diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index dbd0caf79..43d1a32c9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: pkgx +git
       - run: pkgx +git --json
       - run: pkgx +git --json=v1
+      - run: pkgx +git --json=v2
       - run: pkgx git --version
       - run: pkgx --silent +git
       - run: pkgx --quiet +git
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d6025a9a9..e1092ea09 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1074,6 +1074,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "nix",
  "regex",
  "rusqlite",
+ "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "tokio",
 ]
diff --git a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
index 993998a2d..32066eb49 100644
--- a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ regex = "1.11.1"
 indicatif = "0.17.9"
 nix = { version = "0.29.0", features = ["process"] }
 serde_json = "1.0.135"
+serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 libpkgx = { version = "0.6.0", path = "../lib" }
 console = { version = "0.15", default-features = false, features = [
   "ansi-parsing",
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/args.rs b/crates/cli/src/args.rs
index d478adf52..b888b6ed3 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/args.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/args.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ pub enum Mode {
 pub struct Flags {
     pub quiet: bool,
     pub silent: bool,
-    pub json: bool,
+    pub json: Option<isize>,
     pub version_n_continue: bool,
     pub shebang: bool,
     pub sync: bool,
@@ -30,12 +30,13 @@ pub fn parse() -> Args {
     let mut args = Vec::new();
     let mut silent: bool = false;
     let mut quiet: bool = false;
-    let mut json: bool = false;
+    let mut json = None;
     let mut find_program = false;
     let mut collecting_args = false;
     let mut version_n_continue = false;
     let mut shebang = false;
     let mut sync = false;
+    let json_latest_v: isize = 2;
 
     for arg in std::env::args().skip(1) {
         if collecting_args {
@@ -47,17 +48,19 @@ pub fn parse() -> Args {
             collecting_args = true;
         } else if arg.starts_with("--") {
             match arg.as_str() {
+                "--shebang" => shebang = true,
                 "--json" => {
                     if !silent {
                         eprintln!(
-                            "{} use --json=v1",
-                            style("warning: --json is not stable").yellow()
+                            "{} use --json={}",
+                            style("warning: --json is not stable").yellow(),
+                            json_latest_v
                         );
                     }
-                    json = true
+                    json = Some(2);
                 }
-                "--shebang" => shebang = true,
-                "--json=v1" => json = true,
+                "--json=v1" => json = Some(1),
+                "--json=v2" => json = Some(2),
                 "--silent" => silent = true,
                 "--help" => mode = Mode::Help,
                 "--version" => mode = Mode::Version,
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ pub fn parse() -> Args {
                     }
                     'h' => mode = Mode::Help,
                     's' => silent = true,
-                    'j' => json = true,
+                    'j' => json = Some(json_latest_v),
                     'v' => version_n_continue = true,
                     '!' => shebang = true,
                     'Q' => mode = Mode::Query,
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/dump.rs b/crates/cli/src/dump.rs
index c48b60cb2..624c3fff0 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/dump.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/dump.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,73 @@
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::{collections::HashMap, path::PathBuf, vec};
 
 use libpkgx::{
+    env::expand_moustaches, pantry_db,
     platform_case_aware_env_key::construct_platform_case_aware_env_key, types::Installation,
 };
+use serde::Serialize;
 use serde_json::json;
 
