diff --git a/R/cleanup.R b/R/cleanup.R
index cd91dfe4..5750a335 100644
--- a/R/cleanup.R
+++ b/R/cleanup.R
@@ -104,18 +104,16 @@ orderly_cleanup_status <- function(name = NULL, root = NULL, locate = TRUE) {
 
   if (is.null(name) && is.null(root)) {
     path <- getwd()
-    root <- detect_orderly_interactive_path(path)$path
+    root_path <- detect_orderly_interactive_path(path)
     name <- basename(path)
   } else {
-    root <- root_open(root, locate = locate, require_orderly = TRUE,
-                      call = environment())
+    root_path <- orderly_src_root(root, locate, call = environment())
     if (is.null(name)) {
       ## This situation would be very odd, just disallow it
       cli::cli_abort("If 'root' is given explicitly, 'name' is required")
     }
-    name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root, environment())
-    path <- file.path(root$path, "src", name)
-    root <- root$path
+    name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root_path, environment())
+    path <- file.path(root_path, "src", name)
   }
 
   info <- orderly_read(path)
@@ -164,7 +162,7 @@ orderly_cleanup_status <- function(name = NULL, root = NULL, locate = TRUE) {
   unknown <- files[!is_source & !to_delete]
 
   structure(list(name = name,
-                 root = root,
+                 root = root_path,
                  path = path,
                  role = role,
                  status = status,
diff --git a/R/context.R b/R/context.R
index 6e117a86..9e47ec91 100644
--- a/R/context.R
+++ b/R/context.R
@@ -13,10 +13,8 @@ orderly_context <- function(envir) {
     search_options <- p$orderly2$search_options
   } else {
     path <- getwd()
-    root <- detect_orderly_interactive_path(path)$path
-    config <- root_open(root,
-                        locate = FALSE,
-                        require_orderly = TRUE)$config$orderly
+    root <- detect_orderly_interactive_path(path)
+    config <- orderly_config_read(root)
     src <- path
     parameters <- current_orderly_parameters(src, envir)
     name <- basename(path)
diff --git a/R/gitignore.R b/R/gitignore.R
index 657c8ac5..56099194 100644
--- a/R/gitignore.R
+++ b/R/gitignore.R
@@ -34,41 +34,45 @@
 ##' @return Nothing, called for its side effects
 ##' @export
 orderly_gitignore_update <- function(name, root = NULL, locate = TRUE) {
-  root <- root_open(root, locate, require_orderly = TRUE, call = environment())
-  do_orderly_gitignore_update(name, root, environment())
+  root_path <- orderly_src_root(root, locate, call = environment())
+  do_orderly_gitignore_update(name, root_path, environment())
 }
 
 ## Separate inned function that avoids opening the root, we need this
 ## to break a circular dependency as we sometimes call this function
 ## while openning the root.
-do_orderly_gitignore_update <- function(name, root, call) {
+do_orderly_gitignore_update <- function(name, root_path, call) {
   assert_scalar_character(name)
 
   if (name == "(root)") {
     path <- ".gitignore"
-    value <- gitignore_content_root(root)
+    value <- gitignore_content_root(root_path)
   } else {
-    name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root, call)
+    name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root_path, call)
     path <- file.path("src", name, ".gitignore")
-    value <- gitignore_content_src(name, root)
+    value <- gitignore_content_src(name, root_path)
   }
 
-  if (gitignore_update_file(root$path, path, value)) {
+  if (gitignore_update_file(root_path, path, value)) {
     cli::cli_alert_success("Wrote '{path}'")
   }
   invisible(TRUE)
 }
 
-gitignore_content_root <- function(root) {
+gitignore_content_root <- function(root_path) {
+  path_archive <- NULL
+  if (file.exists(file.path(root_path, ".outpack", "config.json"))) {
+    path_archive <- config_read(root_path)$core$path_archive
+  }
   c(".outpack",
     "orderly_envir.yml",
     "draft",
-    root$config$core$path_archive)
+    path_archive)
 }
 
 
-gitignore_content_src <- function(name, root) {
-  dat <- orderly_read_r(file.path(root$path, "src", name, "orderly.R"))
+gitignore_content_src <- function(name, root_path) {
+  dat <- orderly_read_r(file.path(root_path, "src", name, "orderly.R"))
 
   ignore_deps <- unlist(lapply(dat$dependency, function(x) names(x$files)))
   ignore_artefacts <- unlist(lapply(dat$artefacts, "[[", "files"))
@@ -89,7 +93,7 @@ gitignore_markers <- c(
   "# ---^^^--- added by orderly ---^^^----------------")
 
