diff --git a/cmd/fleet/serve.go b/cmd/fleet/serve.go
index bfd72636ca..af0246aed9 100644
--- a/cmd/fleet/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/fleet/serve.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/WatchBeam/clock"
 	"github.com/e-dard/netbug"
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/ee/licensing"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/server/config"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/server/datastore/mysql"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/server/datastore/s3"
@@ -71,6 +72,14 @@ the way that the Fleet server works.
 				applyDevFlags(&config)
 			}
 
+			license, err := licensing.LoadLicense(config.License.Key)
+			if err != nil {
+				initFatal(
+					err,
+					"failed to load license",
+				)
+			}
+
 			var logger kitlog.Logger
 			{
 				output := os.Stderr
@@ -137,7 +146,6 @@ the way that the Fleet server works.
 
 			var ds kolide.Datastore
 			var carveStore kolide.CarveStore
-			var err error
 			mailService := mail.NewService()
 
 			ds, err = mysql.New(config.Mysql, clock.C, mysql.Logger(logger))
@@ -220,7 +228,7 @@ the way that the Fleet server works.
 			liveQueryStore := live_query.NewRedisLiveQuery(redisPool)
 			ssoSessionStore := sso.NewSessionStore(redisPool)
 
-			svc, err := service.NewService(ds, resultStore, logger, config, mailService, clock.C, ssoSessionStore, liveQueryStore, carveStore)
+			svc, err := service.NewService(ds, resultStore, logger, config, mailService, clock.C, ssoSessionStore, liveQueryStore, carveStore, *license)
 			if err != nil {
 				initFatal(err, "initializing service")
 			}
diff --git a/ee/licensing/licensing.go b/ee/licensing/licensing.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0904ff2286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ee/licensing/licensing.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package licensing
+
+import (
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/server/kolide"
+)
+
+func LoadLicense(licenseKey string) (*kolide.LicenseInfo, error) {
+	// TODO actual logic here
+
+	if licenseKey == "" {
+		return &kolide.LicenseInfo{Tier: "core"}, nil
+	}
+
+	return &kolide.LicenseInfo{Tier: "basic"}, nil
+}
diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index 2ec2c535dd..aec54fd631 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ type FilesystemConfig struct {
 	EnableLogCompression bool   `yaml:"enable_log_compression"`
 }
 
+// LicenseConfig defines configs related to licensing Fleet.
+type LicenseConfig struct {
+	Key string `yaml:"key"`
+}
+
 // KolideConfig stores the application configuration. Each subcategory is
 // broken up into it's own struct, defined above. When editing any of these
 // structs, Manager.addConfigs and Manager.LoadConfig should be
@@ -174,6 +179,7 @@ type KolideConfig struct {
 	S3         S3Config
 	PubSub     PubSubConfig
 	Filesystem FilesystemConfig
+	License    LicenseConfig
 }
 
 // addConfigs adds the configuration keys and default values that will be
@@ -342,6 +348,9 @@ func (man Manager) addConfigs() {
 		"Enable automatic rotation for osquery log files")
 	man.addConfigBool("filesystem.enable_log_compression", false,
 		"Enable compression for the rotated osquery log files")
+
+	// License
+	man.addConfigString("license.key", "", "Fleet license key (to enable Fleet Basic features)")
 }
 
 // LoadConfig will load the config variables into a fully initialized
@@ -479,6 +488,9 @@ func (man Manager) LoadConfig() KolideConfig {
 			EnableLogRotation:    man.getConfigBool("filesystem.enable_log_rotation"),
 			EnableLogCompression: man.getConfigBool("filesystem.enable_log_compression"),
 		},
+		License: LicenseConfig{
+			Key: man.getConfigString("license.key"),
+		},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/server/kolide/app.go b/server/kolide/app.go
index cfade19d6a..fcc50acdda 100644
--- a/server/kolide/app.go
+++ b/server/kolide/app.go
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ type AppConfigService interface {
 
 	// Version returns version and build information.
 	Version(ctx context.Context) (*version.Info, error)
+
+	// License returns the licensing information.
+	License(ctx context.Context) (*LicenseInfo, error)
 }
 
