diff --git a/nix/dev-shell.nix b/nix/dev-shell.nix
--- a/nix/dev-shell.nix
+++ b/nix/dev-shell.nix
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 , pkg-config
 , protobuf_3_15_cmake
 , python3
+, redis
+, redis-up
 , rustc
 , shellcheck
 , sqlite
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@
     yarn
     watchman # react native
     python3
+    redis
 
     # native dependencies
     # C/CXX toolchains are already brought in with mkShell
@@ -122,7 +125,10 @@
     "${mariadb-up}"/bin/mariadb-up &
     mariadb_pid=$!
 
-    wait "$mariadb_pid"
+    "${redis-up}"/bin/redis-up &
+    redis_pid=$!
+
+    wait "$mariadb_pid" "$redis_pid"
   '' + ''
 
     # Provide decent bash prompt
diff --git a/nix/overlay.nix b/nix/overlay.nix
--- a/nix/overlay.nix
+++ b/nix/overlay.nix
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@
 
   mysql-up = prev.callPackage ./mysql-up-linux.nix { };
 
+  redis-up = prev.callPackage ./redis-up-mac.nix { };
+
   olm = prev.olm.overrideAttrs(oldAttrs: {
     # *.hh files aren't meant to be used externally
     # so we patch installation to add it
diff --git a/nix/redis-up-mac.nix b/nix/redis-up-mac.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/redis-up-mac.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+{ lib
+, redis
+, writeShellApplication
+, writeTextFile
+}:
+
+let
+  # Use small script executed by bash to have a normal shell environment.
+  redis-entrypoint = writeShellApplication {
+    name = "redis-init";
+    text = ''
+      REDIS_CACHE_DIR=''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/Library/Caches}/Redis
+      mkdir -p "$REDIS_CACHE_DIR"
+      # 'exec' allows for us to replace bash process with MariaDB
+      exec ${redis}/bin/redis-server \
+        &> "$REDIS_CACHE_DIR"/logs
+    '';
+  };
+
+# will create a shellchecked executable shell script located in $out/bin/<name>
+# This shell script will be used to allow for impure+stateful actions
+in writeShellApplication {
+  name = "redis-up";
+  text = ''
+    # so use XDG conventions and hope $HOME doesn't have a space.
+    REDIS_CACHE_DIR=''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/Library/Caches}/Redis
+    REDIS_PIDFILE="$REDIS_CACHE_DIR"/redis.pid
+
+    mkdir -p "$REDIS_CACHE_DIR"
+
+    "${../scripts/start_comm_daemon.sh}" \
+      redis \
+      Redis \
+      ${redis-entrypoint}/bin/redis-init \
+      "$REDIS_PIDFILE"
+
+    echo "View Redis Logs: tail -f $REDIS_CACHE_DIR/logs" >&2
+    echo "Kill Redis server: pkill redis" >&2
+
+    # Explicitly exit this script so the parent shell can determine
+    # when it's safe to return control of terminal to user
+    exit 0
+  '';
+}