diff --git a/src/fd_chat.erl b/src/fd_chat.erl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3788677
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fd_chat.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+% @doc
+% controller for chat
+-module(fd_chat).
+-vsn("0.1.0").
+-behavior(gen_server).
+-author("Peter Harpending <peterharpending@qpq.swiss>").
+-copyright("Peter Harpending <peterharpending@qpq.swiss>").
+-license("BSD-2-Clause-FreeBSD").
+
+-export([
+    join/1,
+    nick_available/1
+]).
+-export([start_link/0]).
+-export([init/1, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2, handle_info/2,
+         code_change/3, terminate/2]).
+
+
+-record(o, {pid  :: pid(),
+            nick :: string()}).
+-type orator() :: #o{}.
+
+-record(s, {orators = [] :: [orator()]}).
+
+-type state()   :: #s{}.
+
+
+
+%%% Service Interface
+
+-spec join(Nick) -> Result
+    when Nick   :: string(),
+         Result :: ok
+                 | {error, Reason :: any()}.
+
+join(Nick) ->
+    gen_server:call(?MODULE, {join, Nick}).
+
+
+
+-spec nick_available(Nick) -> Result
+    when Nick   :: string(),
+         Result :: boolean().
+
+nick_available(Nick) ->
+    gen_server:call(?MODULE, {nick_available, Nick}).
+
+
+%%% Startup Functions
+
+
+-spec start_link() -> Result
+    when Result :: {ok, pid()}
+                 | {error, Reason :: term()}.
+%% @private
+%% This should only ever be called by fd_chat_orators (the service-level supervisor).
+
+start_link() ->
+    gen_server:start_link({local, ?MODULE}, ?MODULE, none, []).
+
+
+-spec init(none) -> {ok, state()}.
+%% @private
+%% Called by the supervisor process to give the process a chance to perform any
+%% preparatory work necessary for proper function.
+
+init(none) ->
+    ok = io:format("Starting.~n"),
+    State = #s{},
+    {ok, State}.
+
+
+
+%%% gen_server Message Handling Callbacks
+
+
+-spec handle_call(Message, From, State) -> Result
+    when Message  :: term(),
+         From     :: {pid(), reference()},
+         State    :: state(),
+         Result   :: {reply, Response, NewState}
+                   | {noreply, State},
+         Response :: term(),
+         NewState :: state().
+%% @private
+%% The gen_server:handle_call/3 callback.
+%% See: http://erlang.org/doc/man/gen_server.html#Module:handle_call-3
+
+handle_call({join, Nick}, {Pid, _}, State) ->
+    {Reply, NewState} = do_join(Pid, Nick, State),
+    {reply, Reply, NewState}.
+handle_call({nick_available, Nick}, _, State = #s{orators = Orators}) ->
+    Reply = is_nick_available(Nick, Orators),
+    {reply, Reply, State}.
+handle_call(Unexpected, From, State) ->
+    ok = io:format("~p Unexpected call from ~tp: ~tp~n", [self(), From, Unexpected]),
+    {noreply, State}.
+
+
+-spec handle_cast(Message, State) -> {noreply, NewState}
+    when Message  :: term(),
+         State    :: state(),
+         NewState :: state().
+%% @private
+%% The gen_server:handle_cast/2 callback.
+%% See: http://erlang.org/doc/man/gen_server.html#Module:handle_cast-2
+
+handle_cast(Unexpected, State) ->
+    ok = io:format("~p Unexpected cast: ~tp~n", [self(), Unexpected]),
+    {noreply, State}.
+
+
+-spec handle_info(Message, State) -> {noreply, NewState}
+    when Message  :: term(),
+         State    :: state(),
+         NewState :: state().
+%% @private
+%% The gen_server:handle_info/2 callback.
+%% See: http://erlang.org/doc/man/gen_server.html#Module:handle_info-2
+
+handle_info(Msg = {'DOWN', Mon, process, Pid, Reason}, State) ->
+    NewState = handle_down(Msg, State),
+    {noreply, NewState};
+handle_info(Unexpected, State) ->
+    ok = io:format("~p Unexpected info: ~tp~n", [self(), Unexpected]),
+    {noreply, State}.
+
+
+
+%%% OTP Service Functions
+
+-spec code_change(OldVersion, State, Extra) -> Result
+    when OldVersion :: {down, Version} | Version,
+         Version    :: term(),
+         State      :: state(),
+         Extra      :: term(),
+         Result     :: {ok, NewState}
+                     | {error, Reason :: term()},
+         NewState   :: state().
