diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed3f6b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# NixOS Configuration
+
+This repo uses the [`den`](https://den.denful.dev/) framework to organize the configurations for a few of my computers running [NixOS](https://nixos.org/).
+
+## Usage
+
+NOTE: if `just` isn't present for some reason, replace its invocations below with `nix run nixpkgs#just --`.
+
+```shell
+just switch  # rebuild the config and switch to it
+just check   # check the configuration via `nix flake check`
+just flake   # write new `flake-file` dependencies
+just update  # update flake dependencies
+just vm      # run a VM emulating the `flock` host's configuration
+```
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ea3f31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/justfile
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+pkg := ".#" + `hostname`
+
+check:
+    nix flake check
+
+switch:
+    nix run {{pkg}} -- switch
+
+vm:
+    nix run .#vm
+
+flake:
+    nix run .#write-flake
+
+update: flake
+    nix flake update
diff --git a/modules/defaults.nix b/modules/defaults.nix
index 6f14245..3b71e5f 100644
--- a/modules/defaults.nix
+++ b/modules/defaults.nix
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
     i18n.defaultLocale = "en_US.UTF-8";
 
-    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ nh ];
+    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ just nh ];
 
     nix.settings.experimental-features = [
       "nix-command"