diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/.gitignore b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/.gitignore
index f36e035..eeeecc2 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/.gitignore
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 *.o
 nntpd
 nntpchan-tool
+test
 .gdb_history
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
index 7151fc6..b1f8a64 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/Makefile
@@ -27,8 +27,14 @@ $(EXE): $(OBJECTS)
 $(TOOL): $(OBJECTS)
 	$(CXX) -o $(TOOL) $(LD_FLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(CXXFLAGS) tool.cpp
 
+build-test: $(OBJECTS)
+	$(CXX) -o test $(LD_FLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(CXXFLAGS) test.cpp
+
+test: build-test
+	./test
+
 %.o: src/%.cpp
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ 
 
 clean:
-	rm -f $(OBJECTS) $(EXE) $(TOOL)
+	rm -f $(OBJECTS) $(EXE) $(TOOL) test
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/contrib/nntpchan.sh b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/contrib/nntpchan.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..039e4d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/contrib/nntpchan.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+exit 0
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
index 339bc30..a338c24 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/nntpd.cpp
@@ -60,18 +60,18 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
 
     if ( level.sections.find("frontend") != level.sections.end()) {
       // frontend enabled
-      auto & frontconf = level.sections["frontend"];
+      auto & frontconf = level.sections["frontend"].values;
       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");
+      auto ftype = frontconf["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"]));
+        nntp.SetFrontend(new nntpchan::ExecFrontend(frontconf["exec"]));
       } else {
         std::cerr << "unknown frontend type '" << ftype << "'" << std::endl;
       }
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.cpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..220fcdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#include "exec_frontend.hpp"
+#include <cstring>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+
+namespace nntpchan
+{
+  ExecFrontend::ExecFrontend(const std::string & fname) :
+    m_exec(fname)
+  {
+  }
+
+  ExecFrontend::~ExecFrontend() {}
+
+  void ExecFrontend::ProcessNewMessage(const std::string & fpath)
+  {
+    Exec({"post", fpath});
+  }
+
+  bool ExecFrontend::AcceptsNewsgroup(const std::string & newsgroup)
+  {
+    return Exec({"newsgroup", newsgroup}) == 0;
+  }
+
+  bool ExecFrontend::AcceptsMessage(const std::string & msgid)
+  {
+    return Exec({"msgid", msgid}) == 0;
+  }
+
+  int ExecFrontend::Exec(std::deque<std::string> args)
+  {
+    // set up arguments
+    const char ** cargs = new char const *[args.size() +2];
+    std::size_t l = 0;
+    cargs[l++] = m_exec.c_str();
+    while (args.size()) {
+      cargs[l++] = args.front().c_str();
+      args.pop_front();
+    }
+    cargs[l] = 0;
+    int retcode = 0;
+    pid_t child = fork();
+    if(child) {
+      waitpid(child, &retcode, 0);
+    } else {
+      int r = execvpe(m_exec.c_str(),(char * const *) cargs, environ);
+      if ( r == -1 ) {
+        std::cout << strerror(errno) << std::endl;
+        exit( errno );
+      } else
+        exit(r);
+    }
+    return retcode;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp
index 3cfbd4c..322b6ed 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/exec_frontend.hpp
@@ -1,9 +1,30 @@
 #ifndef NNTPCHAN_EXEC_FRONTEND_HPP
 #define NNTPCHAN_EXEC_FRONTEND_HPP
+#include "frontend.hpp"
+#include <deque>
 
 namespace nntpchan
 {
+  class ExecFrontend : public Frontend
+  {
+  public:
 
+    ExecFrontend(const std::string & exe);
+    
+    ~ExecFrontend();
+
+    void ProcessNewMessage(const std::string & fpath);
+    bool AcceptsNewsgroup(const std::string & newsgroup);
+    bool AcceptsMessage(const std::string & msgid);
+
+  private:
+
+    int Exec(std::deque<std::string> args);
+    
+  private:
+    std::string m_exec;
+    
+  };
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp
index 55699a4..fed48f6 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/frontend.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef NNTPCHAN_FRONTEND_HPP
 #define NNTPCHAN_FRONTEND_HPP
+#include <string>
 
 namespace nntpchan
 {
@@ -10,14 +11,13 @@ namespace nntpchan
     virtual ~Frontend() {}
 
     /** @brief process an inbound message stored at fpath that we have accepted. */
-    void ProcessNewMessage(const std::string & fpath) = 0;
+    virtual void ProcessNewMessage(const std::string & fpath) = 0;
 
