diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 54fe0fd..1f4ffcf 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ gem "multi_json"
 gem "oj"
 gem "pg"
 gem "pliny"
+gem "pry"
+gem "pry-doc"
 gem "puma"
 gem "rack-ssl"
 gem "rake"
@@ -17,6 +19,10 @@ gem "sinatra-contrib", require: ["sinatra/namespace", "sinatra/reloader"]
 gem "sinatra-router"
 gem "sucker_punch"
 
+group :development, :test do
+  gem "pry-byebug"
+end
+
 group :development do
   gem "foreman"
 end
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index ef72e6a..7ced320 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -8,12 +8,18 @@ GEM
       thread_safe (~> 0.1)
       tzinfo (~> 1.1)
     backports (3.6.0)
+    byebug (2.7.0)
+      columnize (~> 0.3)
+      debugger-linecache (~> 1.2)
     celluloid (0.15.2)
       timers (~> 1.1.0)
+    coderay (1.1.0)
+    columnize (0.8.9)
     committee (0.4.13)
       multi_json (> 0.0)
       rack (> 0.0)
     database_cleaner (1.2.0)
+    debugger-linecache (1.2.0)
     diff-lcs (1.2.5)
     dotenv (0.7.0)
     erubis (2.7.0)
@@ -23,11 +29,12 @@ GEM
     http_accept (0.1.5)
     i18n (0.6.9)
     json (1.8.1)
-    minitest (5.3.4)
+    method_source (0.8.2)
+    minitest (5.3.5)
     multi_json (1.10.1)
     oj (2.9.0)
     pg (0.17.1)
-    pliny (0.0.3)
+    pliny (0.1.0)
       activesupport (~> 4.1, >= 4.1.0)
       http_accept (~> 0.1, >= 0.1.5)
       multi_json (~> 1.9, >= 1.9.3)
@@ -38,6 +45,16 @@ GEM
       sinatra-router (~> 0.2, >= 0.2.3)
     prmd (0.3.2)
       erubis (~> 2.7)
+    pry (0.9.12.6)
+      coderay (~> 1.0)
+      method_source (~> 0.8)
+      slop (~> 3.4)
+    pry-byebug (1.3.2)
+      byebug (~> 2.7)
+      pry (~> 0.9.12)
+    pry-doc (0.6.0)
+      pry (~> 0.9)
+      yard (~> 0.8)
     puma (2.8.2)
       rack (>= 1.1, < 2.0)
     rack (1.5.2)
@@ -81,6 +98,7 @@ GEM
       tilt (~> 1.3)
     sinatra-router (0.2.3)
       sinatra (~> 1.4)
+    slop (3.5.0)
     sucker_punch (1.0.5)
       celluloid (~> 0.15.2)
     thor (0.17.0)
@@ -89,6 +107,7 @@ GEM
     timers (1.1.0)
     tzinfo (1.2.1)
       thread_safe (~> 0.1)
+    yard (0.8.7.4)
 
 PLATFORMS
   ruby
@@ -101,6 +120,9 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   oj
   pg
   pliny
+  pry
+  pry-byebug
+  pry-doc
   puma
   rack-ssl
   rack-test
diff --git a/bin/console b/bin/console
index 6974d0f..f052471 100755
--- a/bin/console
+++ b/bin/console
@@ -1,9 +1,31 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env ruby
 
-require "irb"
-require "irb/completion"
 require "bundler"
 Bundler.require
 require "./lib/initializer"
 
-IRB.start
+def basic_prompt(target_self, nest_level, pry)
+  # override CONSOLE_BANNER to include something like a release identifier
+  nesting = nest_level.zero? ? "" : ":#{nest_level}"
+  "[#{pry.input_array.size}] #{console_prefix}(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)})#{nesting}"
+end
+
+def console_prefix
+  if Config.console_banner
+    Config.console_banner
+  elsif Config.rack_env == "production"
+    "production"
+  end
+end
+
+Pry.prompt = [
+   proc { |target_self, nest_level, pry|
+     basic_prompt(target_self, nest_level, pry) + "> "
+   },
+
+   proc { |target_self, nest_level, pry|
+     basic_prompt(target_self, nest_level, pry) + "* "
+   }
+]
+
+Pry.start
diff --git a/config/config.rb b/config/config.rb
index 3703bd3..d1c1e34 100644
--- a/config/config.rb
+++ b/config/config.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ module Config
 
   # Optional -- value is returned or `nil` if it wasn't present.
   optional \
+    :console_banner,
     :placeholder,
     :versioning_default,
     :versioning_app_name