diff --git a/lib/facts.nix b/lib/facts.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f19a6c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/facts.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+{ lib, machineDir, ... }:
+let
+
+  allMachineNames = lib.mapAttrsToList (name: _: name) (builtins.readDir machineDir);
+
+  getFactPath = fact: machine:
+    "${machineDir}/${machine}/facts/${fact}";
+
+  readFact = fact: machine:
+    let
+      path = getFactPath fact machine;
+    in
+    if builtins.pathExists path then
+      builtins.readFile path
+    else
+      null;
+
+  # Example:
+  #
+  # readFactFromAllMachines zerotier-ip
+  # => {
+  #   machineA = "1.2.3.4";
+  #   machineB = "5.6.7.8";
+  # };
+  readFactFromAllMachines = fact:
+    let
+      machines = allMachineNames;
+      facts = lib.genAttrs machines (readFact fact);
+      filteredFacts = lib.filterAttrs (_machine: fact: fact != null) facts;
+    in
+    filteredFacts;
+
+  # all given facts are are set and factvalues are never null.
+  #
+  # Example:
+  #
+  # readFactsFromAllMachines [ "zerotier-ip" "syncthing.pub" ]
+  # => {
+  #   machineA =
+  #     {
+  #       "zerotier-ip" = "1.2.3.4";
+  #       "synching.pub" = "1234";
+  #     };
+  #   machineB =
+  #     {
+  #       "zerotier-ip" = "5.6.7.8";
+  #       "synching.pub" = "23456719";
+  #     };
+  # };
+  readFactsFromAllMachines = facts:
+    let
+      # machine -> fact -> factvalue
+      machinesFactsAttrs = lib.genAttrs allMachineNames (machine: lib.genAttrs facts (fact: readFact fact machine));
+      # remove all machines which don't have all facts set
+      filteredMachineFactAttrs =
+        lib.filterAttrs (_machine: values: builtins.all (fact: values.${fact} != null) facts)
+          machinesFactsAttrs;
+    in
+    filteredMachineFactAttrs;
+
+
+
+in
+{ inherit allMachineNames getFactPath readFact readFactFromAllMachines readFactsFromAllMachines; }