diff --git a/merp.go b/merp.go
index 8e4c267..199f7e0 100644
--- a/merp.go
+++ b/merp.go
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import "github.com/google/uuid"
 import "github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 import "github.com/sneak/merp/models"
 
+const MAX_MERPS_TO_RETURN = 50
+const LONGPOLL_TIMEOUT_SECS = 60
+
 func decodeJSON(in []byte) (interface{}, error) {
 	var out interface{}
 	err := json.Unmarshal(in, &out)
@@ -23,8 +26,33 @@ func decodeJSON(in []byte) (interface{}, error) {
 func (ms *Server) listenForMerps() gin.HandlerFunc {
 	// /listen/for/merps/from/my-thing-name
 	return func(c *gin.Context) {
-		// step one is make new channel and add listener to ms structure
-		// wait until LONGPOLL_TIMEOUT secs for new merp
+		thing := c.Param("thing")
+		if thing != "" {
+			if thingRegex.MatchString(thing) == false {
+				c.JSON(http.StatusPreconditionFailed, gin.H{
+					"this":    "failed",
+					"status":  http.StatusPreconditionFailed,
+					"because": "invalid thing format, try [a-zA-Z0-9-_.]",
+				})
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
+		el := NewEventListener(MerpTopic(thing))
+
+		timeout := time.After(LONGPOLL_TIMEOUT_SECS * time.Second)
+		// Keep trying until we're timed out or got a result or got an error
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-c.Done():
+				// unregister listener and close conn FIXME
+			case <-timeout:
+				// unregister listener and close conn FIXME
+			case newMerpJSON := <-el.NewMerpJSONChannel:
+				log.Info().Msg(newMerpJSON)
+				// send them some json FIXME
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -45,9 +73,9 @@ func (ms *Server) getLatestMerps() gin.HandlerFunc {
 
 		var qs orm.QuerySeter
 		if thing == "" {
-			qs = ms.db.QueryTable("merp").OrderBy("-created").Limit(50)
+			qs = ms.db.QueryTable("merp").OrderBy("-created").Limit(MAX_MERPS_TO_RETURN)
 		} else {
-			qs = ms.db.QueryTable("merp").Filter("thing", thing).OrderBy("-created").Limit(50)
+			qs = ms.db.QueryTable("merp").Filter("thing", thing).OrderBy("-created").Limit(MAX_MERPS_TO_RETURN)
 		}
 
 		var merps []*models.Merp
@@ -88,11 +116,9 @@ func (ms *Server) handleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 			})
 			return
 		}
-		//web.Get(`/merp/for/([A-Za-z0-9\-\_\.]+)`, merpHandler)
 
 		// FIXME rate limit this a bit on thing+clientip+json to cut down on
 		// repeated messages
-
 		content := make(map[string]interface{})
 		respContent := gin.H{}
 		// FIXME support POST data as well
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 630fd63..5d4a627 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 package merp
 
+import "context"
 import "encoding/json"
 import "fmt"
 import "net/http"
 import "os"
+import "os/signal"
 import "regexp"
 import "strconv"
-import "time"
 import "sync"
+import "syscall"
+import "time"
 
 import "github.com/didip/tollbooth"
 import "github.com/didip/tollbooth_gin"
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@ import "github.com/thoas/stats"
 import "github.com/astaxie/beego/orm"
 import _ "github.com/lib/pq" //revive:disable-line
 
-var thingRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9\_\-]+$`)
+var thingRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9\_\-\.]+$`)
 
 type MerpTopic string
 
@@ -38,8 +41,8 @@ type Server struct {
 	port      uint
 	server    *http.Server
 	stats     *stats.Stats
+	ll        *sync.Mutex // protects listeners below
 	listeners map[MerpTopic][]*EventListener
-	ll        *sync.Mutex // listeners [map] lock
 }
 
 // NewServer returns a Server, so that you can run the API.
@@ -51,7 +54,33 @@ func NewServer() *Server {
 	return ms
 }
 
-func (ms *Server) addListener(topic MerpTopic, l *EventListener) {
+type EventListener struct {
+	Topic              MerpTopic
+	NewMerpJSONChannel chan string
+}
+
+func NewEventListener(t MerpTopic) *EventListener {
+	el := new(EventListener)
+	el.init()
+	el.Topic = t
+	return el
+}
+
+func (el *EventListener) init() {
+	el.NewMerpJSONChannel = make(chan string)
+}
+
+func (ms *Server) AddListener(l *EventListener) {
+	ms.ll.Lock()
+	defer ms.ll.Unlock()
+	if ms.listeners[l.Topic] == nil {
+		// is this an allocation DoS even with rate-limiting middleware?
+		ms.listeners[l.Topic] = make([]*EventListener, 0)
+	}
+	ms.listeners[l.Topic] = append(ms.listeners[l.Topic], l)
+}
+
+func (ms *Server) DelListener(l *EventListener) {
 	// FIXME(sneak)
 }
 
@@ -93,9 +122,33 @@ func (ms *Server) connectDB() {
 
 // ServeForever causes merp to serve http forever
 func (ms *Server) ServeForever() {
-	err := ms.server.ListenAndServe()
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+
+	// start server
+	go func() {
+		err := ms.server.ListenAndServe()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// listen for signals
+	quit := make(chan os.Signal)
+	// kill -9 is syscall.SIGKILL but can't be caught, so don't need to add it
+	signal.Notify(quit, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+
+	// blocking wait for signal
+	<-quit
+	log.Info().Msg("shutting down server")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	if err := ms.server.Shutdown(ctx); err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err)
+	}
+	// catching ctx.Done(). timeout of 5 seconds.
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		log.Info().Msg("server shutdown")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -167,19 +220,3 @@ func (ms *Server) setupRoutes() {
 
 	ms.gin = r
 }
-
-type EventListener struct {
-	thing         string
-	notifications chan struct{}
-}
-
-func NewEventListener() *EventListener {
-	el := new(EventListener)
-	el.init()
-	return el
-}
-
-func (el *EventListener) init() {
-	el.notifications = make(chan struct{})
-	// NOOP for now
-}