diff --git a/cli/ops/dispatch_flatbuffers.rs b/cli/ops/dispatch_flatbuffers.rs
index 0e2d877660b3af..75e6ce72f7bd4c 100644
--- a/cli/ops/dispatch_flatbuffers.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/dispatch_flatbuffers.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use super::fs::{
 };
 use super::metrics::op_metrics;
 use super::net::{op_accept, op_dial, op_listen, op_shutdown};
-use super::os::{op_home_dir, op_start};
+use super::os::op_start;
 use super::performance::op_now;
 use super::permissions::{op_permissions, op_revoke_permission};
 use super::process::{op_kill, op_run, op_run_status};
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ pub fn op_selector_std(inner_type: msg::Any) -> Option<CliDispatchFn> {
     msg::Any::Stat => Some(op_stat),
     msg::Any::Symlink => Some(op_symlink),
     msg::Any::Truncate => Some(op_truncate),
-    msg::Any::HomeDir => Some(op_home_dir),
     msg::Any::Write => Some(op_write),
 
     // TODO(ry) split these out so that only the appropriate Workers can access
diff --git a/cli/ops/mod.rs b/cli/ops/mod.rs
index 5534f316970047..3ffca8573bc2de 100644
--- a/cli/ops/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/mod.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub const OP_ENV: OpId = 5;
 pub const OP_EXEC_PATH: OpId = 6;
 pub const OP_UTIME: OpId = 7;
 pub const OP_SET_ENV: OpId = 8;
+pub const OP_HOME_DIR: OpId = 9;
 
 pub fn dispatch(
   state: &ThreadSafeState,
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ pub fn dispatch(
     OP_EXEC_PATH => {
       dispatch_json::dispatch(os::op_exec_path, state, control, zero_copy)
     }
+    OP_HOME_DIR => {
+      dispatch_json::dispatch(os::op_home_dir, state, control, zero_copy)
+    }
     OP_UTIME => {
       dispatch_json::dispatch(fs::op_utime, state, control, zero_copy)
     }
diff --git a/cli/ops/os.rs b/cli/ops/os.rs
index fdc1b1773dd259..36be2350887ab3 100644
--- a/cli/ops/os.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/os.rs
@@ -80,32 +80,16 @@ pub fn op_start(
 
 pub fn op_home_dir(
   state: &ThreadSafeState,
-  base: &msg::Base<'_>,
-  data: Option<PinnedBuf>,
-) -> CliOpResult {
-  assert!(data.is_none());
-  let cmd_id = base.cmd_id();
-
+  _args: Value,
+  _zero_copy: Option<PinnedBuf>,
+) -> Result<JsonOp, ErrBox> {
   state.check_env()?;
-
-  let builder = &mut FlatBufferBuilder::new();
   let path = dirs::home_dir()
     .unwrap_or_default()
     .into_os_string()
     .into_string()
     .unwrap_or_default();
-  let path = Some(builder.create_string(&path));
-  let inner = msg::HomeDirRes::create(builder, &msg::HomeDirResArgs { path });
-
-  ok_buf(serialize_response(
-    cmd_id,
-    builder,
-    msg::BaseArgs {
-      inner: Some(inner.as_union_value()),
-      inner_type: msg::Any::HomeDirRes,
-      ..Default::default()
-    },
-  ))
+  Ok(JsonOp::Sync(json!(path)))
 }
 
 pub fn op_exec_path(
diff --git a/js/dispatch.ts b/js/dispatch.ts
index e59cf0488f958b..ff044b7941847b 100644
--- a/js/dispatch.ts
+++ b/js/dispatch.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export const OP_ENV = 5;
 export const OP_EXEC_PATH = 6;
 export const OP_UTIME = 7;
 export const OP_SET_ENV = 8;
+export const OP_HOME_DIR = 9;
 
 export function handleAsyncMsgFromRust(opId: number, ui8: Uint8Array): void {
   switch (opId) {
@@ -23,14 +24,16 @@ export function handleAsyncMsgFromRust(opId: number, ui8: Uint8Array): void {
     case OP_READ:
       minimal.handleAsyncMsgFromRust(opId, ui8);
       break;
+    case OP_UTIME:
+      json.handleAsyncMsgFromRust(opId, ui8);
+      break;
     case OP_EXIT:
     case OP_IS_TTY:
     case OP_ENV:
     case OP_EXEC_PATH:
-    case OP_UTIME:
     case OP_SET_ENV:
-      json.handleAsyncMsgFromRust(opId, ui8);
-      break;
+    case OP_HOME_DIR:
+      throw Error("expected sync");
     default:
       throw Error("bad opId");
   }
diff --git a/js/os.ts b/js/os.ts
index bd19ff0075b220..26d6effb5dd935 100644
--- a/js/os.ts
+++ b/js/os.ts
@@ -109,18 +109,10 @@ export function start(
  * Requires the `--allow-env` flag.
  */
 export function homeDir(): string {
-  const builder = flatbuffers.createBuilder();
-  const inner = msg.HomeDir.createHomeDir(builder);
-  const baseRes = sendSync(builder, msg.Any.HomeDir, inner)!;
-  assert(msg.Any.HomeDirRes === baseRes.innerType());
-  const res = new msg.HomeDirRes();
-  assert(baseRes.inner(res) != null);
-  const path = res.path();
-
+  const path = dispatchJson.sendSync(dispatch.OP_HOME_DIR);
   if (!path) {
     throw new Error("Could not get home directory.");
   }
-
   return path;
 }