diff --git a/src/cli/ahab.rs b/src/cli/ahab.rs
index 61a9a4a..3cb10f4 100644
--- a/src/cli/ahab.rs
+++ b/src/cli/ahab.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use super::{Django, Link, Postgres};
+use super::{Django, Link, Postgres, Store};
 use clap::builder::styling::{AnsiColor, Effects, Styles};
 
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ pub enum Commands {
         command: Link,
     },
 
+    /// Show what ahab makes of this project
+    Status {
+        #[command(flatten)]
+        store: Store,
+    },
+
     /// Print a shell completion script on stdout
     Completions {
         /// Shell to generate the script for
diff --git a/src/cli/mod.rs b/src/cli/mod.rs
index 72ef580..663207e 100644
--- a/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ mod postgres;
 
 pub use ahab::{Ahab, Commands};
 pub use django::Django;
-pub use link::Link;
+pub use link::{Link, Store};
 pub use postgres::{Format, Postgres};
diff --git a/src/commands/link.rs b/src/commands/link.rs
index 534840d..5ae669f 100644
--- a/src/commands/link.rs
+++ b/src/commands/link.rs
@@ -182,6 +182,19 @@ fn stored_paths(repo: &Repo, dir: &Path) -> Result<Vec<(PathBuf, Stored)>> {
     Ok(found)
 }
 
+// what the store holds, without the git questions check asks
+pub fn stored_summary(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<(PathBuf, usize, usize)> {
+    let repo = Repo::discover(ctx, store)?;
+    let stored = stored_paths(&repo, &repo.store)?;
+
+    let linked = stored
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|(_, state)| *state == Stored::Linked)
+        .count();
+
+    Ok((repo.store, linked, stored.len() - linked))
+}
+
 // list what the store holds for this repository, the inverse of check
 pub fn list(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
     let repo = Repo::discover(ctx, store)?;
diff --git a/src/commands/mod.rs b/src/commands/mod.rs
index e33f8ca..80b0fbd 100644
--- a/src/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/src/commands/mod.rs
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ pub mod completions;
 pub mod django;
 pub mod link;
 pub mod postgres;
+pub mod status;
diff --git a/src/commands/status.rs b/src/commands/status.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c6bdc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands/status.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+
+use crate::cmd::{Cmd, Ps};
+use crate::commands::link;
+use crate::ctx::Ctx;
+use crate::project::Project;
+
+// which services ahab picked, what it would talk to, what the store holds
+pub fn status(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
+    // a role it cannot pick out is worth reporting; a project it cannot read is not
+    let project = match Project::resolve(ctx) {
+        Ok(project) => project,
+        Err(e) => {
+            stored(ctx, store);
+            return Err(e);
+        }
+    };
+
+    println!("services: {}", project.names().join(", "));
+
+    role(ctx, "django", project.django(), &project);
+    role(ctx, "postgres", project.postgres(), &project);
+    stored(ctx, store);
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+// what the store holds, and where to look for what it does not
+fn stored(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) {
+    match link::stored_summary(ctx, store) {
+        Err(e) => println!("store: {e:#}"),
+        Ok((store, linked, other)) => {
+            println!("store: {}", store.display());
+            println!("\tlinked:    {linked}");
+
+            if other > 0 {
+                println!("\tnot linked: {other} (see `ahab link list`)");
+            }
+
+            println!("\t`ahab link check` lists what a sandbox can still read");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// one detected service: the name, the image behind it, and whether it is up
+fn role(ctx: &Ctx, role: &str, detected: Result<String>, project: &Project) {
+    let service = match detected {
+        Ok(service) => service,
+        Err(e) => {
+            println!("{role}: {e:#}");
+            return;
+        }
+    };
+
+    let image = project
+        .image(&service)
+        .unwrap_or("built from the project")
+        .to_string();
+
+    println!("{role}: {service} ({image})");
+
+    match Ps::id_of(&service).capture(ctx) {
+        Ok(id) if id.trim().is_empty() => println!("\tcontainer: not running"),
+        Ok(id) => println!("\tcontainer: {}", short(id.trim())),
+        Err(e) => println!("\tcontainer: {e:#}"),
+    }
+
+    if role == "postgres" {
+        let (user, database) = project.postgres_credentials(&service);
+        let source = |key: &str| match project.env(&service, key) {
+            Some(_) => "",
+            None => " (default, nothing in the environment)",
+        };
+
+        println!("\tuser:      {user}{}", source("POSTGRES_USER"));
+        println!("\tdatabase:  {database}{}", source("POSTGRES_DB"));
+    }
+}
+
+// a container id is 64 characters and only the first few are ever typed
+fn short(id: &str) -> String {
+    id.chars().take(12).collect()
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index a8422e3..39a6e05 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ fn run(ctx: &Ctx, command: cli::Commands) -> Result<ExitCode> {
                 store.root.as_deref(),
             ),
         },
+        cli::Commands::Status { store } => {
+            commands::status::status(ctx, store.root.as_deref())?;
+
+            Ok(done)
+        }
         cli::Commands::Completions { shell } => {
             commands::completions::completions(shell)?;
 
diff --git a/src/project.rs b/src/project.rs
index 296b3eb..239df00 100644
--- a/src/project.rs
+++ b/src/project.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ impl Project {
         (user, database)
     }
 
-    fn names(&self) -> Vec<&str> {
+    pub fn names(&self) -> Vec<&str> {
         let mut names: Vec<&str> = self
             .services
             .as_object()
@@ -102,6 +102,16 @@ impl Project {
         names
     }
 
+    // the image a service runs, which a service that builds its own does not have
+    pub fn image(&self, service: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.services[service].get("image")?.as_str()
+    }
+
+    // whether a value was set in the project or is ahab's own fallback
+    pub fn env(&self, service: &str, key: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        env_var(&self.services[service], key)
+    }
+
     fn publishes_ports(&self, service: &str) -> bool {
         self.services[service]
             .get("ports")