diff --git a/packages/backend/src/nwscript/resref-index.ts b/packages/backend/src/nwscript/resref-index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9bbf981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/nwscript/resref-index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import fs from "fs/promises";
+import path from "path";
+
+interface ResrefEntry {
+  resref: string;
+  type: string;
+  filePath: string;
+  displayName?: string;
+}
+
+const index = new Map<string, ResrefEntry>();
+
+export async function buildResrefIndex(repoPath: string): Promise<void> {
+  index.clear();
+  try {
+    await scanDir(repoPath, repoPath);
+  } catch {
+    // repo not cloned yet — that's fine
+  }
+}
+
+async function scanDir(dir: string, rootPath: string): Promise<void> {
+  let entries;
+  try {
+    entries = await fs.readdir(dir, { withFileTypes: true });
+  } catch {
+    return;
+  }
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    const fullPath = path.join(dir, entry.name);
+    if (entry.isDirectory()) {
+      if (entry.name === "node_modules" || entry.name === ".git" || entry.name === ".nasher") continue;
+      await scanDir(fullPath, rootPath);
+    } else if (entry.name.endsWith(".json")) {
+      const match = entry.name.match(/^(.+)\.(utc|uti|utp|are|dlg|utm|ute)\.json$/);
+      if (match) {
+        const [, resref, type] = match;
+        index.set(resref, {
+          resref,
+          type,
+          filePath: path.relative(rootPath, fullPath),
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export function lookupResref(resref: string): ResrefEntry | undefined {
+  return index.get(resref);
+}
+
+export function getResrefCount(): number {
+  return index.size;
+}
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/routes/editor.ts b/packages/backend/src/routes/editor.ts
index 2e3d083..cb65c29 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/routes/editor.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/routes/editor.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   writeFile,
   deleteFile,
 } from "../services/editor.service.js";
+import { lookupResref, getResrefCount } from "../nwscript/resref-index.js";
 
 const router = Router();
 
@@ -48,4 +49,17 @@ router.delete("/file/:repo/*path", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
+router.get("/resref/:resref", (req, res) => {
+  const entry = lookupResref(req.params.resref);
+  if (entry) {
+    res.json(entry);
+  } else {
+    res.status(404).json({ error: "resref not found" });
+  }
+});
+
+router.get("/resref-count", (_req, res) => {
+  res.json({ count: getResrefCount() });
+});
+
 export default router;