diff --git a/include/llarp/ev.h b/include/llarp/ev.h
index 1e49978a9..fd9d04615 100644
--- a/include/llarp/ev.h
+++ b/include/llarp/ev.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -35,14 +36,19 @@ extern "C" {
 
   struct llarp_ev_job
   {
+    /** the loop this job belongs to */
     struct llarp_ev_loop * loop;
+    /** user data */
     void * user;
     /** work is called async when ready in the event loop thread */
     void (*work)(struct llarp_ev_job *);
   };
 
-  /** call work async in event loop thread (thread safe) */
-  void llarp_ev_async(struct llarp_ev_loop * ev, struct llarp_ev_job job);
+  /** 
+      call work async in event loop thread (thread safe) 
+      return true if we queued the job otherwise return false
+   */
+  bool llarp_ev_async(struct llarp_ev_loop * ev, struct llarp_ev_job job);
   
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/include/llarp/threadpool.h b/include/llarp/threadpool.h
index 943a89479..c3b92703d 100644
--- a/include/llarp/threadpool.h
+++ b/include/llarp/threadpool.h
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ extern "C" {
   /** job to be done in worker thread */
   struct llarp_thread_job
   {
-    /** calls result async after work is executed */
+    /** 
+        called async after work is executed 
+     */
     struct llarp_ev_job * result;
+    /** user data to pass to work function */
+    void * user;
     /** called in threadpool worker thread */
-    void (*work)(struct llarp_thread_job *);
+    void (*work)(void *);
   };
   
   void llarp_threadpool_queue_job(struct llarp_threadpool * tp, struct llarp_thread_job j);
diff --git a/llarp/ev.cpp b/llarp/ev.cpp
index 50dad3f0f..3b06d7755 100644
--- a/llarp/ev.cpp
+++ b/llarp/ev.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ namespace llarp
     {
       return llarp_g_mem.alloc(sz, alignment<udp_listener>());
     }
+
+    static void operator delete(void * ptr)
+    {
+      llarp_g_mem.free(ptr);
+    }
     
     uv_udp_t _handle;
     struct llarp_udp_listener * listener;
@@ -65,11 +70,29 @@ namespace llarp
   {
     udp_listener * l = static_cast<udp_listener *>(handle->data);
     l->closed();
-    llarp_g_mem.free(l);
+    delete l;
   }
 }
 
 
+namespace llarp
+{
+
+  static void ev_handle_async_closed(uv_handle_t * handle)
+  {
+    struct llarp_ev_job * ev = static_cast<llarp_ev_job *>(handle->data);
+    llarp_g_mem.free(ev);
+    llarp_g_mem.free(handle);
+  }
+  
+  static void ev_handle_async(uv_async_t * handle)
+  {
+    struct llarp_ev_job * ev = static_cast<llarp_ev_job *>(handle->data);
+    ev->work(ev);
+    uv_close((uv_handle_t *)handle, ev_handle_async_closed);
+  }
+}
+
 extern "C" {
   void llarp_ev_loop_alloc(struct llarp_ev_loop ** ev)
   {
@@ -135,4 +158,27 @@ extern "C" {
     }
     return ret;
   }
+
+  void llarp_ev_loop_stop(struct llarp_ev_loop * loop)
+  {
+    uv_stop(loop->loop());
+  }
+
+  bool llarp_ev_async(struct llarp_ev_loop * loop, struct llarp_ev_job job)
+  {
+    struct llarp_ev_job * job_copy = static_cast<struct llarp_ev_job *>(llarp_g_mem.alloc(sizeof(struct llarp_ev_job), llarp::alignment<llarp_ev_job>()));
+    job_copy->work = job.work;
+    job_copy->loop = loop;
+    job_copy->user = job.user;
+    uv_async_t * async = static_cast<uv_async_t *>(llarp_g_mem.alloc(sizeof(uv_async_t), llarp::alignment<uv_async_t>()));
+    async->data = job_copy;
+    if(uv_async_init(loop->loop(), async, llarp::ev_handle_async) == 0 && uv_async_send(async))
+      return true;
+    else
+    {
+      llarp_g_mem.free(job_copy);
+      llarp_g_mem.free(async);
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/llarp/link.cpp b/llarp/link.cpp
index e83e0d0b4..bc804e011 100644
--- a/llarp/link.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link.cpp
@@ -7,43 +7,30 @@ bool operator < (const sockaddr_in6 addr0, const sockaddr_in6 addr1)
   return memcmp(addr0.sin6_addr.s6_addr, addr1.sin6_addr.s6_addr, sizeof(addr0.sin6_addr)) && addr0.sin6_port < addr1.sin6_port;
 }
 
