diff --git a/go/store/cmd/noms/noms_root.go b/go/store/cmd/noms/noms_root.go
index 8086b7e231..b4885d9c62 100644
--- a/go/store/cmd/noms/noms_root.go
+++ b/go/store/cmd/noms/noms_root.go
@@ -25,21 +25,20 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 
 	flag "github.com/juju/gnuflag"
 
 	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/cmd/noms/util"
 	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/config"
 	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/d"
-	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/hash"
+	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/datas"
 	"github.com/dolthub/dolt/go/store/types"
 )
 
 var nomsRoot = &util.Command{
 	Run:       runRoot,
 	UsageLine: "root <db-spec>",
-	Short:     "Get or set the current root hash of the entire database",
+	Short:     "Get the current root hash of the entire database",
 	Long:      "See Spelling Objects at https://github.com/attic-labs/noms/blob/master/doc/spelling.md for details on the database argument.",
 	Flags:     setupRootFlags,
 	Nargs:     1,
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ var updateRoot = ""
 
 func setupRootFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
 	flagSet := flag.NewFlagSet("root", flag.ExitOnError)
-	flagSet.StringVar(&updateRoot, "update", "", "Replaces the entire database with the one with the given hash")
 	return flagSet
 }
 
@@ -60,70 +58,16 @@ func runRoot(ctx context.Context, args []string) int {
 	}
 
 	cfg := config.NewResolver()
-	cs, err := cfg.GetChunkStore(ctx, args[0])
-	util.CheckErrorNoUsage(err)
-	defer cs.Close()
-
-	currRoot, err := cs.Root(ctx)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "error getting root.", err)
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	if updateRoot == "" {
-		fmt.Println(currRoot)
-		return 0
-	}
-
-	if updateRoot[0] == '#' {
-		updateRoot = updateRoot[1:]
-	}
-	h, ok := hash.MaybeParse(updateRoot)
-	if !ok {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Invalid hash: %s\n", h.String())
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	// If BUG 3407 is correct, we might be able to just take cs and make a Database directly from that.
-	db, vrw, _, err := cfg.GetDatabase(ctx, args[0])
+	db, _, _, err := cfg.GetDatabase(ctx, args[0])
 	util.CheckErrorNoUsage(err)
 	defer db.Close()
-	v, err := vrw.ReadValue(ctx, h)
-	util.CheckErrorNoUsage(err)
-	if !validate(ctx, vrw.Format(), v) {
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	fmt.Println(`WARNING
-
-This operation replaces the entire database with the instance having the given
-hash. The old database becomes eligible for GC.
-
-ANYTHING NOT SAVED WILL BE LOST
-
-Continue?`)
-
-	var input string
-	n, err := fmt.Scanln(&input)
-	util.CheckErrorNoUsage(err)
-	if n != 1 || strings.ToLower(input) != "y" {
-		return 0
-	}
-
-	ok, err = cs.Commit(ctx, h, currRoot)
-
+	currRoot, err := datas.ChunkStoreFromDatabase(db).Root(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "commit error: %s", err.Error())
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	if !ok {
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Optimistic concurrency failure")
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "error getting root.", err)
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("Success. Previous root was: %s\n", currRoot)
+	fmt.Println(currRoot)
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -141,31 +85,3 @@ func mustValue(v types.Value, err error) types.Value {
 	d.PanicIfError(err)
 	return v
 }
-
-func mustGetValue(v types.Value, ok bool, err error) types.Value {
-	d.PanicIfError(err)
-	d.PanicIfFalse(ok)
-	return v
-}
-
-func mustSet(s types.Set, err error) types.Set {
-	d.PanicIfError(err)
-	return s
-}
-
-func mustList(l types.List, err error) types.List {
-	d.PanicIfError(err)
-	return l
-}
-
-func validate(ctx context.Context, nbf *types.NomsBinFormat, r types.Value) bool {
-	rootType := mustType(types.MakeMapType(types.PrimitiveTypeMap[types.StringKind], mustType(types.MakeRefType(types.PrimitiveTypeMap[types.ValueKind]))))
-	if isSub, err := types.IsValueSubtypeOf(nbf, r, rootType); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	} else if !isSub {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Root of database must be %s, but you specified: %s\n", mustString(rootType.Describe(ctx)), mustString(mustType(types.TypeOf(r)).Describe(ctx)))
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return true
-}
diff --git a/go/store/cmd/noms/splunk.pl b/go/store/cmd/noms/splunk.pl
index 251e135d79..da9219b8a7 100755
--- a/go/store/cmd/noms/splunk.pl
+++ b/go/store/cmd/noms/splunk.pl
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@
 
 print "Welcome to the splunk shell for exploring dolt repository storage.\n";
 
-my $manifest = `noms manifest $noms_dir`;
-my $root = get_root($manifest);
-
-my $message = "Currently examining root.\nUse numeric labels to navigate the tree\n.. to back up a level, / to return to root.\nType quit or exit to exit.\n";
+my $root = `noms root $noms_dir`;
 
+my $message = "Currently examining root.\nUse numeric labels to navigate the tree\n.. to back up a level, / to return reload root and return there.\nType quit or exit to exit.\n";
 my $hash = $root;
 my @stack = ($root);
 
@@ -46,6 +44,7 @@
     }
 
     if ($input eq "/") {
+        $root = `noms root $noms_dir`;
         $hash = $root;
         @stack = ($root);
         next;