diff --git a/config.ini b/config.ini
index df35adb..3738e43 100644
--- a/config.ini
+++ b/config.ini
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ files:
 
   cargo-config.toml > .cargo/config.toml
 
+
 [home posix]
 when: not host.is_windows
 
@@ -24,12 +25,14 @@ files:
 
   nvim/init.vim > .config/nvim/init.vim
 
+
 [home wsl]
 when: host.is_wsl
 
 files:
   scripts/winmode > bin/winmode
 
+
 [link-files AppData]
 when: host.is_windows
 
@@ -43,4 +46,11 @@ files:
   .vim/ftplugin > nvim/ftplugin
   packer.nvim   > nvim-data/site/pack/packer/start/packer.nvim
 
-# [cargo:gitui]
+
+[cargo-install]
+crates:
+  just
+  cargo-watch
+  cargo-edit
+  cargo-get
+
diff --git a/prefs/cargo.py b/prefs/cargo.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9295c48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prefs/cargo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import subprocess
+import shutil
+import re
+
+class CargoInstall:
+    resource_name = 'cargo-install'
+
+    def __init__(self, label, section):
+        self.label = label or None
+        self.parse_crates(section.get('crates', ''))
+
+    def run(self):
+        if shutil.which('cargo') is None:
+            print(f"skip [cargo-install {self.label}]: cargo not found")
+
+        if missing := self.crates - self.installed:
+            print(f"installing missing cargo binaries: {missing}")
+            cmd = ["cargo", "install"]
+            cmd.extend(list(missing))
+            with subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE) as proc:
+                print(proc.stdout.read())
+
+    def parse_crates(self, text):
+        self.crates = set()
+        for line in text.splitlines():
+            if not line:
+                continue
+            crate = line.strip()
+            self.crates.add(crate)
+
+    @property
+    def installed(self):
+        cmd = ["cargo", "install", "--list"]
+        found = set()
+        p = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, check=True)
+        for line in p.stdout.splitlines():
+            if not line:
+                # line is empty
+                continue
+            line = line.decode("utf-8")
+            if re.match(r'^\s', line):
+                # line starts with whitespace
+                continue
+            try:
+                item = line.split()[0]
+                found.add(item)
+            except IndexError:
+                continue
+        return found
diff --git a/prefs/host.py b/prefs/host.py
index 362fa4b..e685fdb 100644
--- a/prefs/host.py
+++ b/prefs/host.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import os
 import platform
 import sys
 import pathlib
+import shutil
 from functools import cached_property
 
 class Host:
@@ -61,4 +62,10 @@ class Host:
         """
         return pathlib.Path.home()
 
+    def has(self, cmd):
+        """
+        whether or not the machine has the specified command
+        """
+        return shutil.which(cmd) is not None
+
 sys.modules[__name__] = Host()
diff --git a/prefs/log.py b/prefs/log.py
index 06354d5..7db668b 100644
--- a/prefs/log.py
+++ b/prefs/log.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ a logging object
 import logging
 import sys
 
-class _Log:
+class Log:
     def __init__(self):
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, format='')
         self._target = logging.getLogger()
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ class _Log:
     def __dir__(self):
         return dir(self._target)
 
-sys.modules[__name__] = _Log()
+sys.modules[__name__] = Log()
diff --git a/prefs/resource.py b/prefs/resource.py
index d932f16..2451ef9 100644
--- a/prefs/resource.py
+++ b/prefs/resource.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 from .home import Home
 from .linker import LinkFiles
+from .cargo import CargoInstall
 
 class Resource:
-    resource_types = [Home, LinkFiles]
+    resource_types = [Home, LinkFiles, CargoInstall]
 
     @classmethod
     def from_name(cls, name):