 
-gitignore_update_contents <- function(content_old, value, path, root) {
+gitignore_update_contents <- function(content_old, value, path, root_path) {
   if (!any(gitignore_markers %in% content_old)) {
     if (length(content_old) > 0) {
       content_old <- c(content_old, "")
@@ -106,7 +110,7 @@ gitignore_update_contents <- function(content_old, value, path, root) {
   if (err) {
     cli::cli_abort(c(
       "Can't edit '{path}', markers are corrupted",
-      i = "(within orderly root '{root}')",
+      i = "(within orderly root '{root_path}')",
       i = "Please see ?orderly_gitignore_update for more details"))
   }
 
@@ -117,11 +121,11 @@ gitignore_update_contents <- function(content_old, value, path, root) {
 }
 
 
-gitignore_update_file <- function(root, path, value) {
-  path_full <- file.path(root, path)
+gitignore_update_file <- function(root_path, path, value) {
+  path_full <- file.path(root_path, path)
   gitignore_exists <- file.exists(path_full)
   content_old <- if (gitignore_exists) readLines(path_full) else character()
-  content_new <- gitignore_update_contents(content_old, value, path, root)
+  content_new <- gitignore_update_contents(content_old, value, path, root_path)
   if (identical(content_old, content_new)) {
     return(FALSE)
   }
diff --git a/R/interactive.R b/R/interactive.R
index a92854d2..d8dedf30 100644
--- a/R/interactive.R
+++ b/R/interactive.R
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ detect_orderly_interactive_path <- function(path = getwd()) {
   if (!is_plausible) {
     stop(sprintf("Failed to detect orderly path at '%s'", path))
   }
-  root_path <- as.character(fs::path_norm(file.path(path, "../..")))
-  root_open(root_path, locate = FALSE, require_orderly = TRUE)
+  as.character(fs::path_norm(file.path(path, "../..")))
 }
 
 
diff --git a/R/location.R b/R/location.R
index f9f16abc..098386a8 100644
--- a/R/location.R
+++ b/R/location.R
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ orderly_location_pull_packet <- function(..., options = NULL, recursive = NULL,
 ##' @export
 orderly_location_push <- function(packet_id, location, root = NULL,
                                   locate = TRUE) {
-  root <- root_open(root, locate = locate, require_orderly = TRUE,
+  root <- root_open(root, locate = locate, require_orderly = FALSE,
                     call = environment())
   location_name <- location_resolve_valid(location, root,
                                           include_local = FALSE,
diff --git a/R/orderly.R b/R/orderly.R
index 5659d460..6ede1d3d 100644
--- a/R/orderly.R
+++ b/R/orderly.R
@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@
 ##' path <- orderly2::orderly_example("default")
 ##' orderly2::orderly_list_src(root = path)
 orderly_list_src <- function(root = NULL, locate = TRUE) {
-  root <- root_open(root, locate = locate, require_orderly = TRUE,
-                    call = environment())
-  if (!file.exists(file.path(root$path, "src"))) {
+  root_path <- orderly_src_root(root, locate)
+  if (!file.exists(file.path(root_path, "src"))) {
     return(character())
   }
-  pos <- fs::dir_ls(file.path(root$path, "src"), type = "directory")
+  pos <- fs::dir_ls(file.path(root_path, "src"), type = "directory")
   basename(pos)[file_exists(file.path(pos, "orderly.R"))]
 }
diff --git a/R/root.R b/R/root.R
index 638ec4a6..7397256f 100644
--- a/R/root.R
+++ b/R/root.R
@@ -206,6 +206,32 @@ root_open <- function(path, locate, require_orderly = FALSE, call = NULL) {
 }
 
 
+orderly_src_root <- function(path, locate, call = NULL) {
+  if (inherits(path, "outpack_root")) {
+    path <- path$path
+    locate <- FALSE
+  }
+  if (is.null(path)) {
+    path <- getwd()
+  }
+  assert_scalar_character(path)
+  assert_is_directory(path)
+
+  limit <- if (locate) "/" else path
+  path_root <- find_file_descend("orderly_config.yml", path, limit)
+  if (is.null(path_root)) {
+    cli::cli_abort(
+      c(sprintf(
+        "Did not find existing orderly source root in '%s'", path),
+        i = "Expected to find file 'orderly_config.yml'",
+        i = if (locate) "Looked in parents of this path without success"),
+      call = call)
+  }
+
+  path_root
+}
+
+
 ## This is pretty unpleasant, but does the trick.
 root_validate_same_configuration <- function(args, config, root, call) {
   argmap <- list(
@@ -275,7 +301,7 @@ root_check_git <- function(root, call) {
     }
   }
 
