diff --git a/include/http.hrl b/include/http.hrl
index 27d24d2..014e058 100644
--- a/include/http.hrl
+++ b/include/http.hrl
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
          version  = undefined :: undefined | http10 | http11 | http20,
          headers  = undefined :: undefined | [{Key :: binary(), Value :: binary()}],
          cookies  = undefined :: undefined | #{Key :: binary() := Value :: binary()},
-         enctype  = undefined :: undefined | none | urlencoded | multipart(),
+         enctype  = undefined :: undefined | none | urlencoded | json | multipart(),
          size     = undefined :: undefined | none | non_neg_integer(),
          body     = undefined :: undefined | none | body()}).
 
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@
 
 -type method()    :: get | post | options.
 -type multipart() :: {multipart, Boundary :: binary()}.
--type body()      :: {partial, binary()} | {multipart, [body_part()]} | binary().
+-type body()      :: {partial, binary()} | {multipart, [body_part()]} | zj:value() | binary().
 -type body_part() :: {Field :: binary(), Data :: binary()}
                    | {Field :: binary(), Name :: binary(), Data :: binary()}.
diff --git a/priv/index.html b/priv/index.html
index ce3511f..e49fb99 100644
--- a/priv/index.html
+++ b/priv/index.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     <script>
         let ielt = document.getElementById('wfc-input');
         let oelt = document.getElementById('wfc-output');
-        let MAX_OELT_HEIGHT = 100;
+        let MAX_OELT_HEIGHT = 300;
 
         function auto_resize_output() {
             // if the user has manually resized their output, we do nothing
@@ -46,12 +46,33 @@
             }
         }
 
-        function on_server_return(x) {
-            console.log('on_server_return:', x);
+        async function on_server_return(response) {
+            console.log('on_server_return:', response);
+            if (response.ok) {
+                let jsbs = await response.json();
+                console.log('jsbs', jsbs);
+                // jsbs: {ok: true, result: string} | {ok: false, error: string}
+                if (jsbs.ok) {
+                    // this means got a result back from server
+                    // put it in
+                    oelt.value += jsbs.result;
+                    oelt.value += '\n';
+                }
+                else {
+                    // this is an error at the WFC level
+                    oelt.value += jsbs.error;
+                    oelt.value += '\n';
+                }
+            }
+            // this means we sent an invalid request
+            else {
+                oelt.value += 'HTTP ERROR, SEE BROWSER CONSOLE\n'
+            }
         }
 
         function on_some_bullshit(x) {
             console.log('on_some_bullshit:', x);
+            oelt.value += 'NETWORK ERROR, SEE BROWSER CONSOLE\n'
         }
 
         function fetch_wfcin(user_line) {
@@ -82,11 +103,11 @@
                 let nonempty_contents = contents.trim().length > 0;
                 if (nonempty_contents) {
                     // put in output
-                    // if it's nonempty add a newline
-                    if (oelt.value.length > 0) {
-                        oelt.value += '\n';
-                    }
-                    oelt.value += '> ' + contents;
+                    // // if it's nonempty add a newline
+                    // if (oelt.value.length > 0) {
+                    //     oelt.value += '\n';
+                    // }
+                    oelt.value += '> ' + contents + '\n';
                     oelt.hidden = false;
 
                     // query backend for result
diff --git a/src/fd_client.erl b/src/fd_client.erl
index 9d16135..b242576 100644
--- a/src/fd_client.erl
+++ b/src/fd_client.erl
@@ -263,11 +263,42 @@ default_css(Sock) ->
             http_err(Sock, 500)
     end.
 
+wfcin(Sock, #request{enctype = json, body = #{"wfcin" := Input}}) ->
+    tell("wfcin good request: ~tp", [Input]),
+    RespObj =
+        try
+            case wfc_read:expr(Input) of
+                %% FIXME support multiple expressions
+                {ok, Expr, _Rest} ->
+                    case wfc_eval:eval(Expr, wfc_eval_context:default()) of
+                        {ok, noop, _NewContext}     -> jsgud("<noop>");
+                        {ok, Sentence, _NewContext} -> jsgud(wfc_pp:sentence(Sentence));
+                        {error, Message}            -> jsbad(Message)
+                    end;
+                {error, Message} ->
+                    jsbad(Message)
+            end
+        catch
+            error:E:S ->
+                ErrorMessage = unicode:characters_to_list(io_lib:format("parser crashed: ~p:~p", [E, S])),
+                jsbad(ErrorMessage)
+        end,
+    Body    = zj:encode(RespObj),
+    Response = #response{headers = [{"content-type", "application/json"}],
+                         body    = Body},
+    respond(Sock, Response);
 wfcin(Sock, Request) ->
-    tell("wfcin request: ~tp", [Request]),
-    http_err(Sock, 501).
+    tell("wfcin: bad request: ~tp", [Request]),
+    http_err(Sock, 400).
+
+jsgud(X) ->
+    #{"ok"     => true,
+      "result" => X}.
+
+jsbad(X) ->
+    #{"ok"    => false,
+      "error" => X}.
 