-namespace llarp
-{
+extern "C"{
+  struct llarp_link * llarp_link_alloc()
+  {
+    return new llarp_link;
+  }
 
-  static void link_recv_from(struct llarp_udp_listener * l, const struct sockaddr * src, char * buff, ssize_t sz)
+  void llarp_link_free(struct llarp_link ** l)
   {
-    if(src && src->sa_family == AF_INET6)
-    {
-      Link * link = static_cast<Link*>(l->user);
-      struct sockaddr_in6 remote;
-      memcpy(&remote, src, sizeof(sockaddr_in6));
-      auto itr = link->sessions.find(remote);
-      if(itr == link->sessions.end())
-      {
-        link->sessions[remote] = std::make_shared<PeerSession>(link->_crypto, remote);
-      }
-      link->sessions[remote]->RecvFrom(buff, sz);
-    }
+    if(*l) delete *l;
+    *l =nullptr;
   }
-  
-  Link::Link(llarp_crypto * crypto) : _crypto(crypto)
+
+  struct llarp_udp_listener * llarp_link_udp_listener(struct llarp_link *l)
   {
-    _listener.user = this;
-    _listener.recvfrom = link_recv_from;
+    return &l->listener;
   }
 
-  
-  PeerSession::PeerSession(llarp_crypto * crypto, sockaddr_in6 remote) :
-    lastRX(0),
-    remoteAddr(remote),
-    _crypto(crypto),
-    state(eHandshakeInboundInit)
+  bool llarp_link_configure(struct llarp_link * link, const char * ifname, int af)
   {
-    memset(sessionKey, 0, sizeof(sessionKey));
+    return false;
   }
 
-  void PeerSession::RecvFrom(const char * buff, ssize_t sz)
+  void llarp_link_stop(struct llarp_link * link)
   {
-    lastRX = llarp_time_now_ms();
+    llarp_ev_close_udp_listener(&link->listener);
   }
 }
diff --git a/llarp/link.hpp b/llarp/link.hpp
index 0752b530d..63e38a714 100644
--- a/llarp/link.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link.hpp
@@ -9,66 +9,25 @@
 
 #include <llarp/ev.h>
 #include <llarp/router_contact.h>
+#include "mem.hpp"
 
-namespace llarp
+
+struct llarp_link
 {
-  struct Link;
-  
-  struct PeerSession
+  static void * operator new(size_t sz)
   {
-    sockaddr_in6 remoteAddr;
-    llarp_rc rc;
-    llarp_sharedkey_t sessionKey;
-
-    uint64_t lastRX;
-
-    llarp_crypto * _crypto;
-    
-    enum State
-    {
-      eStateNULL,
-      eHandshakeInboundInit,
-      eHandshakeOutboundInit,
-      eHandshakeInboundRepliedInit,
-      eHandshakeOutboundGotReply,
-      eHandshakeInboundGotAck,
-      eHandshakeOutboundGotAck,
-      eEstablished,
-      eTimeout
-    };
-
-    State state;
-
-    /** inbound session */
-    PeerSession(llarp_crypto * crypto, sockaddr_in6 remote);
-    /** outbound session */
-    PeerSession(llarp_crypto * crypto, llarp_rc rc);
-    
-    void SendTo(Link * link, const char * buff, std::size_t sz);
-
-    void RecvFrom(const char * buff, ssize_t sz);
-
-
-    typedef std::shared_ptr<PeerSession> Ptr;
-  };
+    return llarp_g_mem.alloc(sz, llarp::alignment<llarp_link>());
+  }
   
-  struct Link
+  static void operator delete(void * ptr)
   {
-    typedef std::map<sockaddr_in6, PeerSession::Ptr> Sessions;
- 
-    Sessions sessions;
-    llarp_seckey_t transportSecKey;
-    llarp_pubkey_t transportPubKey;
-
-    llarp_crypto * _crypto;
-
-    Link(llarp_crypto * crypto);
-    
-    llarp_udp_listener _listener;
-
-    llarp_udp_listener * Listener() { return &_listener; }
-    
-  };
-}
+    llarp_g_mem.free(ptr);
+  }
+  
+  struct sockaddr_in6 localaddr;
+  int af;
+  llarp_udp_listener listener;
+};
 
