diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c9c6905..246973f 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ clap = "4.4.18"
 clap-num = "1.0.2"
 clap-verbosity-flag = "2.1.2"
 libpt = { version = "0.3.10", features = ["net"] }
-threadpool = "1.8.1"
+mio = { version = "0.8.10", features = ["net", "os-poll"] }
+threadpool = { version = "1.8.1", optional = true }
 
 [features]
-default = ["server", "client"]
-client = []
-server = []
+default = ["server"]
+server = ["dep:threadpool"]
diff --git a/src/common/args.rs b/src/common/args.rs
index 65a1085..9b39244 100644
--- a/src/common/args.rs
+++ b/src/common/args.rs
@@ -41,10 +41,17 @@ pub(crate) struct Cli {
     #[arg(long)]
     pub(crate) meta: bool,
 
+    // host a server instead of connecting to one
     #[cfg(feature = "server")]
     #[arg(short, long, default_value_t = false)]
     pub(crate) server: bool,
 
+
+    // how much threads the server should use
+    #[cfg(feature = "server")]
+    #[arg(short, long, default_value_t = 4)]
+    pub(crate) threads: usize,
+
     #[arg(short, long, default_value_t = Mode::Tcp, ignore_case = true)]
     pub(crate) mode: Mode,
 
diff --git a/src/common/conf.rs b/src/common/conf.rs
index 514f588..0756095 100644
--- a/src/common/conf.rs
+++ b/src/common/conf.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-use std::fmt::Display;
-use clap::ValueEnum;
 use crate::common::args::Cli;
+use clap::ValueEnum;
+use std::fmt::Display;
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
 pub enum Mode {
     Tcp,
@@ -37,13 +37,18 @@ impl Display for Mode {
     }
 }
 
-pub(crate) struct Config {
-    cli: Cli,
-    addr: std::net::SocketAddr,
+pub struct Config {
+    pub addr: std::net::SocketAddr,
+    pub mode: Mode,
+    pub threads: usize
 }
 
 impl Config {
-    pub fn new(cli: Cli, addr: std::net::SocketAddr) -> Self {
-        Config { cli, addr }
+    pub fn new(cli: &Cli) -> Self {
+        Config {
+            addr: cli.addr.clone(),
+            mode: cli.mode.clone(),
+            threads: cli.threads
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/common/mod.rs b/src/common/mod.rs
index 8d2493b..f4200ec 100644
--- a/src/common/mod.rs
+++ b/src/common/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,2 @@
-
 pub mod args;
-use args::*;
-
 pub mod conf;
-use conf::*;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 3b1d87d..0b621d9 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //! over a connection, while letting a server reply pong to
 //! every connection. But I had to make it for some reason.
 
+use anyhow::Result;
 use libpt::log::*;
 
 mod client;
@@ -11,15 +12,21 @@ mod server;
 
 use common::{args::Cli, conf::*};
 
-fn main() {
+use crate::server::Server;
+
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let cli = Cli::cli_parse();
     debug!("dumping cli args:\n{:#?}", cli);
+
+    let cfg = Config::new(&cli);
+
     #[cfg(feature = "server")]
     if cli.server {
         info!("starting server");
-
-        return;
+        Server::build(cfg)?.run()?;
+        return Ok(());
     }
     // implicit else, so we can work without the server feature
     info!("starting client");
+    Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/server/listener.rs b/src/server/listener.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0abbcae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server/listener.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+use std::net::TcpListener;
+
+pub trait Listener {}
+pub trait Stream {}
+
+impl Listener for TcpListener {}
diff --git a/src/server/mod.rs b/src/server/mod.rs
index e69de29..9aaf850 100644
--- a/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#![cfg(feature = "server")]
+use anyhow::Result;
+use libpt::log::{error, info};
+use mio::{self, event::Event, net::TcpListener, Events, Interest, Poll, Token};
+use std::{
+    io::{prelude::*, BufReader},
+    time::Duration,
+};
+use threadpool::ThreadPool;
+
+use crate::common::conf::{Config, Mode};
+
+pub mod listener;
+use listener::*;
+
+const EVENT_CAPACITY: usize = 128;
+const SERVER: Token = Token(0);
+
+pub struct Server {
+    cfg: Config,
+    work: Poll,
+    events: Events,
+    pool: ThreadPool,
+    pub timeout: Option<Duration>,
+    server: TcpListener,
+}
+
+impl Server {
+    pub fn build(cfg: Config) -> Result<Self> {
+        let mut server = TcpListener::bind(cfg.addr)?;
+        let poll: Poll = Poll::new()?;
+        poll.registry()
+            .register(&mut server, SERVER, Interest::READABLE | Interest::WRITABLE);
+        let events: Events = Events::with_capacity(EVENT_CAPACITY);
+        let pool = ThreadPool::new(cfg.threads);
+        let timeout = Some(Duration::from_secs(5));
+        Ok(Server {
+            cfg,
+            work: poll,
+            events,
+            pool,
+            timeout,
+            server,
+        })
+    }
+    pub fn run(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        loop {
+            self.work.poll(&mut self.events, self.timeout)?;
+            for event in self.events.iter() {
+                // self.pool.execute(|| {
+                let result = self.handle_event(event);
+                if let Err(err) = result {
+                    error!("Error while handling server event {:?}: {:?}", event, err);
+                }
+                // });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn handle_event(&self, event: &Event) -> Result<()> {
+        dbg!(event);
+        let connection = self.server.accept()?;
+        info!("received a connection!");
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}