-%% FIXME
 http_err(Sock, N) ->
     Slogan = qhl:slogan(N),
     Body = ["<!doctype html>"
diff --git a/src/fd_client_man.erl b/src/fd_client_man.erl
index 611cbcf..212058d 100644
--- a/src/fd_client_man.erl
+++ b/src/fd_client_man.erl
@@ -220,7 +220,6 @@ terminate(_, _) ->
 do_listen(PortNum, State = #s{port_num = none}) ->
     SocketOptions =
         [inet6,
-         {packet,    line},
          {active,    once},
          {mode,      binary},
          {keepalive, true},
diff --git a/src/wfc.erl b/src/wfc.erl
index 5fe80ef..27997c6 100644
--- a/src/wfc.erl
+++ b/src/wfc.erl
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ rep(String) ->
     case wfc_read:expr(String) of
         {ok, Expr, Rest} ->
             case  wfc_eval:eval(Expr) of
-                {ok, Result, NewContext} ->
+                {ok, Result, _NewContext} ->
                     io:format("result: ~s~n", [wfc_pp:eval_result(Result)]),
                     %io:format("context: ~tw~n", [NewContext]),
                     ok;
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ mul([Arg | Rest]) ->
     case to_sentence(Arg) of
         {ok, S} ->
             case mul(Rest) of
-                {ok, S2} -> wfc_sentence:mul(S, S2);
+                {ok, S2} -> {ok, wfc_sentence:mul(S, S2)};
                 Error    -> Error
             end;
         Error   -> Error
     end;
 mul([]) ->
-    wfc_sentence:zero().
+    {ok, wfc_sentence:one()}.
diff --git a/src/wfc_eval.erl b/src/wfc_eval.erl
index 7732dfe..9749a80 100644
--- a/src/wfc_eval.erl
+++ b/src/wfc_eval.erl
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 %-type sexp()      :: {sexp, [expr()]}.
 %-type expr()      :: sexp() | ltr() | op() | snowflake() | pattern() | val().
 
--spec eval(expr()) -> {ok, eval_result(), context()} | {error, string()}.
+-spec eval(expr()) -> Result
+    when Result :: {ok, eval_result(), NewContext :: context()}
+                 | {error, string()}.
 
 eval(Expr) ->
     eval(Expr, wfc_eval_context:default()).
@@ -57,6 +59,24 @@ eval_sexp(Args = [{snowflake, <<"define">>}, {pattern, Pat}, Expr], Ctx0) ->
         Error ->
             Error
     end;
+eval_sexp([{snowflake, SF} | Args], Ctx0) ->
+    % first evaluate the arguments individually
+    case eval_sexp_args(Args, Ctx0, []) of
+        % assuming they each evaluate to sentences and some new context
+        {ok, Sentences, Ctx1} ->
+            % look up the snowflake in the context
+            case wfc_eval_context:resolve_snowflake(SF, Ctx1) of
+                {ok, SnowflakeFun} ->
+                    case SnowflakeFun(Sentences) of
+                        {ok, Sentence} -> {ok, Sentence, Ctx1};
+                        Error          -> Error
+                    end;
+                Error ->
+                    Error
+            end;
+        Error ->
+            Error
+    end;
 eval_sexp([{op, '+'} | Exprs], Ctx) ->
     case eval_sexp_args(Exprs, Ctx, []) of
         {ok, Sentences, NewCtx} -> {ok, wfc_sentence:add(Sentences), NewCtx};
diff --git a/src/wfc_eval_context.erl b/src/wfc_eval_context.erl
index 6a87ec0..57a435f 100644
--- a/src/wfc_eval_context.erl
+++ b/src/wfc_eval_context.erl
@@ -7,15 +7,17 @@
 -export([
     new/0,
     default/0,
+    default_snowflakes/0,
     define/3,
-    resolve_pattern/2
+    resolve_pattern/2,
+    resolve_snowflake/2
 ]).
 
 -type sentence() :: wfc_sentence:sentence().
 
 -record(ctx,
-        {snowflakes :: #{binary() := fun()},
-         patterns   :: #{binary() := sentence()}}).
+        {snowflakes = #{} :: #{binary() := fun(([sentence()]) -> {ok, sentence()} | {error, string()})},
+         patterns   = #{} :: #{binary() := sentence()}}).
 
 -opaque context() :: #ctx{}.
 
@@ -25,10 +27,12 @@ new() ->
          patterns   = #{}}.
 
 
-%% FIXME
 default() ->
-    new().
+    #ctx{snowflakes = default_snowflakes()}.
 
+default_snowflakes() ->
+    #{<<"and">> => fun wfc:mul/1,
+      <<"xor">> => fun wfc:add/1}.
 
 define(Pat, Sentence, Ctx = #ctx{patterns = OldPatterns}) ->
     NewPatterns = maps:put(Pat, Sentence, OldPatterns),
@@ -39,3 +43,9 @@ resolve_pattern(Pat, Ctx = #ctx{patterns = Patterns}) ->
         error -> {error, wfc_utils:str("wfc_eval_context:resolve_pattern: not found: ~w; context: ~w", [Pat, Ctx])};
         Result -> Result
     end.
+
+resolve_snowflake(SF, Ctx = #ctx{snowflakes = Snowflakes}) ->
+    case maps:find(SF, Snowflakes) of
+        error -> {error, wfc_utils:str("wfc_eval_context:resolve_snowflake: not found: ~w; context: ~w", [SF, Ctx])};
+        Result -> Result
+    end.
diff --git a/src/wfc_read.erl b/src/wfc_read.erl
index 01564f3..a492147 100644
--- a/src/wfc_read.erl
+++ b/src/wfc_read.erl
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@
 -type expr()      :: sexp() | ltr() | op() | snowflake() | pattern() | val().
 
 
--spec expr(string()) -> {ok, expr(), Rest :: string()} | {error, string()}.
+-spec expr(string()) -> Result
+    when Result :: {ok, Expression :: expr(), Rest :: string()}
+                 | {error, string()}.
 
 expr(Str0) ->
     {ok, skip, Str1} = whitespace(Str0),