diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 21f6e52..3b4080f 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+use nu_protocol::ShellError;
+use thiserror::Error;
+
 pub type CrateResult<T> = std::result::Result<T, CrateError>;
 
-pub enum CrateError {}
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Error)]
+pub enum CrateError {
+    #[error("Shell Error {0}")]
+    NuShellError(#[from] ShellError),
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index b75881e..d715116 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-use state_builder::StateBuilder;
-
 pub(crate) mod error;
 pub mod state_builder;
+pub(crate) mod utils;
 
 pub type Error = error::CrateError;
diff --git a/src/state_builder/bindings.rs b/src/state_builder/bindings.rs
index c377a56..4f342b1 100644
--- a/src/state_builder/bindings.rs
+++ b/src/state_builder/bindings.rs
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ pub fn bind_experimental_commands(engine_state: &mut EngineState) {
 
 #[inline]
 fn bind<F: Fn(&mut StateWorkingSet)>(engine_state: &mut EngineState, bind_fn: F) {
-    let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(&engine_state);
+    let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
     bind_fn(&mut working_set);
     let delta = working_set.render();
     engine_state
diff --git a/src/state_builder/mod.rs b/src/state_builder/mod.rs
index 11b49fc..61eeb00 100644
--- a/src/state_builder/mod.rs
+++ b/src/state_builder/mod.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
-use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack};
+use std::env;
+
+use nu_protocol::{
+    engine::{EngineState, Stack, StateWorkingSet},
+    Span,
+};
 
 mod bindings;
 mod command_group_config;
 pub use command_group_config::CommandGroupConfig;
 
+use crate::{
+    error::CrateResult,
+    utils::{IntoValue, SpanEmpty},
+};
+
 /// Builder to create a new nu engine state
 pub struct StateBuilder {
     engine_state: EngineState,
@@ -61,4 +71,42 @@ impl StateBuilder {
         );
         self
     }
+
+    /// Adds a variable to the state
+    pub fn add_var<S: ToString, V: IntoValue>(
+        &mut self,
+        name: S,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> CrateResult<&mut Self> {
+        let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(&self.engine_state);
+
+        let var_id = working_set.add_variable(
+            name.to_string().into_bytes(),
+            Span::empty(),
+            nu_protocol::Type::Any,
+        );
+        self.stack.add_var(var_id, value.into_value());
+        let delta = working_set.render();
+        self.engine_state.merge_delta(delta)?;
+
+        Ok(self)
+    }
+
+    /// Adds an environment variable to the state
+    pub fn add_env_var<S: ToString, V: IntoValue>(&mut self, name: S, value: V) -> &mut Self {
+        self.engine_state
+            .add_env_var(name.to_string(), value.into_value());
+
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Adds the environment variables of the parent process to the
+    /// states env variables
+    pub fn add_parent_env_vars(&mut self) -> &mut Self {
+        for (name, val) in env::vars() {
+            self.add_env_var(name, val);
+        }
+
+        self
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dc9c9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use nu_protocol::{Span, Value};
+
+pub trait SpanEmpty {
+    fn empty() -> Self;
+}
+
+impl SpanEmpty for Span {
+    fn empty() -> Self {
+        Span::new(0, 0)
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait IntoValue {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value;
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for Value {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for String {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::String {
+            val: self,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for i64 {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::Int {
+            val: self,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for bool {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::Bool {
+            val: self,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for f64 {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::Float {
+            val: self,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for char {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::String {
+            val: self.to_string(),
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> IntoValue for &'a str {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        self.to_string().into_value()
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for HashMap<String, Value> {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        let (cols, vals) = self.into_iter().unzip();
+
+        Value::Record {
+            cols,
+            vals,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoValue for Vec<Value> {
+    fn into_value(self) -> Value {
+        Value::List {
+            vals: self,
+            span: Span::empty(),
+        }
+    }
+}