     /** @brief return true if we take posts in a newsgroup */
-    bool AcceptsNewsgroup(const std::string & newsgroup) = 0;
+    virtual 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;
-
+    virtual bool AcceptsMessage(const std::string & msgid) = 0;
     
   };
 }
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.cpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.cpp
index 351bc6a..2f40f88 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.cpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.cpp
@@ -12,11 +12,21 @@ namespace nntpchan
   {
     uv_tcp_init(loop, &m_server);
     m_loop = loop;
+    m_server.data = this;
   }
 
   NNTPServer::~NNTPServer()
   {
-    uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&m_server, [](uv_handle_t *) {});
+    if (m_frontend) delete m_frontend;
+  }
+
+  void NNTPServer::Close()
+  {
+    uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&m_server, [](uv_handle_t * s) {
+        NNTPServer * self = (NNTPServer*)s->data;
+        if (self) delete self;
+        s->data = nullptr;
+    });
   }
 
   void NNTPServer::Bind(const std::string & addr)
@@ -24,7 +34,6 @@ namespace nntpchan
     auto saddr = ParseAddr(addr);
     assert(uv_tcp_bind(*this, saddr, 0) == 0);
     std::cerr << "nntp server bound to " << saddr.to_string() << std::endl;
-    m_server.data = this;
     auto cb = [] (uv_stream_t * s, int status) {
       NNTPServer * self = (NNTPServer *) s->data;
       self->OnAccept(s, status);
@@ -60,6 +69,12 @@ namespace nntpchan
   {
     m_storagePath = path;
   }
+
+  void NNTPServer::SetFrontend(Frontend * f)
+  {
+    if(m_frontend) delete m_frontend;
+    m_frontend = f;
+  }
   
   NNTPServerConn::NNTPServerConn(uv_loop_t * l, uv_stream_t * s, const std::string & storage, NNTPCredentialDB * creds) :
     m_handler(storage)
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.hpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.hpp
index e365ff8..5c36ff7 100644
--- a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.hpp
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/src/nntp_server.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <deque>
 #include "storage.hpp"
+#include "frontend.hpp"
 #include "nntp_auth.hpp"
 #include "nntp_handler.hpp"
 
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ namespace nntpchan
     void SetStoragePath(const std::string & path);
 
     void SetLoginDB(const std::string path);
+
+    void SetFrontend(Frontend * f);
+
+    void Close();
     
   private:
     
@@ -39,6 +44,8 @@ namespace nntpchan
 
     std::string m_logindbpath;
     std::string m_storagePath;
+
+    Frontend * m_frontend;
     
   };
   
diff --git a/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/test.cpp b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a84c670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/backends/nntpchan-daemon/test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#include "exec_frontend.hpp"
+#include <cassert>
+#include <iostream>
+
+
+
+int main(int , char * [])
+{
+  nntpchan::Frontend * f = new nntpchan::ExecFrontend("./contrib/nntpchan.sh");
+  assert(f->AcceptsMessage("<test@server>"));
+  assert(f->AcceptsNewsgroup("overchan.test"));
+  std::cout << "all good" << std::endl;
+}
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py b/contrib/frontends/py/frontend.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/__init__.py b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/__init__.py
index 66c9e23..8b13789 100644
--- a/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/__init__.py
+++ b/contrib/frontends/py/nntpchan/__init__.py
@@ -1,42 +1 @@
 
-from nntpchan import store
-from nntpchan import message
-from nntpchan import preprocess
-
-
-def addArticle(msgid, group):
-    """
-    add article to system
-    :return True if we need to regenerate otherwise False:
-    """
-    msg = None
-    # open message
-    with store.openArticle(msgid) as f:
-        # read article header
-        hdr = message.readHeader(f)
-
-        mclass = message.MultipartMessage
-        if hdr.isTextOnly:
-            # treat as text message instead of multipart
-            mclass = message.TextMessage
-        elif hdr.isSigned:
-            # treat as signed message
-            mclass = message.TripcodeMessage
-        # create messgae
-        msg = mclass(hdr, f)
-        
-    if msg is not None:
-        # we got a message that is valid
-        store.storeMessage(msg)
-    else:
-        # invalid message
-        print("invalid message: {}".format(msgid))
-    return msg is not None
-        
-        
-def regenerate(msgid, group):
-    """
-    regenerate markup
-    """
-    pass
-