diff --git a/src/pygama/flow/__init__.py b/src/pygama/flow/__init__.py
index 384d7603d..64bd4ad02 100644
--- a/src/pygama/flow/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pygama/flow/__init__.py
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@
 
 from .data_loader import DataLoader
 from .file_db import FileDB
+from .query_meta import query_metadata
 
-__all__ = ["DataLoader", "FileDB"]
+__all__ = ["DataLoader", "FileDB", "query_metadata"]
diff --git a/src/pygama/flow/query_meta.py b/src/pygama/flow/query_meta.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b201dbd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pygama/flow/query_meta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+import os
+import re
+from collections.abc import Collection
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import awkward as ak
+from dbetto import Props, TextDB
+from legendmeta import LegendMetadata
+from lgdo import Array, Table, VectorOfVectors, lh5
+
+from pygama.flow.utils import to_datetime
+
+
+def query_metadata(
+    runs: str,
+    channels: str,
+    fields: Collection[str] = [],
+    prod_config: Path | str = "$REFPROD/dataflow-config.yaml",
+    par_tiers: Collection[str] = None,
+    by_run: bool = False,
+    return_query_vals: bool = False,
+    library: str = "ak",
+):
+    """Query the metadata and pars data for a reference production. Return
+    a table containing one entry for each run/channel with the requested
+    data fields. Can also provide selections based on period, run, datatype
+    and time information, as well as information found in the metadata, for
+    that run/channel including detector database parameters.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    runs
+        expression used to select list of runs. Expression can contain
+        the following variables:
+        - period: name of period (e.g. ``"p01"``)
+        - run: name of run (e.g. ``"r000"``)
+        - datatype: three character ID of datatype (e.g. ``"cal"``)
+        - starttime: start key for a run (e.g. ``"20230101T123456Z"``). This is
+        -   converted to a _np.datetime64:https://numpy.org/doc/stable/reference/arrays.datetime.html#arrays-datetime (e.g. ``np.datetime64(53, "Y")``)
+
+        Examples:
+        - ``"p>=6 and p<=8 and datatype=='cal'"`` selects calibration data from periods 6, 7 and 8.
+        - ``"period in ['p03', 'p04', 'p06'] and run == 'r000' and t=='phy'"`` selects the first run of physics data from periods 3, 4 and 6
+
+    channels
+        expression used to select channels for each run. Expression can
+        contain variables found in detectors found in channel map. It
+        can also use values from other metadata sources that are referenced
+        using the references described under the `fields` arg.
+
+        Examples:
+        - ``"@det.system=='geds' and @det.type=='icpc' and @det.analysis.usability=='on'"``
+          selects all ICPC detectors for each run that are marked as usable
+        - ``"@det.name=='S010' and @det.analysis.processible"`` selects SiPM channel 10 and
+          will only include runs where it is can be processed
+
+        Note: if a parameter does not exist for a channel, it will evaluate to ``None``.
+        If this causes an error to be thrown, this expression will evaluate to ``False``.
+
+    fields
+        list of fields to include in the table. Fields are drawn from multiple tree-like
+        metadata sources, whose roots are referenced using shorthands prepended with ``@``.
+        These references will navigate to locations corresponding to the run and channel
+        for each entry. Parameters will be aliased to legal python variable names; this
+        can be done manually be preceding the ``@`` with a preferred name (``[alias]@[path]);
+        the variable will be passed to a column with this name, and this name can be used
+        in queries. By default, replace periods in path with underscores.
+
+        Data sources:
+        - @det: value from channel map
+        - @run: value from run info
+        - @par: value from analysis parameters database in refprod
+
+        Example:
+        - ``["@det.daq.rawid", "@run.livetime", "aoe_low_cut@pars.pars.operations.AoE_Low_Cut.parameters.a"]``
+
+    ref_prod
+        base directory or config file of reference production. If a dir is provided, look for
+        ``dataflow_config.yaml`` inside it; config file should be json or yaml.
+
+    par_tiers
+        search only provided tiers for pars. If ``None`` search all found tiers. Can
+        speed up search.
