diff --git a/src/run.rs b/src/run.rs
index ffd0fb8fc..a20a73095 100644
--- a/src/run.rs
+++ b/src/run.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,103 @@ use crate::{
 };
 #[cfg(feature = "plugin")]
 use nu_cli::read_plugin_file;
-use nu_cli::{evaluate_commands, evaluate_file, evaluate_repl};
-use nu_protocol::PipelineData;
+use nu_cli::{evaluate_commands, evaluate_file, evaluate_repl, report_error};
+use nu_parser::{parse, parse_module_block};
+use nu_protocol::{engine::StateWorkingSet, Module, PipelineData, ShellError, Span};
 use nu_utils::utils::perf;
 
+fn get_standard_library() -> &'static str {
+    include_str!("../crates/nu-utils/standard_library/std.nu")
+}
+
+fn load_prelude(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, prelude: Vec<(&str, &str)>, module: &Module) {
+    let mut decls = Vec::new();
+    let mut errs = Vec::new();
+    for (name, search_name) in prelude {
+        if let Some(id) = module.decls.get(&search_name.as_bytes().to_vec()) {
+            let decl = (name.as_bytes().to_vec(), id.to_owned());
+            decls.push(decl);
+        } else {
+            errs.push(ShellError::GenericError(
+                format!("could not load `{}` from `std`.", search_name),
+                String::new(),
+                None,
+                None,
+                Vec::new(),
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+
+    if !errs.is_empty() {
+        report_error(
+            working_set,
+            &ShellError::GenericError(
+                "Unable to load the prelude of the standard library.".into(),
+                String::new(),
+                None,
+                Some("this is a bug: please file an issue in the [issue tracker](https://github.com/nushell/nushell/issues/new/choose)".to_string()),
+                errs,
+            ),
+        );
+    }
+
+    working_set.use_decls(decls);
+}
+
+fn load_standard_library(
+    engine_state: &mut nu_protocol::engine::EngineState,
+) -> Result<(), miette::ErrReport> {
+    let delta = {
+        let name = "std".to_string();
+        let content = get_standard_library().as_bytes();
+
+        let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
+
+        let start = working_set.next_span_start();
+        working_set.add_file(name.clone(), content);
+        let end = working_set.next_span_start();
+
+        let (_, module, comments, parse_error) = parse_module_block(
+            &mut working_set,
+            Span::new(start, end),
+            name.as_bytes(),
+            &[],
+        );
+
+        if let Some(err) = parse_error {
+            report_error(&working_set, &err);
+        }
+
+        let (_, parse_error) = parse(&mut working_set, Some(&name), content, true, &[]);
+
+        if let Some(err) = parse_error {
+            report_error(&working_set, &err);
+        }
+
+        // TODO: change this when #8505 is merged
+        // NOTE: remove the assert and uncomment the `help`s
+        let prelude = vec![
+            ("assert", "assert"),
+            // ("help", "help"),
+            // ("help commands", "help commands"),
+            // ("help aliases", "help aliases"),
+            // ("help modules", "help modules"),
+            // ("help externs", "help externs"),
+            // ("help operators", "help operators"),
+        ];
+
+        load_prelude(&mut working_set, prelude, &module);
+
+        working_set.add_module(&name, module, comments);
+
+        working_set.render()
+    };
+
+    engine_state.merge_delta(delta)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn run_commands(
     engine_state: &mut nu_protocol::engine::EngineState,
     parsed_nu_cli_args: command::NushellCliArgs,
@@ -70,6 +163,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run_commands(
         use_color,
     );
 
+    load_standard_library(engine_state)?;
+
     // Before running commands, set up the startup time
     engine_state.set_startup_time(entire_start_time.elapsed().as_nanos() as i64);
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
@@ -157,6 +252,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run_file(
         use_color,
     );
 
+    load_standard_library(engine_state)?;
+
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
     let ret_val = evaluate_file(
         script_name,
@@ -227,6 +324,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run_repl(
         use_color,
     );
 
+    load_standard_library(engine_state)?;
+
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
     let ret_val = evaluate_repl(
         engine_state,
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index 20db9d5e0..4d5f21325 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ mod test_parser;
 mod test_ranges;
 mod test_regex;
 mod test_signatures;
+mod test_stdlib;
 mod test_strings;
 mod test_table_operations;
 mod test_type_check;
diff --git a/src/tests/test_stdlib.rs b/src/tests/test_stdlib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c44f6b1fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/test_stdlib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+use crate::tests::{fail_test, run_test, TestResult};
+
+#[test]
+fn library_loaded() -> TestResult {
+    run_test(
+        "help std | lines | first 1 | to text",
+        "std.nu, `used` to load all standard library components",
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn prelude_loaded() -> TestResult {
+    run_test(
+        "help assert | lines | first 1 | to text",
+        "Universal assert command",
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn prelude_run() -> TestResult {
+    run_test("assert true; print 'it works'", "it works")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn not_loaded() -> TestResult {
+    fail_test("help log info", "")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn use_command() -> TestResult {
+    run_test(
+        "use std 'log info'; log info 'this is some information'",
+        "",
+    )
+}