diff --git a/config/routes b/config/routes
index 50d46b9..e5b5994 100644
--- a/config/routes
+++ b/config/routes
@@ -12,4 +12,5 @@
 /icons/#PNG                             IconsR             GET -- get icons
 !/apps/#S9PK                            AppR               GET -- get most recent appId at appversion spec, defaults to >=0.0.0 -- ?spec={semver-spec}
 
-!/sys/#SYS_EXTENSIONLESS                SysR               GET -- get most recent sys app -- ?spec={semver-spec}
\ No newline at end of file
+!/sys/#SYS_EXTENSIONLESS                SysR               GET -- get most recent sys app -- ?spec={semver-spec}
+/sys/status                             SystemStatusR      GET -- get system update status and version
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Handler/Types/Status.hs b/src/Handler/Types/Status.hs
index cada3de..24a8c63 100644
--- a/src/Handler/Types/Status.hs
+++ b/src/Handler/Types/Status.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE NamedFieldPuns    #-}
 module Handler.Types.Status where
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import           Yesod.Core.Content
 
 import           Lib.Types.Emver
 import           Orphans.Emver                  ( )
+import           Data.Text
 
 data AppVersionRes = AppVersionRes
     { appVersionVersion      :: Version
@@ -35,3 +37,22 @@ instance ToContent (Maybe AppVersionRes) where
     toContent = toContent . toJSON
 instance ToTypedContent (Maybe AppVersionRes) where
     toTypedContent = toTypedContent . toJSON
+
+-- status - nothing, available, instuctions
+-- version - semver string
+
+data SystemStatus = NOTHING | AVAILABLE | INSTRUCTIONS
+    deriving (Eq, Show)
+instance ToJSON SystemStatus where
+    toJSON = String . toLower . show
+
+data OSVersionRes = OSVersionRes
+    { osVersionStatus :: SystemStatus
+    , osVersionVersion :: Version
+    } deriving (Eq, Show)
+instance ToJSON OSVersionRes where
+    toJSON OSVersionRes { .. } =  object ["status" .= osVersionStatus, "version" .= osVersionVersion]
+instance ToContent OSVersionRes where
+    toContent = toContent . toJSON
+instance ToTypedContent OSVersionRes where
+    toTypedContent = toTypedContent . toJSON
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Handler/Version.hs b/src/Handler/Version.hs
index 4886c19..9c314ee 100644
--- a/src/Handler/Version.hs
+++ b/src/Handler/Version.hs
@@ -44,3 +44,8 @@ getVersionWSpec :: KnownSymbol a => FilePath -> Extension a -> Handler (Maybe Ap
 getVersionWSpec rootDir ext = do
     av <- getVersionFromQuery rootDir ext
     pure $ liftA3 AppVersionRes av (pure Nothing) (pure Nothing)
+
+getSystemStatusR :: Handler OSVersionRes
+getSystemStatusR = do
+    -- hardcoded since this will be last OS version release on this registry before 1.0
+    pure $ OSVersionRes NOTHING $ Version (0,2,13,0)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Lib/Registry.hs b/src/Lib/Registry.hs
index 15694c5..d586245 100644
--- a/src/Lib/Registry.hs
+++ b/src/Lib/Registry.hs
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ getAvailableAppVersions rootDirectory ext@(Extension appId) = do
         getSubDirectories path = (fmap (fromRight []) . try @SomeException $ listDirectory path)
             >>= filterM (doesDirectoryExist . (path </>))
 
+-- this works for both service versions and embassyOS versions
 getMostRecentAppVersion :: KnownSymbol a => FilePath -> Extension a -> IO (Maybe RegisteredAppVersion)
 getMostRecentAppVersion rootDirectory ext = do
     allVersions <- liftIO $ getAvailableAppVersions rootDirectory ext