diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b6fb1933..b6890767 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -885,12 +885,16 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "dora-cli"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "atty",
  "clap 4.0.3",
+ "communication-layer-pub-sub",
  "dora-core",
  "eyre",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yaml 0.9.11",
  "tempfile",
+ "termcolor",
+ "uuid 1.2.1",
  "webbrowser",
  "zenoh",
 ]
@@ -990,7 +994,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber",
- "uuid 1.1.2",
+ "uuid 1.2.1",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4040,7 +4044,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "lazy_static",
  "log",
  "serde",
- "uuid 1.1.2",
+ "uuid 1.2.1",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4157,9 +4161,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "uuid"
-version = "1.1.2"
+version = "1.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "dd6469f4314d5f1ffec476e05f17cc9a78bc7a27a6a857842170bdf8d6f98d2f"
+checksum = "feb41e78f93363bb2df8b0e86a2ca30eed7806ea16ea0c790d757cf93f79be83"
 dependencies = [
  "getrandom",
 ]
diff --git a/binaries/cli/Cargo.toml b/binaries/cli/Cargo.toml
index abd7ca4b..33410c25 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/binaries/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,3 +18,6 @@ tempfile = "3.3.0"
 webbrowser = "0.8.0"
 zenoh = { git = "https://github.com/eclipse-zenoh/zenoh.git" }
 serde_json = "1.0.86"
+termcolor = "1.1.3"
+atty = "0.2.14"
+uuid = { version = "1.2.1", features = ["v4"] }
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/check.rs b/binaries/cli/src/check.rs
index d4163d8c..ac0f86a9 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/check.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/check.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,52 @@
-use crate::graph::read_descriptor;
+use crate::{graph::read_descriptor, zenoh_control_session};
 use dora_core::{
     adjust_shared_library_path,
     config::{InputMapping, UserInputMapping},
     descriptor::{self, source_is_url, CoreNodeKind, OperatorSource},
+    topics::ZENOH_CONTROL_LIST,
 };
 use eyre::{bail, eyre, Context};
-use std::{env::consts::EXE_EXTENSION, path::Path};
+use std::{env::consts::EXE_EXTENSION, io::Write, path::Path};
+use termcolor::{Color, ColorChoice, ColorSpec, WriteColor};
+use zenoh::{prelude::Receiver, sync::ZFuture};
 
-pub fn check(dataflow_path: &Path, runtime: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
-    let runtime = runtime.with_extension(EXE_EXTENSION);
+pub fn check_environment() -> eyre::Result<()> {
+    let mut control_session = None;
+
+    let color_choice = if atty::is(atty::Stream::Stdout) {
+        ColorChoice::Auto
+    } else {
+        ColorChoice::Never
+    };
+    let mut stdout = termcolor::StandardStream::stdout(color_choice);
+
+    // check whether coordinator is running
+    let reply_receiver = zenoh_control_session(&mut control_session)?
+        .get(ZENOH_CONTROL_LIST)
+        .wait()
+        .map_err(|err| eyre!(err))
+        .wrap_err("failed to create publisher for list message")?;
+    write!(stdout, "Dora Coordinator: ")?;
+    match reply_receiver.recv() {
+        Ok(_) => {
+            let _ = stdout.set_color(ColorSpec::new().set_fg(Some(Color::Green)));
+            writeln!(stdout, "ok")?;
+        }
+        Err(_) => {
+            let _ = stdout.set_color(ColorSpec::new().set_fg(Some(Color::Red)));
+            writeln!(stdout, "not running")?;
+        }
+    }
+    let _ = stdout.reset();
+
+    // check whether roudi is running
+
+    // TODO, blocked on https://github.com/eclipse-iceoryx/iceoryx-rs/issues/62
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub fn check_dataflow(dataflow_path: &Path, runtime: Option<&Path>) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let descriptor = read_descriptor(dataflow_path).wrap_err_with(|| {
         format!(
             "failed to read dataflow descriptor at {}",
@@ -27,12 +65,16 @@ pub fn check(dataflow_path: &Path, runtime: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     if nodes
         .iter()
         .any(|n| matches!(n.kind, CoreNodeKind::Runtime(_)))
-        && !runtime.is_file()
     {
-        bail!(
-            "There is no runtime at {}, or it is not a file",
-            runtime.display()
-        );
+        let runtime = runtime
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("dora-runtime"))
+            .with_extension(EXE_EXTENSION);
+        if !runtime.is_file() {
+            bail!(
+                "There is no runtime at {}, or it is not a file",
+                runtime.display()
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     // check that nodes and operators exist
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
index 3a9bd4ff..67ea2f06 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ struct Args {
 #[derive(Debug, clap::Subcommand)]
 enum Command {
     Check {
-        dataflow: PathBuf,
-        runtime_path: PathBuf,
+        #[clap(long)]
+        dataflow: Option<PathBuf>,
+        #[clap(long)]
+        runtime_path: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
     Graph {
         dataflow: PathBuf,
@@ -93,7 +95,10 @@ fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
         Command::Check {
             dataflow,
             runtime_path,
-        } => check::check(&dataflow, &runtime_path)?,
+        } => match dataflow {
+            Some(dataflow) => check::check_dataflow(&dataflow, runtime_path.as_deref())?,
+            None => check::check_environment()?,
+        },
         Command::Graph {
             dataflow,
             mermaid,