diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
index 2a568b7901..396eab3839 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use nu_protocol::ast::{Block, Call, Expr, Expression, Operator, Statement};
 use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{
-    IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, Range, ShellError, Span, Spanned, Type, Unit, Value,
+    IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, Range, ShellError, Span, Spanned, Type, Unit, Value, VarId,
 };
 
 use crate::get_full_help;
@@ -210,9 +210,7 @@ pub fn eval_expression(
                 span: expr.span,
             })
         }
-        Expr::Var(var_id) => stack
-            .get_var(*var_id)
-            .map_err(move |_| ShellError::VariableNotFoundAtRuntime(expr.span)),
+        Expr::Var(var_id) => eval_variable(engine_state, stack, *var_id, expr.span),
         Expr::VarDecl(_) => Ok(Value::Nothing { span: expr.span }),
         Expr::CellPath(cell_path) => Ok(Value::CellPath {
             val: cell_path.clone(),
@@ -372,6 +370,73 @@ pub fn eval_block(
     Ok(input)
 }
 
+pub fn eval_variable(
+    _engine_state: &EngineState,
+    stack: &Stack,
+    var_id: VarId,
+    span: Span,
+) -> Result<Value, ShellError> {
+    if var_id == 0 {
+        // $nu
+        let mut output_cols = vec![];
+        let mut output_vals = vec![];
+
+        let env_columns: Vec<_> = stack.get_env_vars().keys().map(|x| x.to_string()).collect();
+        let env_values: Vec<_> = stack
+            .get_env_vars()
+            .values()
+            .map(|x| Value::String {
+                val: x.to_string(),
+                span,
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        output_cols.push("env".into());
+        output_vals.push(Value::Record {
+            cols: env_columns,
+            vals: env_values,
+            span,
+        });
+
+        if let Some(mut config_path) = nu_path::config_dir() {
+            config_path.push("nushell");
+
+            let mut history_path = config_path.clone();
+
+            history_path.push("history.txt");
+
+            output_cols.push("history-path".into());
+            output_vals.push(Value::String {
+                val: history_path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+                span,
+            });
+
+            config_path.push("config.nu");
+
+            output_cols.push("config-path".into());
+            output_vals.push(Value::String {
+                val: config_path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+                span,
+            });
+        }
+
+        if let Ok(cwd) = std::env::var("PWD") {
+            output_cols.push("pwd".into());
+            output_vals.push(Value::String { val: cwd, span })
+        }
+
+        Ok(Value::Record {
+            cols: output_cols,
+            vals: output_vals,
+            span,
+        })
+    } else {
+        stack
+            .get_var(var_id)
+            .map_err(move |_| ShellError::VariableNotFoundAtRuntime(span))
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn compute(size: i64, unit: Unit, span: Span) -> Value {
     match unit {
         Unit::Byte => Value::Filesize { val: size, span },
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index 893c5f492e..14a437d8e0 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -1182,6 +1182,16 @@ pub fn parse_variable_expr(
             },
             None,
         );
+    } else if contents == b"$nu" {
+        return (
+            Expression {
+                expr: Expr::Var(0),
+                span,
+                ty: Type::Unknown,
+                custom_completion: None,
+            },
+            None,
+        );
     }
 
     let (id, err) = parse_variable(working_set, span);
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
index c9333ec7d7..36d1fe5227 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ impl EngineState {
         Self {
             files: im::vector![],
             file_contents: im::vector![],
-            vars: im::vector![],
+            vars: im::vector![Type::Unknown],
             decls: im::vector![],
             blocks: im::vector![],
             scope: im::vector![ScopeFrame::new()],
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 5fff81f558..aecb0041aa 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
         let mut stack = nu_protocol::engine::Stack::new();
 
+        for (k, v) in std::env::vars() {
+            stack.env_vars.insert(k, v);
+        }
+
         match eval_block(&engine_state, &mut stack, &block, PipelineData::new()) {
             Ok(pipeline_data) => {
                 println!("{}", pipeline_data.collect_string());
@@ -146,6 +150,10 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         let mut nu_prompt = NushellPrompt::new();
         let mut stack = nu_protocol::engine::Stack::new();
 
+        for (k, v) in std::env::vars() {
+            stack.env_vars.insert(k, v);
+        }
+
         // Load config startup file
         if let Some(mut config_path) = nu_path::config_dir() {
             config_path.push("nushell");