+  
 #endif
diff --git a/llarp/router.cpp b/llarp/router.cpp
index d36ef0e2c..24b0b4f00 100644
--- a/llarp/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router.cpp
@@ -89,14 +89,17 @@ extern "C" {
     });
   }
 
+  void llarp_stop_router(struct llarp_router * router)
+  {
+    router->Close();
+  }
+
   void llarp_free_router(struct llarp_router ** router)
   {
     if(*router)
     {
-      llarp_router * r = *router;
-      r->Close();
-      r->ForEachLink([](llarp_link * link) { llarp_g_mem.free(link); });
-      delete r;
+      (*router)->ForEachLink([](llarp_link * link) { llarp_g_mem.free(link); });
+      delete *router;
     }
     *router = nullptr;
   }
diff --git a/llarp/threadpool.cpp b/llarp/threadpool.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..764b6df7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/threadpool.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#include "threadpool.hpp"
+#include <iostream>
+
+namespace llarp
+{
+  namespace thread
+  {
+    Pool::Pool(size_t workers)
+    {
+      stop.store(true);
+      while(workers--)
+      {
+        threads.emplace_back(
+          [this]
+          {
+            for(;;)
+            {
+              llarp_thread_job job;
+              {
+                lock_t lock(this->queue_mutex);
+                this->condition.wait(lock, [this]{ return this->stop || !this->jobs.empty(); });
+                if(this->stop && this->jobs.empty())
+                  return;
+                job = std::move(this->jobs.front());
+                this->jobs.pop();
+              }
+              // do work
+              job.work(job.user);
+              // inform result if needed
+              if(job.result && job.result->loop)
+                if(!llarp_ev_async(job.result->loop, *job.result))
+                {
+                  std::cerr << "failed to queue result in thread worker" << std::endl;
+                }
+            }
+          });
+      }
+    }
+
+    void Pool::Join()
+    {
+      {
+        lock_t lock(queue_mutex);
+        stop.store(true);
+      }
+      condition.notify_all();
+      for(auto & t : threads)
+        t.join();
+    }
+
+    void Pool::QueueJob(llarp_thread_job job)
+    {
+      {
+        lock_t lock(queue_mutex);
+        
+        // don't allow enqueueing after stopping the pool
+        if(stop)
+          throw std::runtime_error("enqueue on stopped ThreadPool");
+
+        jobs.emplace(job);
+      }
+      condition.notify_one();
+    }
+    
+  }
+}
+
+struct llarp_threadpool
+{
+  llarp::thread::Pool impl;
+
+  llarp_threadpool(int workers) : impl(workers) {}
+};
+
+extern "C" {
+
+  struct llarp_threadpool * llarp_init_threadpool(int workers)
+  {
+    if(workers > 0)
+      return new llarp_threadpool(workers);
+    else
+      return nullptr;
+  }
+
+  void llarp_threadpool_join(struct llarp_threadpool * pool)
+  {
+    pool->impl.Join();
+  }
+
+  void llarp_free_threadpool(struct llarp_threadpool ** pool)
+  {
+    delete *pool;
+    *pool = nullptr;
+  }
+  
+}
diff --git a/llarp/threadpool.hpp b/llarp/threadpool.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b20bbb91b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/threadpool.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#ifndef LLARP_THREADPOOL_HPP
+#define LLARP_THREADPOOL_HPP
+
+#include <llarp/threadpool.h>
+
+#include <atomic>
+#include <condition_variable>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <thread>
+#include <queue>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace llarp
+{
+  namespace thread
+  {
+    typedef std::mutex mtx_t;
+    typedef std::unique_lock<mtx_t> lock_t;
+    struct Pool
+    {
+      
+      Pool(size_t sz);
+      void QueueJob(llarp_thread_job job);
+      void Join();
+      std::vector<std::thread> threads;
+      std::queue<llarp_thread_job> jobs;
+
+      mtx_t queue_mutex;
+      std::condition_variable condition;
+      std::atomic<bool> stop;
+    };
+      
+  }
+}
+
+#endif