diff --git a/.envrc b/.envrc
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.envrc
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# reload when these files change
+watch_file flake.nix
+watch_file flake.lock
+
+{
+  # shell gc root dir, to avoid nix cleaning up nix packages
+  mkdir -p "$(direnv_layout_dir)"
+
+  # load nix development environment
+  eval "$(nix print-dev-env --profile $(direnv_layout_dir)/flake-profile)"
+} || use nix
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,3 +15,6 @@
 # Nix
 result
 result-*
+
+# Direnv
+.direnv
diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+  "nodes": {
+    "nixpkgs": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1641404362,
+        "narHash": "sha256-8j21rw0xwwuiz8uOybm6gbeQIfAga/cwovzr3z1xzOg=",
+        "owner": "nixos",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "rev": "defafc9a220440180a34f923be9772d9c89a8197",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "nixos",
+        "ref": "nixpkgs-unstable",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
+    "root": {
+      "inputs": {
+        "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs",
+        "utils": "utils"
+      }
+    },
+    "utils": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1638122382,
+        "narHash": "sha256-sQzZzAbvKEqN9s0bzWuYmRaA03v40gaJ4+iL1LXjaeI=",
+        "owner": "numtide",
+        "repo": "flake-utils",
+        "rev": "74f7e4319258e287b0f9cb95426c9853b282730b",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "numtide",
+        "repo": "flake-utils",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "root": "root",
+  "version": 7
+}
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  description = "Comm flake";
+
+  inputs = {
+    utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
+    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
+  };
+
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, utils, ... }:
+    let
+      # put devShell and any other required packages into local overlay
+      localOverlay = import ./nix/overlay.nix;
+      overlays = [
+        localOverlay
+      ];
+
+      pkgsForSystem = system: import nixpkgs {
+        # if you have additional overlays, you may add them here
+        overlays = [
+          localOverlay # this should expose devShell
+        ];
+        inherit system;
+      };
+    # https://github.com/numtide/flake-utils#usage for more examples
+    in utils.lib.eachSystem [ "x86_64-linux" "x86_64-darwin" "aarch64-darwin" ] (system: rec {
+      legacyPackages = pkgsForSystem system;
+      inherit (legacyPackages) devShell;
+  }) // {
+    inherit overlays;
+    overlay = nixpkgs.lib.composeManyExtensions overlays;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/nix/dev-shell.nix b/nix/dev-shell.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/dev-shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+{ mkShell
+, stdenv
+, lib
+, arcanist
+, darwin
+, nodejs-16_x
+, openjdk11
+, protobuf3_15
+, yarn
+}:
+
+mkShell rec {
+
+  # programs which are meant to be executed should go here
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    arcanist
+    nodejs-16_x
+    protobuf3_15
+    yarn
+  ];
+
+  # include any libraries or programs in buildInputs
+  buildInputs = [
+    protobuf3_15
+  ] ++ lib.optionals stdenv.isDarwin (with darwin.apple_sdk.frameworks; [
+    CoreFoundation
+    Security
+  ]);
+
+  # shell commands to be ran upon entering shell
+  shellHook = ''
+    # For NixOS, the pre-compiled binaries from npm will not be able to find
+    # the c++ libraries, so we set them on LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+    if [ -f /etc/NIXOS ]; then
+      export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${stdenv.cc.cc.lib}/lib
+    fi
+
+    echo "Welcome to Comm dev environment! :)"
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/nix/overlay.nix b/nix/overlay.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/overlay.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+prev: final: {
+  # add packages meant for just this repository
+
+  devShell = final.callPackage ./dev-shell.nix { };
+}