diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 75454088c..8c232c235 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ else
 endif
 
 REQUIRED_CFLAGS = $(LIBUV_FLAGS) $(SODIUM_FLAGS) -I$(REPO)/include -std=c11 $(CFLAGS) $(DEBUG_FLAGS) $(VER_FLAGS) -Wall -fPIC
-REQUIRED_CXXFLAGS = $(LIBUV_FLAGS) $(SODIUM_FLAGS) -I$(REPO)/include -std=c++14 $(CXXFLAGS) $(DEBUG_FLAGS) $(VER_FLAGS) -Wall -fPIC
-LIB_LDFLAGS = $(MALLOC_LIB) $(SODIUM_LIBS) $(LIBUV_LIBS) -lm -lstdc++
+REQUIRED_CXXFLAGS = $(LIBUV_FLAGS) $(SODIUM_FLAGS) -I$(REPO)/include -std=c++17 $(CXXFLAGS) $(DEBUG_FLAGS) $(VER_FLAGS) -Wall -fPIC
+LIB_LDFLAGS = $(MALLOC_LIB) $(SODIUM_LIBS) $(LIBUV_LIBS) -lm -lstdc++ -lstdc++fs
 REQUIRED_LDFLAGS = -L$(REPO) -lllarp 
 TEST_LDFLAGS = $(STATIC_LIB) $(LIB_LDFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/include/llarp/buffer.h b/include/llarp/buffer.h
index bfa2a59de..582422500 100644
--- a/include/llarp/buffer.h
+++ b/include/llarp/buffer.h
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_BUFFER_H_
 #define LLARP_BUFFER_H_
 #include <llarp/common.h>
+#include <llarp/mem.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ bool INLINE llarp_buffer_write(llarp_buffer_t *buff, const void *data,
 
 bool llarp_buffer_writef(llarp_buffer_t *buff, const char *fmt, ...);
 
+bool llarp_buffer_readfile(llarp_buffer_t * buff, FILE * f,struct llarp_alloc * mem);
+ 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/include/llarp/net.h b/include/llarp/net.h
index dda6621b3..79cd285c3 100644
--- a/include/llarp/net.h
+++ b/include/llarp/net.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#ifndef SARP_NET_H
-#define SARP_NET_H
+#ifndef LLARP_NET_H
+#define LLARP_NET_H
 
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
diff --git a/include/llarp/nodedb.h b/include/llarp/nodedb.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b8ea3d76b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/llarp/nodedb.h
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#ifndef LLARP_NODEDB_H
+#define LLARP_NODEDB_H
+#include <llarp/common.h>
+#include <llarp/crypto.h>
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+  struct llarp_nodedb;
+
+  /** create an empty nodedb */
+  struct llarp_nodedb * llarp_nodedb_new();
+
+  /** free a nodedb and all loaded rc */
+  void llarp_nodedb_free(struct llarp_nodedb ** n);
+
+  /** ensure a nodedb fs skiplist structure is at dir
+      create if not there.
+   */
+  bool llarp_nodedb_ensure_dir(const char * dir);
+  
+  /** load entire nodedb from fs skiplist at dir */
+  ssize_t llarp_nodedb_load_dir(struct llarp_nodedb * n, const char * dir);
+
+  /** store entire nodedb to fs skiplist at dir */
+  ssize_t llarp_nodedb_store_dir(struct llarp_nodedb * n, const char * dir);
+
+  struct llarp_nodedb_iter
+  {
+    void * user;
+    struct llarp_rc * rc;
+    bool (*visit)(struct llarp_nodedb_iter *);
+  };
+
+  /**
+     iterate over all loaded rc with an iterator
+   */
+  void llarp_nodedb_iterate_all(struct llarp_nodedb * n, struct llarp_nodedb_iter i);
+  
+  /** 
+      find rc by rc.k being value k
+      returns true if found otherwise returns false
+   */
+  bool llarp_nodedb_find_rc(struct llarp_nodedb * n, struct llarp_rc * rc,  llarp_pubkey_t k);
+
+  /**
+     put an rc into the node db
+     overwrites with new contents if already present
+     flushes the single entry to disk
+     returns true on success and false on error
+   */
+  bool llarp_nodedb_put_rc(struct llarp_nodedb * n, struct llarp_rc * rc);
+
+
+  
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif
diff --git a/include/llarp/router_contact.h b/include/llarp/router_contact.h
index 762b246a0..5a876553e 100644
--- a/include/llarp/router_contact.h
+++ b/include/llarp/router_contact.h
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ struct llarp_rc {
 
