diff --git a/src/backend/src/routers/whoami.js b/src/backend/src/routers/whoami.js
index a08d796ee..89320312a 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/routers/whoami.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/routers/whoami.js
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@ const WHOAMI_GET = eggspress('/whoami', {
 
     // Get whoami values from other services
     const svc_whoami = req.services.get('whoami');
-    const provider_details = await svc_whoami.get_details({ user: req.user });
+    const provider_details = await svc_whoami.get_details({
+        user: req.user,
+        actor: actor,
+    });
     Object.assign(details, provider_details);
 
     if ( ! is_user ) {
diff --git a/src/backend/src/services/FeatureFlagService.js b/src/backend/src/services/FeatureFlagService.js
index bbce5818b..d310cce6a 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/services/FeatureFlagService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/services/FeatureFlagService.js
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ const BaseService = require("./BaseService");
  * are enabled or disabled for the current user.
  */
 class FeatureFlagService extends BaseService {
+    _construct () {
+        this.known_flags = new Map();
+    }
+    register (name, spec) {
+        this.known_flags.set(name, spec);
+    }
+    async _init () {
+        const svc_detailProvider = this.services.get('whoami');
+        svc_detailProvider.register_provider(async (context, out) => {
+            console.log(`\x1B[36;1mCALLED\x1B[0m`);
+            if ( ! context.actor ) return;
+            out.feature_flags = await this.get_summary(context.actor);
+        });
+    }
     async check (...a) {
         // allows binding call with multiple options objects;
         // the last argument is the permission to check
@@ -25,6 +39,9 @@ class FeatureFlagService extends BaseService {
             return { options, value };
         })();
 
+        if ( ! this.known_flags.has(permission) ) {
+            this.known_flags.set(permission, true);
+        }
         
 
         const actor = options.actor ?? Context.get('actor');
@@ -35,6 +52,22 @@ class FeatureFlagService extends BaseService {
         if ( l.length === 0 ) return false;
         return true;
     }
+
+    async get_summary (actor) {
+        const summary = {};
+        for ( const [key, value] of this.known_flags.entries() ) {
+            if ( value.$ === 'config-flag' ) {
+                summary[key] = value.value;
+                continue;
+            }
+            const svc_permission = this.services.get('permission');
+            const reading = await svc_permission.scan(actor, `feature:`);
+            const l = PermissionUtil.reading_to_options(reading);
+            summary[key] = l.length > 0;
+        }
+
+        return summary;
+    }
 }
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/src/backend/src/services/ShareService.js b/src/backend/src/services/ShareService.js
index b64093436..63e7e7760 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/services/ShareService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/services/ShareService.js
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ class ShareService extends BaseService {
 
     async _init () {
         this.db = await this.services.get('database').get(DB_WRITE, 'share');
+
+        // registry "share" as a feature flag so gui is informed
+        // about whether or not a user has access to this feature
+        const svc_featureFlag = this.services.get('feature-flag');
+        svc_featureFlag.register('share', {
+            $: 'permission-flag'
+        });
     }
     
     ['__on_install.routes'] (_, { app }) {
diff --git a/src/backend/src/services/auth/ACLService.js b/src/backend/src/services/auth/ACLService.js
index a036983e1..9cbc98ab3 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/services/auth/ACLService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/services/auth/ACLService.js
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ const { AppUnderUserActorType, UserActorType, Actor, SystemActorType, AccessToke
 const { PermissionUtil } = require("./PermissionService");
 
 class ACLService extends BaseService {
+    async _init () {
+        const svc_featureFlag = this.services.get('feature-flag');
+        svc_featureFlag.register('public-folders', {
+            $: 'config-flag',
+            value: this.global_config.enable_public_folders ?? false,
+        });
+    }
     async check (actor, resource, mode) {
         const ld = (Context.get('logdent') ?? 0) + 1;
         return await Context.get().sub({ logdent: ld }).arun(async () => {