-  do_orderly_gitignore_update("(root)", root)
+  do_orderly_gitignore_update("(root)", root$path)
 
   fs::dir_create(dirname(path_ok))
   fs::file_create(path_ok)
diff --git a/R/run.R b/R/run.R
index 9eaf41f2..604e7690 100644
--- a/R/run.R
+++ b/R/run.R
@@ -130,19 +130,22 @@
 ##' orderly2::orderly_metadata_extract(name = "data", root = path)
 orderly_run <- function(name, parameters = NULL, envir = NULL, echo = TRUE,
                         search_options = NULL, root = NULL, locate = TRUE) {
-  root <- root_open(root, locate, require_orderly = TRUE, call = environment())
-  name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root, environment())
+  root <- root_open(root, locate, require_orderly = TRUE,
+                    call = environment())
+  root_src <- root$path
+
+  name <- validate_orderly_directory(name, root_src, environment())
 
   envir <- envir %||% .GlobalEnv
   assert_is(envir, "environment")
 
-  src <- file.path(root$path, "src", name)
+  src <- file.path(root_src, "src", name)
   dat <- orderly_read(src)
   parameters <- check_parameters(parameters, dat$parameters, environment())
   orderly_validate(dat, src)
 
   id <- outpack_id()
-  path <- file.path(root$path, "draft", name, id)
+  path <- file.path(root_src, "draft", name, id)
   fs::dir_create(path)
 
   ## Slightly peculiar formulation here; we're going to use 'path' as
@@ -487,13 +490,13 @@ orderly_packet_add_metadata <- function(p) {
 }
 
 
-validate_orderly_directory <- function(name, root, call) {
+validate_orderly_directory <- function(name, root_path, call) {
   assert_scalar_character(name)
 
   re <- "^(./)*(src/)?(.+?)/?$"
   name <- sub(re, "\\3", name)
-  if (!file_exists(file.path(root$path, "src", name, "orderly.R"))) {
-    src <- file.path(root$path, "src", name)
+  if (!file_exists(file.path(root_path, "src", name, "orderly.R"))) {
+    src <- file.path(root_path, "src", name)
     err <- sprintf("Did not find orderly report '%s'", name)
     if (!file_exists(src)) {
       detail <- sprintf("The path 'src/%s' does not exist", name)
@@ -507,14 +510,14 @@ validate_orderly_directory <- function(name, root, call) {
         name)
     }
     err <- c(err, x = detail)
-    near <- near_match(name, orderly_list_src(root, FALSE))
+    near <- near_match(name, orderly_list_src(root_path, FALSE))
     if (length(near) > 0) {
       hint <- sprintf("Did you mean %s",
                       paste(squote(near), collapse = ", "))
       err <- c(err, i = hint)
     }
     err <- c(err, i = sprintf("Looked relative to orderly root at '%s'",
-                              root$path))
+                              root_path))
     cli::cli_abort(err, call = call)
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-gitignore.R b/tests/testthat/test-gitignore.R
index 4a6e7fb9..97c36d3d 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-gitignore.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-gitignore.R
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ test_that("can update file with existing contents", {
 test_that("can add a basic root gitignore", {
   path <- test_prepare_orderly_example("data")
   ignore <- c(".outpack", "orderly_envir.yml", "draft", "archive")
-  expect_equal(gitignore_content_root(root_open(path, FALSE, FALSE)), ignore)
+  expect_equal(gitignore_content_root(path), ignore)
   expect_message(
     expect_true(orderly_gitignore_update("(root)", path)),
     "Wrote '.gitignore'")
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ test_that("can add a basic root gitignore", {
 test_that("can add a source .gitignore", {
   path <- test_prepare_orderly_example("data")
   ignore <- c("data.rds")
-  expect_equal(gitignore_content_src("data", root_open(path, FALSE, FALSE)),
+  expect_equal(gitignore_content_src("data", path),
                ignore)
   expect_message(
     expect_true(orderly_gitignore_update("data", path)),
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ test_that("can add a source .gitignore", {
 test_that("can compute ignore for dependencies", {
   path <- test_prepare_orderly_example("depends")
   expect_equal(
-    gitignore_content_src("depends", root_open(path, FALSE, FALSE)),
+    gitignore_content_src("depends", path),
     c("input.rds", "graph.png"))
 })
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ test_that("can compute ignore for dependencies", {
 test_that("can compute ignore for dependencies", {
   path <- test_prepare_orderly_example("shared")
   expect_setequal(
-    gitignore_content_src("shared", root_open(path, FALSE, FALSE)),
+    gitignore_content_src("shared", path),
     c("mygraph.png", "shared_data.csv"))
 })
 
