diff --git a/examples/server/Brewfile b/examples/grpc-samples/Brewfile
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/server/Brewfile
rename to examples/grpc-samples/Brewfile
diff --git a/examples/grpc-samples/resolve-vars.json b/examples/grpc-samples/resolve-vars.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..552d5b9d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/grpc-samples/resolve-vars.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "script": "export NAME=\"Noname\"\nexport LICENSE=$(cat ../LICENSE)\necho \"LICENSE: $LICENSE\"",
+    "env": [
+        "LICENSE="
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/examples/PROJECTS.md b/examples/grpc-samples/services.md
similarity index 54%
rename from examples/PROJECTS.md
rename to examples/grpc-samples/services.md
index 21958aa0a..181c6fc14 100644
--- a/examples/PROJECTS.md
+++ b/examples/grpc-samples/services.md
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ runme:
   version: v2.2
 ---
 
-## gRPC runme.project.v1.ProjectService
+## ProjectService
 
-Flags matche the launcher arguments in .vscode/launch.json.
+Flags match the launcher arguments in `.vscode/launch.json` for `Debug Server`. Be sure to complete [setup.md](setup.md).
 
 List available operations:
 
@@ -39,3 +39,27 @@ $ grpcurl \
     -d "{\"directory\":{\"path\":\".\"}}" \
     127.0.0.1:9999 runme.project.v1.ProjectService/Load
 ```
+
+## RunnerService
+
+List all runner services.
+
+```sh {"id":"01HNGQNYYWKP635FT8GHE67476","promptEnv":"false"}
+export VERSION="v1" # there's also v2alpha1
+$ grpcurl \
+    -cacert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -cert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -key /tmp/runme/tls/key.pem \
+    127.0.0.1:9999 list runme.runner.$VERSION.RunnerService
+```
+
+Resolve variables inside cell:
+
+```sh {"id":"01HNGQS6TV8YKQAKE0ZD7TZREH","promptEnv":"false","terminalRows":"15"}
+$ grpcurl \
+    -cacert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -cert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -key /tmp/runme/tls/key.pem \
+    -d @ \
+    127.0.0.1:9999 runme.runner.v1.RunnerService/ResolveVars < resolve-vars.json
+```
diff --git a/examples/grpc-samples/setup.md b/examples/grpc-samples/setup.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..55fd35e78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/grpc-samples/setup.md
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+runme:
+  id: 01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH51RDQEC
+  version: v2.2
+---
+
+# GRPC Setup
+
+Install system dependencies:
+
+```sh {"id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMGTJN1KP3"}
+$ brew bundle --no-lock
+```
+
+## Exercise GRPC interface
+
+Issue a simple call to the deserialize API, first set markdown input data:
+
+```sh {"id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH0ZYTWA9"}
+export MD="# Ohai this is my cool headline"
+```
+
+Then issue RPC call and display the result:
+
+```sh {"closeTerminalOnSuccess":"false","id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH2K85BHG","terminalRows":"15"}
+$ data="$(echo $MD | openssl base64 | tr -d '\n')"
+$ cd ../.. && grpcurl \
+    -cacert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -cert /tmp/runme/tls/cert.pem \
+    -key /tmp/runme/tls/key.pem \
+    -protoset <(buf build -o -) \
+    -d "{\"source\": \"$data\"}" \
+    127.0.0.1:9999 runme.parser.v1.ParserService/Deserialize
+```
diff --git a/examples/server/grpc.md b/examples/server/grpc.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 4350ed799..000000000
--- a/examples/server/grpc.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
----
-runme:
-  id: 01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH51RDQEC
-  version: v2.2
----
-
-# Daemon/kernel functionality
-
-Install system dependencies:
-
-```sh {"id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMGTJN1KP3"}
-$ brew bundle --no-lock
-```
-
-Let's build the project first and include working directory into `$PATH`:
-
-```sh {"id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMGVG57QBE"}
-$ cd ../..
-$ make
-$ export CWD=$(cd ../.. && pwd | tr -d '\n')
-$ export PATH="$CWD:$PATH"
-```
-
-## Exercise GRPC interface
-
-Bring up the server. It's gRPC based:
-
-```sh {"background":"true","id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMGXCKJCAB"}
-$ ../../runme server --address /tmp/runme.sock
-```
-
-Issue a simple call to the deserialize API, first set markdown input data:
-
-```sh {"id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH0ZYTWA9"}
-export mddata="# Ohai this is my cool headline"
-```
-
-Then issue RPC call and display the result:
-
-```sh {"closeTerminalOnSuccess":"false","id":"01HF7BT3HBDTRGQAQMH2K85BHG"}
-$ data="$(echo $mddata | openssl base64 | tr -d '\n')"
-$ cd ../.. && grpcurl \
-    -protoset <(buf build -o -) \
-    -d "{\"source\": \"$data\"}" \
-    -plaintext \
-    -unix /tmp/runme.sock \
-    runme.parser.v1.ParserService/Deserialize
-```
diff --git a/internal/document/editor/editorservice/service.go b/internal/document/editor/editorservice/service.go
index 6f45d2ac6..d8299f9f7 100644
--- a/internal/document/editor/editorservice/service.go
+++ b/internal/document/editor/editorservice/service.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func NewParserServiceServer(logger *zap.Logger) parserv1.ParserServiceServer {
 func (s *parserServiceServer) Deserialize(_ context.Context, req *parserv1.DeserializeRequest) (*parserv1.DeserializeResponse, error) {
 	s.logger.Info("Deserialize", zap.ByteString("source", req.Source[:min(len(req.Source), 64)]))
 
-	identityResolver := identity.NewResolver(fromProtoRunmeIdentityToLifecycleIdentity(req.Options.Identity))
+	identityResolver := identity.NewResolver(fromProtoDeserializeReqOptionsToLifecycleIdentity(req.Options))
 	notebook, err := editor.Deserialize(req.Source, identityResolver)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.logger.Info("failed to call Deserialize", zap.Error(err))
@@ -237,7 +237,13 @@ func (*parserServiceServer) serializeCellOutputs(cell *parserv1.Cell, options *p
 	return outputs
 }
 
-func fromProtoRunmeIdentityToLifecycleIdentity(idt parserv1.RunmeIdentity) identity.LifecycleIdentity {
+func fromProtoDeserializeReqOptionsToLifecycleIdentity(opt *parserv1.DeserializeRequestOptions) identity.LifecycleIdentity {
+	var idt parserv1.RunmeIdentity
+
+	if opt != nil {
+		idt = opt.Identity
+	}
+
 	switch idt {
 	case parserv1.RunmeIdentity_RUNME_IDENTITY_ALL:
 		return identity.AllLifecycleIdentity
@@ -245,7 +251,9 @@ func fromProtoRunmeIdentityToLifecycleIdentity(idt parserv1.RunmeIdentity) ident
 		return identity.DocumentLifecycleIdentity
 	case parserv1.RunmeIdentity_RUNME_IDENTITY_CELL:
 		return identity.CellLifecycleIdentity
-	default:
+	case parserv1.RunmeIdentity_RUNME_IDENTITY_UNSPECIFIED:
 		return identity.UnspecifiedLifecycleIdentity
+	default:
+		return identity.DefaultLifecycleIdentity
 	}
 }