 // SMTP settings names returned from API, these map to SMTPAuthType and
@@ -328,3 +331,15 @@ type EnrollSecretSpec struct {
 	// Secrets is the list of enroll secrets.
 	Secrets []EnrollSecret `json:"secrets"`
 }
+
+// LicenseInfo contains information about the Fleet license.
+type LicenseInfo struct {
+	// Tier is the license tier (currently "core" or "basic")
+	Tier string `json:"tier"`
+	// Organization is the name of the licensed organization.
+	Organization string `json:"organization,omitempty"`
+	// DeviceCount is the number of licensed devices.
+	DeviceCount int `json:"device_count,omitempty"`
+	// Expiration is when the license expires.
+	Expiration *time.Time `json:"expiration,omitempty"`
+}
diff --git a/server/service/endpoint_appconfig.go b/server/service/endpoint_appconfig.go
index c557182ec5..6a526921df 100644
--- a/server/service/endpoint_appconfig.go
+++ b/server/service/endpoint_appconfig.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type appConfigResponse struct {
 	SSOSettings        *kolide.SSOSettingsPayload  `json:"sso_settings,omitempty"`
 	HostExpirySettings *kolide.HostExpirySettings  `json:"host_expiry_settings,omitempty"`
 	HostSettings       *kolide.HostSettings        `json:"host_settings,omitempty"`
+	License            *kolide.LicenseInfo         `json:"license,omitempty"`
 	Err                error                       `json:"error,omitempty"`
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ func makeGetAppConfigEndpoint(svc kolide.Service) endpoint.Endpoint {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		license, err := svc.License(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		var smtpSettings *kolide.SMTPSettingsPayload
 		var ssoSettings *kolide.SSOSettingsPayload
 		var hostExpirySettings *kolide.HostExpirySettings
@@ -75,6 +80,7 @@ func makeGetAppConfigEndpoint(svc kolide.Service) endpoint.Endpoint {
 			HostSettings: &kolide.HostSettings{
 				AdditionalQueries: config.AdditionalQueries,
 			},
+			License: license,
 		}
 		return response, nil
 	}
diff --git a/server/service/service.go b/server/service/service.go
index e3a0cfd6f2..d3fceeda51 100644
--- a/server/service/service.go
+++ b/server/service/service.go
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ import (
 // NewService creates a new service from the config struct
 func NewService(ds kolide.Datastore, resultStore kolide.QueryResultStore,
 	logger kitlog.Logger, config config.KolideConfig, mailService kolide.MailService,
-	c clock.Clock, sso sso.SessionStore, lq kolide.LiveQueryStore, carveStore kolide.CarveStore) (kolide.Service, error) {
+	c clock.Clock, sso sso.SessionStore, lq kolide.LiveQueryStore, carveStore kolide.CarveStore,
+	license kolide.LicenseInfo) (kolide.Service, error) {
 	var svc kolide.Service
 
 	osqueryLogger, err := logging.New(config, logger)
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ func NewService(ds kolide.Datastore, resultStore kolide.QueryResultStore,
 		metaDataClient: &http.Client{
 			Timeout: 5 * time.Second,
 		},
+		license: license,
 	}
 	svc = validationMiddleware{svc, ds, sso}
 	return svc, nil
@@ -66,6 +68,8 @@ type service struct {
 	metaDataClient  *http.Client
 
 	seenHostSet *seenHostSet
+
+	license kolide.LicenseInfo
 }
 
 func (s service) SendEmail(mail kolide.Email) error {
diff --git a/server/service/service_appconfig.go b/server/service/service_appconfig.go
index 3fd91908fe..bc2bb661f4 100644
--- a/server/service/service_appconfig.go
+++ b/server/service/service_appconfig.go
@@ -265,3 +265,7 @@ func (svc service) Version(ctx context.Context) (*version.Info, error) {
 	info := version.Version()
 	return &info, nil
 }
+
+func (svc service) License(ctx context.Context) (*kolide.LicenseInfo, error) {
+	return &svc.license, nil
+}
diff --git a/server/service/util_test.go b/server/service/util_test.go
index fa952ccd9f..34ea6703a9 100644
--- a/server/service/util_test.go
+++ b/server/service/util_test.go
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ import (
 
 func newTestService(ds kolide.Datastore, rs kolide.QueryResultStore, lq kolide.LiveQueryStore) (kolide.Service, error) {
 	mailer := &mockMailService{SendEmailFn: func(e kolide.Email) error { return nil }}
-	return NewService(ds, rs, kitlog.NewNopLogger(), config.TestConfig(), mailer, clock.C, nil, lq, ds)
+	license := kolide.LicenseInfo{Tier: "core"}
+	return NewService(ds, rs, kitlog.NewNopLogger(), config.TestConfig(), mailer, clock.C, nil, lq, ds, license)
 }
 
 func newTestServiceWithClock(ds kolide.Datastore, rs kolide.QueryResultStore, lq kolide.LiveQueryStore, c clock.Clock) (kolide.Service, error) {
 	mailer := &mockMailService{SendEmailFn: func(e kolide.Email) error { return nil }}
-	return NewService(ds, rs, kitlog.NewNopLogger(), config.TestConfig(), mailer, c, nil, lq, ds)
+	license := kolide.LicenseInfo{Tier: "core"}
+	return NewService(ds, rs, kitlog.NewNopLogger(), config.TestConfig(), mailer, c, nil, lq, ds, license)
 }
 
 func createTestAppConfig(t *testing.T, ds kolide.Datastore) *kolide.AppConfig {