diff --git a/include/llarp.hpp b/include/llarp.hpp
index a630708e2..5f22343e4 100644
--- a/include/llarp.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp.hpp
@@ -87,6 +87,14 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     Configure();
 
+    /// close async
+    void
+    Close();
+
+    /// wait until closed and done
+    void
+    Wait();
+
     /// call a function in logic thread
     /// return true if queued for calling
     /// return false if not queued for calling
@@ -117,6 +125,7 @@ namespace llarp
 
     std::string configfile;
     std::string pidfile;
+    std::unique_ptr< std::promise< void > > closeWaiter;
   };
 }  // namespace llarp
 
diff --git a/jni/lokinet_config.cpp b/jni/lokinet_config.cpp
index 48db9be7f..c73cdee3c 100644
--- a/jni/lokinet_config.cpp
+++ b/jni/lokinet_config.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ extern "C"
   }
 
   JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
-  Java_network_loki_lokinet_LokinetConfig_Free(JNIEnv* env, jclass,
-                                               jobject buf)
+  Java_network_loki_lokinet_LokinetConfig_Free(JNIEnv* env, jclass, jobject buf)
   {
     llarp_config_free(FromBuffer< llarp_config >(env, buf));
   }
diff --git a/jni/lokinet_daemon.cpp b/jni/lokinet_daemon.cpp
index 22f22f2cb..8db0324fb 100644
--- a/jni/lokinet_daemon.cpp
+++ b/jni/lokinet_daemon.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ extern "C"
       return JNI_FALSE;
     if(llarp_main_configure(ptr, config))
       return JNI_TRUE;
-    return JNI_FALSE;
+    return llarp_main_setup(ptr) == 0 ? JNI_TRUE : JNI_FALSE;
   }
 
   JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL
diff --git a/jni/lokinet_jni_common.hpp b/jni/lokinet_jni_common.hpp
index d2753a6af..4ddea9095 100644
--- a/jni/lokinet_jni_common.hpp
+++ b/jni/lokinet_jni_common.hpp
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ VisitStringAsStringView(JNIEnv* env, jobject str, V visit)
   const size_t length = env->GetArrayLength(stringJbytes);
   jbyte* pBytes       = env->GetByteArrayElements(stringJbytes, NULL);
 
-  T result =
-      visit(llarp::string_view((const char*)pBytes, length));
+  T result = visit(llarp::string_view((const char*)pBytes, length));
 
   env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(stringJbytes, pBytes, JNI_ABORT);
   env->DeleteLocalRef(stringJbytes);
diff --git a/llarp/context.cpp b/llarp/context.cpp
index 2c7197669..e32f27cc5 100644
--- a/llarp/context.cpp
+++ b/llarp/context.cpp
@@ -240,10 +240,34 @@ __        ___    ____  _   _ ___ _   _  ____
     // run net io thread
     llarp::LogInfo("running mainloop");
     llarp_ev_loop_run_single_process(mainloop, logic);
-    // waits for router graceful stop
+    if(closeWaiter)
+    {
+      // inform promise if called by Stop
+      closeWaiter->set_value();
+    }
     return 0;
   }
 
+  void
+  Context::Close()
+  {
+    /// already closing
+    if(closeWaiter)
+      return;
+    if(CallSafe(std::bind(&Context::HandleSignal, this, SIGINT)))
+      closeWaiter = std::make_unique< std::promise< void > >();
+  }
+
+  void
+  Context::Wait()
+  {
+    if(closeWaiter)
+    {
+      closeWaiter->get_future().wait();
+      closeWaiter.reset();
+    }
+  }
+
   bool
   Context::WritePIDFile() const
   {
@@ -433,6 +457,14 @@ extern "C"
     return nullptr;
   }
 
+  bool
+  llarp_config_read_file(struct llarp_config *conf, const char *fname)
+  {
+    if(conf == nullptr)
+      return false;
+    return conf->impl.Load(fname);
+  }
+
   bool
   llarp_config_load_file(const char *fname, struct llarp_config **conf)
   {
@@ -565,6 +597,31 @@ extern "C"
   {
     return "default";
   }
+
+  void
+  llarp_main_stop(struct llarp_main *ptr)
+  {
+    if(ptr == nullptr)
+      return;
+    ptr->ctx->Close();
+    ptr->ctx->Wait();
+  }
+
+  bool
+  llarp_main_configure(struct llarp_main *ptr, struct llarp_config *conf)
+  {
+    if(ptr == nullptr || conf == nullptr)
+      return false;
+    // give new config
+    ptr->ctx->config.reset(new llarp::Config(conf->impl));
+    return ptr->ctx->Configure();
+  }
+
+  bool
+  llarp_main_is_running(struct llarp_main *ptr)
+  {
+    return ptr && ptr->ctx->router && ptr->ctx->router->IsRunning();
+  }
 }
 
 llarp_main::llarp_main(llarp_config *conf)
diff --git a/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp b/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
index 08fbf449e..556ad9469 100644
--- a/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ namespace llarp
     virtual bool
     Run() = 0;
 
+    virtual bool
+    IsRunning() const = 0;
+
     /// stop running the router logic gracefully
     virtual void
     Stop() = 0;
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.cpp b/llarp/router/router.cpp
index 5e9f7fd58..21c48ebc3 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.cpp
@@ -1036,6 +1036,12 @@ namespace llarp
     return _running;
   }
 
+  bool
+  Router::IsRunning() const
+  {
+    return _running;
+  }
+
   llarp_time_t
   Router::Uptime() const
   {
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.hpp b/llarp/router/router.hpp
index e2d94536e..4e85e5fe0 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.hpp
@@ -310,6 +310,9 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     InitServiceNode();
 
+    bool
+    IsRunning() const override;
+
     /// return true if we are running in service node mode
     bool
     IsServiceNode() const;