diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index c7f92be..7a97d93 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-- Maybe add `fetch` command to download the current registry
-  - If so, stop downloading it with most requests
-  - If it has been more than x amount of time, print a notice to the user if they try to install or upgrade something without fetching, but let them proceed with their action... just a nag message
 - Add versioning: `flag@0.2.0`? May require more language support in slope to deal with programs wanting to use various versions on the same system
-- Have `gen` build out a readme skeleton
-
+- Add support for an install.json file, which slp can process to install non-library code:
+    - Dependencies: []
+    - slope version required
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index df35671..5ab43c7 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const (
 	banner     string = "\033[32;1mslp - slope package manager\033[0m"
 	helptext   string = `
 slp docs      [[-g]]  [module]    # open a module's readme in $PAGER
+slp fetch                         # fetches the updated registry
 slp gen                           # creates new module dir/skeleton
 slp help                          # print usage information
 slp install   [[-g]]  [module...] # installs module(s)
@@ -59,6 +60,12 @@ func main() {
 			fmt.Println(err)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
+	case "fetch":
+		err := operators.Fetch()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Println(err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
 	case "list":
 		err := operators.List()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/operators/fetch.go b/operators/fetch.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5067c37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operators/fetch.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package operators
+
+func Fetch() error {
+	err := downloadTheDirectory()
+
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/operators/generate.go b/operators/generate.go
index 08e0523..89b5969 100644
--- a/operators/generate.go
+++ b/operators/generate.go
@@ -95,6 +95,17 @@ func Generate() error {
 	sf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("(define %s-hello-world (lambda ()\n", opts.Title))
 	sf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  (display \"'Hello, world!' from %s\\n\")))\n\n; vim: ts=2 sw=2 expandtab ft=slope\n", opts.Title))
 
+	rm, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(dir, "README.md"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer rm.Close()
+	rm.WriteString("# ")
+	rm.WriteString(opts.Title)
+	rm.WriteString("\n\n")
+	rm.WriteString(opts.Description)
+	rm.WriteString("\n\n")
+
 	fmt.Printf("\nPackage \033[1m%q\033[0m has been created!\n", opts.Title)
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/operators/install.go b/operators/install.go
index 8664357..203c0bf 100644
--- a/operators/install.go
+++ b/operators/install.go
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ func Install(pkg string, global bool) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("  \033[2m└\033[0m \033[91mError:\033[0m package %q is already installed", pkg)
 	}
 
-	err = downloadTheDirectory()
+	err = checkRegistry()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("  \033[2m└\033[0m \033[91mError:\033[0m could not retrieve remote package registry")
+		return fmt.Errorf("  \033[2m└\033[0m \033[91mError:\033[0m %s", err.Error())
 	}
 
 	packages, err := getPackages()
diff --git a/operators/search.go b/operators/search.go
index 3f4874e..6ab84d5 100644
--- a/operators/search.go
+++ b/operators/search.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Search(val string) error {
-	err := downloadTheDirectory()
+	err := checkRegistry()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/operators/show.go b/operators/show.go
index 200dbf1..8a2d8c4 100644
--- a/operators/show.go
+++ b/operators/show.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func Show(pkg string) error {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
 		// If the package is not locally available
 		// get it from the registry
-		err := downloadTheDirectory()
+		err := checkRegistry()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/operators/update.go b/operators/update.go
index 51a8298..4519afb 100644
--- a/operators/update.go
+++ b/operators/update.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 // package, to ensure it is up to date
 func Update(pkg string, global bool) error {
 	// Get remote data
-	err := downloadTheDirectory()
+	err := checkRegistry()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("  \033[2m└\033[0m \033[91mError:\033[0m could not retrieve remote package registry")
 	}
diff --git a/operators/util.go b/operators/util.go
index 3c78e48..e5e3849 100644
--- a/operators/util.go
+++ b/operators/util.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
-	// "time"
+	"time"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -66,15 +66,23 @@ func getModBaseDir() string {
 	return p
 }
 
-func downloadTheDirectory() error {
+func checkRegistry() error {
 	modDir := getModBaseDir()
 	path := filepath.Join(modDir, "package.json")
 
-	// Only get a new file every, at most, 15 minutes
-	// f, err := os.Stat(path)
-	// if err == nil && f.ModTime().Before(time.Now().Add(-15 * time.Minute)) {
-	// return nil
-	// }
+	f, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("The registry is not present on the system. Run: `slp fetch`")
+	} else if f.ModTime().Before(time.Now().Add(-7 * 24 * time.Hour)) {
+		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "You have not run `slp fetch` in more than 7 days: consider updating the package list\n")
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func downloadTheDirectory() error {
+	modDir := getModBaseDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(modDir, "package.json")
 
 	resp, err := http.Get(packageListURL)
 	if err != nil {