diff --git a/unison-cli/package.yaml b/unison-cli/package.yaml
index b78dc81e5..40b98095b 100644
--- a/unison-cli/package.yaml
+++ b/unison-cli/package.yaml
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ dependencies:
   - unison-core
   - unison-core1
   - unison-hash
+  - unison-merge
   - unison-parser-typechecker
   - unison-prelude
   - unison-pretty-printer
diff --git a/unison-cli/src/Unison/Cli/ProjectUtils.hs b/unison-cli/src/Unison/Cli/ProjectUtils.hs
index 2a19ad25c..7b0b15f6f 100644
--- a/unison-cli/src/Unison/Cli/ProjectUtils.hs
+++ b/unison-cli/src/Unison/Cli/ProjectUtils.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ module Unison.Cli.ProjectUtils
     getCurrentProjectBranch,
     getProjectBranchForPath,
     expectCurrentProjectBranch,
+    expectProjectBranchByName,
     projectPath,
     projectBranchesPath,
     projectBranchPath,
@@ -125,6 +126,11 @@ getCurrentProjectBranch = do
   path <- Cli.getCurrentPath
   getProjectBranchForPath path
 
+expectProjectBranchByName :: Sqlite.Project -> ProjectBranchName -> Cli Sqlite.ProjectBranch
+expectProjectBranchByName project branchName =
+  Cli.runTransaction (Queries.loadProjectBranchByName (project ^. #projectId) branchName) & onNothingM do
+    Cli.returnEarly (LocalProjectBranchDoesntExist (ProjectAndBranch (project ^. #name) branchName))
+
 getProjectBranchForPath :: Path.Absolute -> Cli (Maybe (ProjectAndBranch Sqlite.Project Sqlite.ProjectBranch, Path.Path))
 getProjectBranchForPath path = do
   case preview projectBranchPathPrism path of
diff --git a/unison-cli/src/Unison/Codebase/Editor/HandleInput/Merge2.hs b/unison-cli/src/Unison/Codebase/Editor/HandleInput/Merge2.hs
index 6ad460087..ee2233e94 100644
--- a/unison-cli/src/Unison/Codebase/Editor/HandleInput/Merge2.hs
+++ b/unison-cli/src/Unison/Codebase/Editor/HandleInput/Merge2.hs
@@ -3,8 +3,29 @@ module Unison.Codebase.Editor.HandleInput.Merge2
   )
 where
 
-import Unison.Core.Project (ProjectBranchName)
+import Control.Monad.Reader (ask)
+import Unison.Prelude
+import Control.Lens (Lens', over, view, (%=), (.=), (.~), (^.))
+import Unison.Merge.Database (MergeDatabase(..), makeMergeDatabase)
 import Unison.Cli.Monad (Cli)
+import Unison.Cli.Monad qualified as Cli
+import Unison.Project (ProjectAndBranch (..), ProjectBranchName)
+import Unison.Cli.MonadUtils qualified as Cli
+import Unison.Cli.ProjectUtils qualified as Cli
+import Unison.Cli.TypeCheck (computeTypecheckingEnvironment, typecheckTerm)
+import Unison.Cli.UniqueTypeGuidLookup qualified as Cli
+import Unison.Merge.Diff qualified as Merge
 
 handleMerge :: ProjectBranchName -> Cli ()
-handleMerge = undefined
+handleMerge bobBranchName = do
+  -- Load the current project branch ("alice"), and the branch from the same project to merge in ("bob")
+  (ProjectAndBranch project aliceProjectBranch, _path) <- Cli.expectCurrentProjectBranch
+  bobProjectBranch <- Cli.expectProjectBranchByName project bobBranchName
+  let projectBranches = Merge.TwoWay {alice = aliceProjectBranch, bob = bobProjectBranch}
+  let alicePath = Cli.projectBranchPath (ProjectAndBranch (project ^. #projectId) (aliceProjectBranch ^. #branchId))
+  let bobPath = Cli.projectBranchPath (ProjectAndBranch (project ^. #projectId) (bobProjectBranch ^. #branchId))
+
+  -- Create a bunch of cached database lookup functions
+  Cli.Env {codebase} <- ask
+  db@MergeDatabase {loadCausal} <- makeMergeDatabase codebase
+  undefined
diff --git a/unison-cli/unison-cli.cabal b/unison-cli/unison-cli.cabal
index d43697c9c..c4a1df08d 100644
--- a/unison-cli/unison-cli.cabal
+++ b/unison-cli/unison-cli.cabal
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ library
     , unison-core
     , unison-core1
     , unison-hash
+    , unison-merge
     , unison-parser-typechecker
     , unison-prelude
     , unison-pretty-printer
@@ -378,6 +379,7 @@ executable cli-integration-tests
     , unison-core
     , unison-core1
     , unison-hash
+    , unison-merge
     , unison-parser-typechecker
     , unison-prelude
     , unison-pretty-printer
@@ -512,6 +514,7 @@ executable transcripts
     , unison-core
     , unison-core1
     , unison-hash
+    , unison-merge
     , unison-parser-typechecker
     , unison-prelude
     , unison-pretty-printer
@@ -652,6 +655,7 @@ executable unison
     , unison-core
     , unison-core1
     , unison-hash
+    , unison-merge
     , unison-parser-typechecker
     , unison-prelude
     , unison-pretty-printer
@@ -795,6 +799,7 @@ test-suite cli-tests
     , unison-core
     , unison-core1
     , unison-hash
+    , unison-merge
     , unison-parser-typechecker
     , unison-prelude
     , unison-pretty-printer