diff --git a/src/lib/client.rs b/src/lib/client.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..071f178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/client.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/// TODO better name for this file
+
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use tracing::{error, warn};
+use uuid::Uuid;
+
+use crate::{
+	opfactory::OperationFactory,
+	proto::{buffer_client::BufferClient, BufferPayload, OperationRequest, RawOp},
+	tonic::{transport::Channel, Status, Streaming},
+};
+
+type FactoryHandle = Arc<Mutex<OperationFactory>>;
+
+impl From::<BufferClient<Channel>> for CodempClient {
+	fn from(x: BufferClient<Channel>) -> CodempClient {
+		CodempClient {
+			id: Uuid::new_v4(),
+			client:x,
+			factory: Arc::new(Mutex::new(OperationFactory::new(None)))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct CodempClient {
+	id: Uuid,
+	client: BufferClient<Channel>,
+	factory: FactoryHandle, // TODO less jank solution than Arc<Mutex>
+}
+
+impl CodempClient {
+	pub async fn create(&mut self, path: String, content: Option<String>) -> Result<bool, Status> {
+		Ok(
+			self.client.create(
+				BufferPayload {
+					path,
+					content,
+					user: self.id.to_string(),
+				}
+			)
+				.await?
+				.into_inner()
+				.accepted
+		)
+	}
+
+	pub async fn insert(&mut self, path: String, txt: String, pos: u64) -> Result<bool, Status> {
+		let res = { self.factory.lock().unwrap().insert(&txt, pos) };
+		match res {
+			Ok(op) => {
+				Ok(
+					self.client.edit(
+						OperationRequest {
+							path,
+							hash: "".into(),
+							opseq: serde_json::to_string(&op).unwrap(),
+							user: self.id.to_string(),
+						}
+					)
+						.await?
+						.into_inner()
+						.accepted
+				)
+			},
+			Err(e) => Err(Status::internal(format!("invalid operation: {}", e))),
+		}
+	}
+
+	pub async fn attach<F : Fn(String) -> () + Send + 'static>(&mut self, path: String, callback: F) -> Result<(), Status> {
+		let stream = self.client.attach(
+				BufferPayload {
+					path,
+					content: None,
+					user: self.id.to_string(),
+				}
+			)
+				.await?
+				.into_inner();
+
+		let factory = self.factory.clone();
+		tokio::spawn(async move { Self::worker(stream, factory, callback).await } );
+
+		Ok(())
+	}
+
+	async fn worker<F : Fn(String) -> ()>(mut stream: Streaming<RawOp>, factory: FactoryHandle, callback: F) {
+		loop {
+			match stream.message().await {
+				Ok(v) => match v {
+					Some(operation) => {
+						let op = serde_json::from_str(&operation.opseq).unwrap();
+						let res = { factory.lock().unwrap().process(op) };
+						match res {
+							Ok(x) => callback(x),
+							Err(e) => break error!("desynched: {}", e),
+						}
+					}
+					None => break warn!("stream closed"),
+				},
+				Err(e) => break error!("error receiving change: {}", e),
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	pub fn content(&self) -> String {
+		let factory = self.factory.lock().unwrap();
+		factory.content()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/lib.rs b/src/lib/lib.rs
index 97146d3..82b6ce5 100644
--- a/src/lib/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 pub mod proto;
 pub mod opfactory;
+pub mod client;
 
 pub use tonic;
 pub use tokio;
diff --git a/src/lib/opfactory.rs b/src/lib/opfactory.rs
index b327120..190c017 100644
--- a/src/lib/opfactory.rs
+++ b/src/lib/opfactory.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use operational_transform::{OperationSeq, OTError};
-use tracing::{debug, info};
+use tracing::info;
 
 
 #[derive(Clone)]