+%% @private
+%% The gen_server:code_change/3 callback.
+%% See: http://erlang.org/doc/man/gen_server.html#Module:code_change-3
+
+code_change(_, State, _) ->
+    {ok, State}.
+
+
+-spec terminate(Reason, State) -> no_return()
+    when Reason :: normal
+                 | shutdown
+                 | {shutdown, term()}
+                 | term(),
+         State  :: state().
+%% @private
+%% The gen_server:terminate/2 callback.
+%% See: http://erlang.org/doc/man/gen_server.html#Module:terminate-2
+
+terminate(_, _) ->
+    ok.
+
+
+%%% internals
+
+-spec do_join(Pid, Nick, State) -> {Reply, NewState}
+    when Pid      :: pid(),
+         Nick     :: string(),
+         Reply    :: ok | {error, Reason :: any()},
+         NewState :: State.
+
+do_join(Pid, Nick, State = #s{orators = Orators}) ->
+    case ensure_can_join(Pid, Nick, Orators) of
+        ok    -> do_join2(Pid, Nick, State);
+        Error -> {Error, State}
+    end.
+
+
+do_join2(Pid, Nick, State = #s{orators = Orators}) ->
+    _Monitor   = erlang:monitor(process, Pid),
+    NewOrator  = #o{pid = Pid, nick = Nick},
+    NewOrators = [NewOrator | NewOrators],
+    NewState   = State#s{orators = NewOrators},
+    {ok, NewState}.
+
+
+-spec ensure_can_join(Pid, Nick, Orators) -> Result.
+    when Pid     :: pid(),
+         Nick    :: string(),
+         Orators :: [orator()]
+         Result  :: ok
+                  | {error, Reason},
+         Reason  :: any().
+% @private
+% ensures both Pid and Nick are unique
+
+ensure_can_join(Pid, _   , [#o{pid  = Pid}  | _   ]) -> {error, already_joined};
+ensure_can_join(_  , Nick, [#o{nick = Nick} | _   ]) -> {error, {nick_taken, Nick}};
+ensure_can_join(Pid, Nick, [_               | Rest]) -> ensure_can_join(Pid, Nick, Rest);
+ensure_can_join(Pid, _, _, []                      ) -> ok.
+
+
+-spec is_nick_available(Nick, Orators) -> boolean()
+    when Nick    :: string(),
+         Orators :: [orator()].
+
+is_nick_available(Nick, [#o{nick = Nick} | _   ]) -> false;
+is_nick_available(Nick, [_               | Rest]) -> is_nick_available(Nick, Rest);
+is_nick_available(Nick, []                      ) -> true.
+
+
+
+-spec handle_down(Msg, State) -> NewState
+    when Msg      :: {'DOWN', Mon, process, Pid, Reason},
+         Mon      :: monitor(),
+         Pid      :: pid(),
+         Reason   :: any(),
+         State    :: state(),
+         NewState :: State.
+
+handle_down(Msg = {'DOWN', _, process, Pid, _}, State = #s{orators = Orators}) ->
+    NewOrators = hdn(Msg, Pid, Orators, []),
+    NewState = State#s{orators = NewOrators},
+    NewState.
+
+% encountered item, removing
+hdn(_,   Pid, [#o{pid = Pid} | Rest], Acc) -> Rest ++ Acc;
+hdn(Msg, Pid, [Skip          | Rest], Acc) -> hdn(Msg, Pid, Rest, [Skip | Acc]);
+hdn(Msg, Pid, []                    , Acc) ->
+    log("~tp: Unexpected message: ~tp", [?MODULE, Msg]),
+    Acc.
diff --git a/src/fd_sup.erl b/src/fd_sup.erl
index e5d753a..9c267f0 100644
--- a/src/fd_sup.erl
+++ b/src/fd_sup.erl
@@ -42,11 +42,17 @@ init([]) ->
                  5000,
                  supervisor,
                  [fd_clients]},
+    Chat      = {fd_chat,
+                 {fd_chat, start_link, []},
+                 permanent,
+                 5000,
+                 worker,
+                 [fd_chat]},
     Cache     = {fd_cache,
                  {fd_cache, start_link, []},
                  permanent,
                  5000,
                  worker,
                  [fd_cache]},
-    Children  = [Clients, Cache],
+    Children  = [Clients, Chat, Cache],
     {ok, {RestartStrategy, Children}}.