 bool llarp_rc_bdecode(struct llarp_rc *rc, llarp_buffer_t *buf);
 bool llarp_rc_bencode(struct llarp_rc *rc, llarp_buffer_t *buf);
-void llarp_rc_free(struct llarp_rc **rc);
+void llarp_rc_free(struct llarp_rc *rc);
 bool llarp_rc_verify_sig(struct llarp_rc *rc);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
+  
 }
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/llarp/buffer.cpp b/llarp/buffer.cpp
index 325986565..9ddb86924 100644
--- a/llarp/buffer.cpp
+++ b/llarp/buffer.cpp
@@ -14,4 +14,22 @@ bool llarp_buffer_writef(llarp_buffer_t* buff, const char* fmt, ...) {
   buff->sz += written;
   return true;
 }
+
+  bool llarp_buffer_readfile(llarp_buffer_t * buff, FILE * f, llarp_alloc * mem)  
+  {
+    ssize_t len;
+    fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
+    len = ftell(f);
+    rewind(f);
+    if(len > 0)
+    {
+      buff->base = static_cast<char *>(mem->alloc(len, 8));
+      buff->cur = buff->base;
+      buff->sz = len;
+      size_t sz = fread(buff->base, len, 1, f);
+      rewind(f);
+      return sz == len;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/llarp/crypto.hpp b/llarp/crypto.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02dfda253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/crypto.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef LLARP_CRYPTO_HPP
+#define LLARP_CRYPTO_HPP
+
+#include <array>
+#include <llarp/crypto.h>
+
+namespace llarp
+{
+  typedef std::array<uint8_t, sizeof(llarp_pubkey_t)> pubkey;
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/llarp/fs.hpp b/llarp/fs.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..49db7c5b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/fs.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#ifndef LLARP_FS_HPP
+#define LLARP_FS_HPP
+
+#include <experimental/filesystem>
+
+namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+
+#endif
diff --git a/llarp/nodedb.cpp b/llarp/nodedb.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b3a1ab3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/nodedb.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#include <llarp/nodedb.h>
+#include <llarp/router_contact.h>
+#include "crypto.hpp"
+#include "fs.hpp"
+#include <map>
+
+
+static const char skiplist_subdirs[] = "0123456789ABCDEF";
+
+struct llarp_nodedb
+{
+  std::map<llarp::pubkey, llarp_rc *> entries;
+
+  ssize_t Load(const fs::path & path)
+  {
+    std::error_code ec;
+    if(!fs::exists(path, ec))
+    {
+      return -1;
+    }
+    ssize_t loaded = 0;
+    
+    for (const char & ch : skiplist_subdirs)
+    {
+      fs::path sub = path / std::string(ch, 1);
+      for(auto & f : fs::directory_iterator(sub))
+      {
+        ssize_t l = loadSubdir(f);
+        if(l > 0) loaded += l;
+      }
+    }
+    return loaded;
+  }
+
+  bool loadfile(const fs::path & fpath)
+  {
+    llarp_rc * rc = new llarp_rc;
+    llarp_buffer_t buff;
+    FILE * f = fopen(fpath.c_str(), "rb");
+    if(!f) return false;
+    if(!llarp_buffer_readfile(&buff, f, &llarp_g_mem))
+    {
+      fclose(f);
+      return false;
+    }
+    fclose(f);
+    if(llarp_rc_bdecode(rc, &buff))
+    {
+      if(llarp_rc_verify_sig(rc))
+      {
+        llarp::pubkey pk;
+        memcpy(pk.data(), rc->pubkey, pk.size());
+        entries[pk] = rc;
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    llarp_rc_free(rc);
+    delete rc;
+    return false;
+  }
+  
+  ssize_t loadSubdir(const fs::path & dir)
+  {
+    ssize_t sz = 0;
+    for (auto & path : fs::directory_iterator(dir))
+    {
+      if(loadfile(path)) sz++;
+    }
+    return sz;
+  }
+  
+};
+
+extern "C" {
+
+  struct llarp_nodedb * llarp_nodedb_new()
+  {
+    return new llarp_nodedb;
+  }
+
+  void llarp_nodedb_free(struct llarp_nodedb ** n)
+  {
+    if(*n)
+      delete *n;
+    *n = nullptr;
+  }
+
+
+  bool llarp_nodedb_ensure_dir(const char * dir)
+  {
+    fs::path path(dir);
+    std::error_code ec;
+    if(!fs::exists(dir, ec))
+      fs::create_directories(path, ec);
+    
+    if(ec)
+      return false;
+    
+    if (!fs::is_directory(path))
+      return false;
+
+    for (const char & ch : skiplist_subdirs)
+    {
+      fs::path sub = path / std::string(ch, 1);
+      fs::create_directory(sub, ec);
+      if(ec) return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+  
+  ssize_t llarp_nodedb_load_dir(struct llarp_nodedb * n, const char * dir)
+  {
+    return n->Load(dir);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.cpp b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
index aba48982f..3dacc4ee2 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@ static bool bencode_rc_xi_write(struct llarp_xi_list_iter *i,
 }  // namespace llarp
 
 extern "C" {
+
+  void llarp_rc_free(struct llarp_rc *rc)
+  {
+    if(rc->exits)
+      llarp_xi_list_free(rc->exits);
+    if(rc->addrs)
+      llarp_ai_list_free(rc->addrs);
+  }
+  
 bool llarp_rc_bencode(struct llarp_rc *rc, llarp_buffer_t *buff) {
   /* write dict begin */
   if (!bencode_start_dict(buff)) return false;