diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
index c4cbfe3..7151fc6 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ CXXFLAGS := -std=c++14 -Wall -Wextra $(INC_FLAGS) -g
 all: $(EXE) $(TOOL)
 
 $(EXE): $(OBJECTS)	
-	$(CXX) -o $(EXE) $(LD_FLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(CXXFLAGS) nntpchan.cpp
+	$(CXX) -o $(EXE) $(LD_FLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(CXXFLAGS) nntpd.cpp
 
 $(TOOL): $(OBJECTS)
 	$(CXX) -o $(TOOL) $(LD_FLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(CXXFLAGS) tool.cpp
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpchan.cpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
similarity index 70%
rename from contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpchan.cpp
rename to contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
index 976d361..339bc30 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpchan.cpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "storage.hpp"
 #include "nntp_server.hpp"
 #include "event.hpp"
+#include "exec_frontend.hpp"
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
@@ -57,8 +58,28 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
       nntp.SetLoginDB(nntpconf["authdb"]);
     }
 
-    auto & a = nntpconf["bind"];
+    if ( level.sections.find("frontend") != level.sections.end()) {
+      // frontend enabled
+      auto & frontconf = level.sections["frontend"];
+      if (frontconf.find("type") == frontconf.end()) {
+        std::cerr << "frontend section provided but 'type' value not provided" << std::endl;
+        return 1;
+      }
+      auto & ftype = frontconf.find("type");
+      if (ftype == "exec") {
+        if (frontconf.find("exec") == frontconf.end()) {
+          std::cerr << "exec frontend specified but no 'exec' value provided" << std::endl;
+          return 1;
+        }
+        nntp.SetFrontend(new nntpchan::ExecFrontend(loop, frontconf["exec"]));
+      } else {
+        std::cerr << "unknown frontend type '" << ftype << "'" << std::endl;
+      }
+          
+    }
     
+    auto & a = nntpconf["bind"];
+
     try {
       nntp.Bind(a);  
     } catch ( std::exception & ex ) {
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cfbd4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef NNTPCHAN_EXEC_FRONTEND_HPP
+#define NNTPCHAN_EXEC_FRONTEND_HPP
+
+namespace nntpchan
+{
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55699a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#ifndef NNTPCHAN_FRONTEND_HPP
+#define NNTPCHAN_FRONTEND_HPP
+
+namespace nntpchan
+{
+  /** @brief nntpchan frontend ui interface */
+  class Frontend
+  {
+  public:
+    virtual ~Frontend() {}
+
+    /** @brief process an inbound message stored at fpath that we have accepted. */
+    void ProcessNewMessage(const std::string & fpath) = 0;
+
+    /** @brief return true if we take posts in a newsgroup */
+    bool AcceptsNewsgroup(const std::string & newsgroup) = 0;
+    
+    /** @brief return true if we will accept a message given its message-id */
+    bool AcceptsMessage(const std::string & msgid) = 0;
+
+    
+  };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/README.md b/contrib/frontends/py/README.md
index cacb381..474ffc1 100644
--- a/contrib/frontends/py/README.md
+++ b/contrib/frontends/py/README.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## usage ##
 
+### srndv2 unstable ###
+
 add to nntpchan.json hooks section:
 
     {
@@ -9,3 +11,12 @@ add to nntpchan.json hooks section:
       "exec": "/path/to/frontend.py"
     }
 
+### nntpd ###
+
+add this to nntpchan.ini
+
+
+    ...
+    [frontend]
+    type=exec
+    exec=/path/to/frontend.py
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py b/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py
index cdce5e2..d4c583e 100644
--- a/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py
+++ b/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py
@@ -1,9 +1,37 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-import nntpchan
+from nntpchan import message
+from nntpchan import db
+import logging
+import os
 import sys
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    msgid = sys.argv[1]
-    group = sys.argv[2]
-    if nntpchan.addArticle(msgid, group):
-        nntpchan.regenerate(msgid, group)
+    lvl = logging.INFO
+    if 'NNTPCHAN_DEBUG' in os.environ:
+        lvl = logging.DEBUG
+    logging.basicConfig(level=lvl)
+    l = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    cmd = sys.argv[1]
+    if cmd == 'post':
+        fpath = sys.argv[2]
+        msg = None
+        if not os.path.exists(fpath):
+            print("{} does not exist".format(fpath))
+            exit(1)
+        with open(fpath) as f:
+            msg = message.parse(f)
+        if msg:
+            l.debug("loaded {}".format(fpath))
+    elif cmd == 'newsgroup':
+        if db.allowsNewsgroup(sys.argv[2]):
+            exit(0)
+        else:
+            exit(1)
+    elif cmd == 'msgid':
+        if db.allowsMessage(sys.argv[2]):
+            exit(0)
+        else:
+            exit(1)
+    elif cmd == 'init':
+        db.init()
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/config.py b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b377d20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#
+# please edit this file to contain the required information
+#
+
+
+""" path to article storage directory """
+storage = '/path/to/storage/'
+
+""" database connector url """
+dburl = 'postgresql://user:password@localhost/database'
+#dburl = 'sqlite:///path/to/nntpchan.sqlite3'
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/db.py b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/db.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..583fe1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from nntpchan import config
+
+import sqlalchemy
+
+def allowsMessage(msgid):
+    return True
+
+def allowsNewsgroup(group):
+    return True
+
+
+
+def init():
+    """
+    initialize db backend
+    """
diff --git a/contrib/js/neochan/init.coffee.js b/contrib/js/neochan/init.coffee.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49caa98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/js/neochan/init.coffee.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Generated by CoffeeScript 1.11.1
+(function() {
+
+
+}).call(this);