diff --git a/workflow/compile.go b/workflow/compile.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df53784
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workflow/compile.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+package workflow
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/api/tangled"
+)
+
+type Compiler struct {
+	Trigger     tangled.Pipeline_TriggerMetadata
+	Diagnostics Diagnostics
+}
+
+type Diagnostics struct {
+	Errors   []error
+	Warnings []Warning
+}
+
+func (d *Diagnostics) Combine(o Diagnostics) {
+	d.Errors = append(d.Errors, o.Errors...)
+	d.Warnings = append(d.Warnings, o.Warnings...)
+}
+
+func (d *Diagnostics) AddWarning(path string, kind WarningKind, reason string) {
+	d.Warnings = append(d.Warnings, Warning{path, kind, reason})
+}
+
+func (d *Diagnostics) AddError(err error) {
+	d.Errors = append(d.Errors, err)
+}
+
+func (d Diagnostics) IsErr() bool {
+	return len(d.Errors) != 0
+}
+
+type Warning struct {
+	Path   string
+	Type   WarningKind
+	Reason string
+}
+
+type WarningKind string
+
+var (
+	WorkflowSkipped      WarningKind = "workflow skipped"
+	InvalidConfiguration WarningKind = "invalid configuration"
+)
+
+// convert a repositories' workflow files into a fully compiled pipeline that runners accept
+func (compiler *Compiler) Compile(p Pipeline) tangled.Pipeline {
+	cp := tangled.Pipeline{
+		TriggerMetadata: &compiler.Trigger,
+	}
+
+	for _, w := range p {
+		cw := compiler.compileWorkflow(w)
+
+		// empty workflows are not added to the pipeline
+		if len(cw.Steps) == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		cp.Workflows = append(cp.Workflows, &cw)
+	}
+
+	return cp
+}
+
+func (compiler *Compiler) compileWorkflow(w Workflow) tangled.Pipeline_Workflow {
+	cw := tangled.Pipeline_Workflow{}
+
+	if !w.Match(compiler.Trigger) {
+		compiler.Diagnostics.AddWarning(
+			w.Name,
+			WorkflowSkipped,
+			fmt.Sprintf("did not match trigger %s", compiler.Trigger.Kind),
+		)
+		return cw
+	}
+
+	if len(w.Steps) == 0 {
+		compiler.Diagnostics.AddWarning(
+			w.Name,
+			WorkflowSkipped,
+			"empty workflow",
+		)
+		return cw
+	}
+
+	// validate clone options
+	compiler.analyzeCloneOptions(w)
+
+	cw.Name = w.Name
+	cw.Dependencies = w.Dependencies.AsRecord()
+	for _, s := range w.Steps {
+		step := tangled.Pipeline_Step{
+			Command: s.Command,
+			Name:    s.Name,
+		}
+		cw.Steps = append(cw.Steps, &step)
+	}
+	for k, v := range w.Environment {
+		e := &tangled.Pipeline_Workflow_Environment_Elem{
+			Key:   k,
+			Value: v,
+		}
+		cw.Environment = append(cw.Environment, e)
+	}
+
+	o := w.CloneOpts.AsRecord()
+	cw.Clone = &o
+
+	return cw
+}
+
+func (compiler *Compiler) analyzeCloneOptions(w Workflow) {
+	if w.CloneOpts.Skip && w.CloneOpts.IncludeSubmodules {
+		compiler.Diagnostics.AddWarning(
+			w.Name,
+			InvalidConfiguration,
+			"cannot apply `clone.skip` and `clone.submodules`",
+		)
+	}
+
+	if w.CloneOpts.Skip && w.CloneOpts.Depth > 0 {
+		compiler.Diagnostics.AddWarning(
+			w.Name,
+			InvalidConfiguration,
+			"cannot apply `clone.skip` and `clone.depth`",
+		)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/workflow/compile_test.go b/workflow/compile_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbefee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workflow/compile_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package workflow
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/api/tangled"
+)
+
+var trigger = tangled.Pipeline_TriggerMetadata{
+	Kind: TriggerKindPush,
+	Push: &tangled.Pipeline_PushTriggerData{
+		Ref:    "refs/heads/main",
+		OldSha: strings.Repeat("0", 40),
+		NewSha: strings.Repeat("f", 40),
+	},
+}
+
+var when = []Constraint{
+	{
+		Event:  []string{"push"},
+		Branch: []string{"main"},
+	},
+}
+
+func TestCompileWorkflow_MatchingWorkflowWithSteps(t *testing.T) {
+	wf := Workflow{
+		Name: ".tangled/workflows/test.yml",
+		When: when,
+		Steps: []Step{
+			{Name: "Test", Command: "go test ./..."},
+		},
+		CloneOpts: CloneOpts{}, // default true
+	}
+
+	c := Compiler{Trigger: trigger}
+	cp := c.Compile([]Workflow{wf})
+
+	assert.Len(t, cp.Workflows, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, wf.Name, cp.Workflows[0].Name)
+	assert.False(t, cp.Workflows[0].Clone.Skip)
+	assert.False(t, c.Diagnostics.IsErr())
+}
+
+func TestCompileWorkflow_EmptySteps(t *testing.T) {
+	wf := Workflow{
+		Name:  ".tangled/workflows/empty.yml",
+		When:  when,
+		Steps: []Step{}, // no steps
+	}
+
+	c := Compiler{Trigger: trigger}
+	cp := c.Compile([]Workflow{wf})
+
+	assert.Len(t, cp.Workflows, 0)
+	assert.Len(t, c.Diagnostics.Warnings, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, WorkflowSkipped, c.Diagnostics.Warnings[0].Type)
+}
+
+func TestCompileWorkflow_TriggerMismatch(t *testing.T) {
+	wf := Workflow{
+		Name: ".tangled/workflows/mismatch.yml",
+		When: []Constraint{
+			{
+				Event:  []string{"push"},
+				Branch: []string{"master"}, // different branch
+			},
+		},
+		Steps: []Step{
+			{Name: "Lint", Command: "golint ./..."},
+		},
+	}
+
+	c := Compiler{Trigger: trigger}
+	cp := c.Compile([]Workflow{wf})
+
+	assert.Len(t, cp.Workflows, 0)
+	assert.Len(t, c.Diagnostics.Warnings, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, WorkflowSkipped, c.Diagnostics.Warnings[0].Type)
+}
+
+func TestCompileWorkflow_CloneFalseWithShallowTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	wf := Workflow{
+		Name: ".tangled/workflows/clone_skip.yml",
+		When: when,
+		Steps: []Step{
+			{Name: "Skip", Command: "echo skip"},
+		},
+		CloneOpts: CloneOpts{
+			Skip:  true,
+			Depth: 1,
+		}, // false
+	}
+
+	c := Compiler{Trigger: trigger}
+	cp := c.Compile([]Workflow{wf})
+
+	assert.Len(t, cp.Workflows, 1)
+	assert.True(t, cp.Workflows[0].Clone.Skip)
+	assert.Len(t, c.Diagnostics.Warnings, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, InvalidConfiguration, c.Diagnostics.Warnings[0].Type)
+}