+
+    by_run
+        if ``True``, return nested array grouped by run, with inner variable length arrays of
+        channel data
+
+    return_query_vals
+        if ``True``, return values found in query as columns; else only return those in ``fields``
+
+    library
+        format of returned table. Can be ''ak'', ''lgdo'' or ''pd''
+    """
+    # return ak.array of periods, runs, channels, and fields from pars db
+    ref_config = Props.read_from(lh5.utils.expand_path(prod_config), subst_pathvar=True)
+    ref_paths = ref_config["paths"]
+    meta = LegendMetadata(ref_paths["metadata"])
+    runinfo = meta.datasets.runinfo
+
+    # Loop through run list and select runs matching query
+    run_data = []
+    for p, runlist in runinfo.items():
+        for r, datalist in runlist.items():
+            for dtype, info in datalist.items():
+                run_record = {
+                    "period": p,
+                    "run": r,
+                    "datatype": dtype,
+                    "starttime": info.start_key,
+                }
+                if eval(
+                    runs,
+                    {},
+                    run_record
+                    | {"starttime": to_datetime(info.start_key).replace(tzinfo=None)},
+                ):
+                    run_data.append(run_record)
+
+    # get the paths and groups corresponding to our runs+channels queries
+    ch_data = []
+    if par_tiers is None:
+        par_dbs = [
+            TextDB(path, lazy=True)
+            for key, path in ref_paths.items()
+            if key[:4] == "par_" and os.path.exists(path)
+        ]
+    else:
+        par_dbs = [TextDB(ref_paths[f"par_{tier}"], lazy=True) for tier in par_tiers]
+
+    # get list of fields needed and build mapping to column names
+    col_name_map = {}
+    col_list = set()
+    expr_vars = re.findall("[\\w\\.\\:@]+\\(?", channels)
+
+    # capture alias@path.to.val into two variables
+    parser = re.compile("(?:(\\w+))?(@\\w+(?:\\.\\w+)*)?")
+    for field in fields + expr_vars:
+        match = parser.fullmatch(field)
+        if match is None or match == (None, None):
+            raise ValueError()
+        alias, path = match.groups()
+
+        # map from path to alias
+        if path is not None and col_name_map.get(path, None) is None:
+            col_name_map[path] = alias
+            # alias must be unique
+            if alias is not None and any(
+                path != p and alias == a for p, a in col_name_map.items()
+            ):
+                raise ValueError(f"alias {alias} already assigned")
+
+        # path can only be aliased to a single name
+        elif path in col_name_map and alias != col_name_map[path]:
+            raise ValueError()
+
+        # If this is in the field list, add to col_list
+        if field in fields:
+            if alias is not None:
+                col_list.add(alias)
+            else:
+                col_list.add(path)
+
+        elif field in expr_vars:
+            if alias is not None:
+                channels = channels.replace(field, alias)
+            else:
+                channels = channels.replace(field, path)
+
+    # Find all the un-aliased paths and asign them an alias
+    for path, alias in col_name_map.items():
+        if alias is None:
+            alias = path.replace(".", "_").replace("@", "")
+            col_name_map[path] = alias
+            channels = channels.replace(path, alias)
+            if path in col_list:
+                col_list.remove(path)
+                col_list.add(alias)
+
+    # Now loop through runs and find detectors for each run matching channel query
+    records = []
+    eval_success = False  # track if the eval ever succeeds
+
+    for run in run_data:
+        detlist = meta.channelmap(run["starttime"], run["datatype"])
+        r_info = runinfo[run["period"]][run["run"]][run["datatype"]]
+        if by_run:
+            if return_query_vals:
+                ch_records = {k: [] for k in col_name_map.values()}
+            else:
+                ch_records = {k: [] for k in col_list}
+
+            records.append(run | ch_records)
+
+        for det in detlist.values():
+            ch_record = dict()
+            for path, col_name in col_name_map.items():
+                p = path.split(".")
+
+                param = None
+                if p[0] == "@det":
+                    param = det
+                    for key in p[1:]:
+                        try:
+                            param = param[key]
+                        except:
+                            param = None
+                            break
+                elif p[0] == "@pars":
+                    # search for the param in any of the tiers
+                    for par_db in par_dbs:
+                        try:
+                            param = par_db.cal[run["period"]][run["run"]]
+                            param.scan()
+                            param = param[next(iter(param.keys()))][
+                                f"ch{det.daq.rawid}"
+                            ]
+                            for key in p[1:]:
+                                param = param[key]
+                        except:
+                            param = None
+                            continue
+                        break
+                elif p[0] == "@run":
+                    # search for the parameter in runinfo
+                    param = r_info
+                    for key in p[1:]:
+                        try:
+                            param = param[key]
+                        except:
+                            param = None
+                            break
+                else:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"could not find metadata location {f[0]}. Options are '@pars', '@det'"
+                    )
+
+                ch_record[col_name] = param
+
+            # Evaluate the channel expression on the found values
+            try:
+                keep_record = bool(eval(channels, {}, ch_record | run))
+            except:
+                continue
+            eval_success = True
+
+            if keep_record:
+                if not return_query_vals:
+                    ch_record = {k: v for k, v in ch_record.items() if k in col_list}
+                if by_run:
+                    for k, v in ch_record.items():
+                        ch_records[k].append(v)
+                else:
+                    records.append(run | ch_record)
+
+    # if evaluating channels query was never successful...
+    if not eval_success:
+        raise ValueError("Could not interpret channel query for any channels")
+
+    result = ak.Array(records)
+    if library == "ak":
+        return ak.Array(result)
+    elif library == "pd":
+        return ak.to_dataframe(ak.Array(result))
+    else:
+        return Table(
+            {
+                f: Array(a) if a.ndim == 1 else VectorOfVectors(a)
+                for f, a in result.items()
+            }
+        )