, obj.ziti_identity, obj.api_endpoint);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/paths.ts b/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/paths.ts
index 7a630b4c..abaf2c29 100644
--- a/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/paths.ts
+++ b/sdk/nodejs1/sdk/src/paths.ts
@@ -5,3 +5,10 @@ export const rootDir = (): string => {
     return join(homedir(), ".zrok");
 }
 
+export const metadataFile = (): string => {
+    return join(rootDir(), "metadata.json");
+}
+
+export const environmentFile = (): string => {
+    return join(rootDir(), "environment.json");
+}
\ No newline at end of file