 pub fn dump(
     conn: rusqlite::Connection,
     installations: Vec<Installation>,
-    env: HashMap<String, Vec<String>>,
     flags: &crate::args::Flags,
 ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-    if !flags.json {
+    if let Some(v) = flags.json {
+        if v < 2 {
+            let env = libpkgx::env::map(&installations);
+            let mut runtime_env = HashMap::new();
+            for pkg in installations.clone() {
+                let pkg_runtime_env =
+                    libpkgx::pantry_db::runtime_env_for_project(&pkg.pkg.project, &conn)?;
+                if !pkg_runtime_env.is_empty() {
+                    runtime_env.insert(pkg.pkg.project, pkg_runtime_env);
+                }
+            }
+            let json = json!({
+                "pkgs": installations,
+                "env": env,
+                "runtime_env": runtime_env
+            });
+            println!("{}", json);
+        } else {
+            let mut pkgs: HashMap<String, JsonV2Pkg> = HashMap::new();
+            for installation in installations.clone() {
+                let env = libpkgx::env::map(&vec![installation.clone()]);
+                let project = installation.pkg.project.clone();
+
+                let mut runtime_env = libpkgx::pantry_db::runtime_env_for_project(&project, &conn)?;
+
+                for (installation_key, installation_value) in runtime_env.clone() {
+                    let installation_value =
+                        expand_moustaches(&installation_value, &installation, &installations);
+                    runtime_env.insert(installation_key, installation_value);
+                }
+
+                let programs = pantry_db::programs_for_project(&project, &conn)?;
+                let companions = pantry_db::companions_for_projects(&[project.clone()], &conn)?
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|c| c.to_string())
+                    .collect::<Vec<String>>();
+
+                let pkg = JsonV2Pkg {
+                    path: installation.path,
+                    project,
+                    version: installation.pkg.version,
+                    env,
+                    runtime_env,
+                    programs,
+                    companions,
+                };
+                pkgs.insert(pkg.project.clone(), pkg);
+            }
+
+            let json = json!({
+                "pkgs": pkgs, "env": libpkgx::env::map(&installations)
+            });
+            println!("{}", json);
+        }
+    } else {
+        let env = libpkgx::env::map(&installations);
         let env = env
             .iter()
             .map(|(k, v)| {
@@ -29,21 +85,21 @@ pub fn dump(
                 value.replace(&format!(":${}", key), &format!("${{{}:+:${}}}", key, key))
             );
         }
-    } else {
-        let mut runtime_env = HashMap::new();
-        for pkg in installations.clone() {
-            let pkg_runtime_env =
-                libpkgx::pantry_db::runtime_env_for_project(&pkg.pkg.project, &conn)?;
-            if !pkg_runtime_env.is_empty() {
-                runtime_env.insert(pkg.pkg.project, pkg_runtime_env);
-            }
-        }
-        let json = json!({
-            "pkgs": installations,
-            "env": env,
-            "runtime_env": runtime_env
-        });
-        println!("{}", json);
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[derive(Serialize)]
+struct JsonV2Pkg {
+    project: String,
+    version: libpkgx::Version,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "HashMap::is_empty")]
+    env: HashMap<String, Vec<String>>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "HashMap::is_empty")]
+    runtime_env: HashMap<String, String>,
+    path: PathBuf,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
+    programs: Vec<String>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
+    companions: Vec<String>,
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/help.rs b/crates/cli/src/help.rs
index c894e06fc..8710a0260 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/help.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/help.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ flags:
   -q,  --quiet    # suppress brief informational messages
   -qq, --silent   # no chat. no errors. just execute.
   -v              # print version and continue
+  --sync          # sync first (note: rarely if ever needed)
+  -j,--json=v2    # output JSON (if sensible)
 
 more:
   $ OPEN https://docs.pkgx.sh
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/main.rs b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
index 0b2b338ba..06d4d36e9 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
                 &mut spinner,
             )
             .await?;
-            let env = libpkgx::env::map(&installations);
 
             if !args.is_empty() {
+                let env = libpkgx::env::map(&installations);
                 let (cmd, args, env) =
                     x::exec(find_program, args, installations, env, flags, conn, graph).await?;
                 spinner.finish_and_clear();
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
                 Ok(())
             } else if !plus.is_empty() {
                 spinner.finish_and_clear();
-                dump::dump(conn, installations, env, &flags)?;
+                dump::dump(conn, installations, &flags)?;
                 Ok(())
             } else if flags.version_n_continue || flags.sync {
                 Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/lib/src/pantry_db.rs b/crates/lib/src/pantry_db.rs
index 61637dd75..04dcd9cfa 100644
--- a/crates/lib/src/pantry_db.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/src/pantry_db.rs
@@ -179,3 +179,16 @@ pub fn companions_for_projects(
     // Collect results into a Vec<PackageReq>, propagating errors
     Ok(companions.collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?)
 }
+
+pub fn programs_for_project(
+    project: &String,
+    conn: &Connection,
+) -> Result<Vec<String>, rusqlite::Error> {
+    let mut stmt = conn.prepare("SELECT program FROM provides WHERE project = ?1")?;
+    let mut rv = Vec::new();
+    let mut rows = stmt.query(params![project])?;
+    while let Some(row) = rows.next()? {
+        rv.push(row.get(0)?);
+    }
+    Ok(rv)
+}