diff --git a/readme.markdown b/readme.markdown
index 078eed39..e0e9efef 100644
--- a/readme.markdown
+++ b/readme.markdown
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-# tape
+# tape <sup>[![Version Badge][npm-version-svg]][package-url]</sup>
 
 tap-producing test harness for node and browsers
 
 [![github actions][actions-image]][actions-url]
 [![coverage][codecov-image]][codecov-url]
+[![dependency status][deps-svg]][deps-url]
+[![dev dependency status][dev-deps-svg]][dev-deps-url]
+[![License][license-image]][license-url]
+[![Downloads][downloads-image]][downloads-url]
+
+[![npm badge][npm-badge-png]][package-url]
 
 ![tape](https://web.archive.org/web/20170612184731if_/http://substack.net/images/tape_drive.png)
 
@@ -541,6 +547,17 @@ test('third', function (t) {
 
 MIT
 
+[package-url]: https://npmjs.org/package/tape
+[npm-version-svg]: https://versionbadg.es/substack/tape.svg
+[deps-svg]: https://david-dm.org/substack/tape.svg
+[deps-url]: https://david-dm.org/substack/tape
+[dev-deps-svg]: https://david-dm.org/substack/tape/dev-status.svg
+[dev-deps-url]: https://david-dm.org/substack/tape#info=devDependencies
+[npm-badge-png]: https://nodei.co/npm/tape.png?downloads=true&stars=true
+[license-image]: https://img.shields.io/npm/l/tape.svg
+[license-url]: LICENSE
+[downloads-image]: https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/tape.svg
+[downloads-url]: https://npm-stat.com/charts.html?package=tape
 [codecov-image]: https://codecov.io/gh/substack/tape/branch/master/graphs/badge.svg
 [codecov-url]: https://app.codecov.io/gh/substack/tape/
 [actions-image]: https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https://github-actions-badge-u3jn4tfpocch.runkit.sh/substack/tape