@@ -173,6 +173,6 @@ test_that("can compute ignore for dependencies", {
 test_that("don't ignore resources that are artefacts", {
   path <- test_prepare_orderly_example("reexport")
   expect_equal(
-    gitignore_content_src("reexport", root_open(path, FALSE, FALSE)),
+    gitignore_content_src("reexport", path),
     "mygraph.png")
 })
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-interactive.R b/tests/testthat/test-interactive.R
index 44f92fdb..fc5171a1 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-interactive.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-interactive.R
@@ -10,6 +10,5 @@ test_that("can detect orderly directory", {
     detect_orderly_interactive_path(file.path(path, "src")),
     "Failed to detect orderly path at")
   root <- detect_orderly_interactive_path(file.path(path, "src", "explicit"))
-  expect_s3_class(root, "outpack_root")
-  expect_type(root$config$orderly, "list")
+  expect_equal(path, root)
 })
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-root.R b/tests/testthat/test-root.R
index 60b053fd..27530c87 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-root.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-root.R
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ test_that("can add gitignore if git setup is ok, but not present", {
 test_that("can error with instructions if files are added to git", {
   root <- create_temporary_root()
   info <- helper_add_git(root$path)
-  id <- create_random_packet(root)
+  id <- create_random_packet(root$path)
 
   ## Need to do some work here to make this fail now:
   fs::file_delete(file.path(root$path, ".gitignore"))
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-run.R b/tests/testthat/test-run.R
index 0557b0ae..edcf21b1 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-run.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-run.R
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
   hint_root <- sprintf("Looked relative to orderly root at '%s'", root$path)
 
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("foo", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("foo", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'foo'")
   expect_equal(err$body,
                c(x = "The path 'src/foo' does not exist",
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
 
   file.create(file.path(path, "src", "foo"))
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("foo", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("foo", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'foo'")
   expect_equal(err$body,
                c(x = "The path 'src/foo' exists but is not a directory",
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
 
   fs::dir_create(file.path(path, "src", "bar"))
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("bar", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("bar", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'bar'")
   expect_equal(
     err$body,
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
   hint_close <- sprintf("Did you mean %s",
                         paste(squote(nms[1:5]), collapse = ", "))
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("example_z", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("example_z", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'example_z'")
   expect_equal(err$body,
                c(x = "The path 'src/example_z' does not exist",
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
 
   file.create(file.path(path, "src", "example_z"))
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("example_z", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("example_z", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'example_z'")
   expect_equal(err$body,
                c(x = "The path 'src/example_z' exists but is not a directory",
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ test_that("validation of orderly directories", {
 
   fs::dir_create(file.path(path, "src", "example_x"))
   err <- expect_error(
-    validate_orderly_directory("example_x", root),
+    validate_orderly_directory("example_x", path),
     "Did not find orderly report 'example_x'")
   expect_equal(
     err$body,
@@ -930,42 +930,42 @@ test_that("strip extraneous path components from orderly path", {
   fs::dir_create(file.path(path, "src", "example_a"))
   file.create(file.path(path, "src", "example_a", "orderly.R"))
 
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("example_a", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("example_a", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/example_a", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/example_a", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/example_a", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/example_a", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./example_a", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./example_a", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("example_a/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("example_a/", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/example_a/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/example_a/", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/example_a/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/example_a/", path),
                "example_a")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./example_a/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./example_a/", path),
                "example_a")
 
   ## Pathalogical case:
   fs::dir_create(file.path(path, "src", "src"))
   file.create(file.path(path, "src", "src", "orderly.R"))
 
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/src", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/src", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/src", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/src", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/src/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("src/src/", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/src/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/src/", path),
                "src")
-  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/", root),
+  expect_equal(validate_orderly_directory("./src/", path),
                "src")
 })