diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c76abee..0a5fe12 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ Makefile.in
 # generated by configure
 config.*
 Makefile
+package.json
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index c28658f..16df8e8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 
 SUBDIRS = doc
 
+.PHONY: todo
+
+all-am: package.json todo
+
 # placeholder
-all:
+todo:
 	@echo "You are too early! Liza is not ready; check back later."
-	@exit 1
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a304565..6b40a60 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([tools])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign])
 
 # generate files from their *.in counterparts
-AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile doc/Makefile])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile doc/Makefile package.json])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/package.json.in b/package.json.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2a4921
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package.json.in
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+{
+  "name":        "liza",
+  "description": "A data collection, validation, and processing framework for JavaScript",
+  "version":     "@VERSION@",
+  "author":      "LoVullo Associates, Inc. (https://www.lovullo.com)",
+  "homepage":    "https://github.com/lovullo/liza",
+
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url":  "https://github.com/lovullo/liza.git"
+  },
+
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">0.0.0"
+  },
+
+  "dependencies": {},
+  "devDependencies": {},
+
+  "licenses": [
+    {
+      "type": "GPLv3+",
+      "url": "http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html"
+    }
+  ],
+
+  "tags": [
+      "data collection",
+      "input validation",
+      "user input",
+      "user interface",
+      "validation",
+      "form"
+  ]
+}