diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 8f2d22c255..a572cfadaf 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@ package docker
 
 import (
 	"net"
+	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/engine"
 )
 
+// FIXME: separate runtime configuration from http api configuration
 type DaemonConfig struct {
 	Pidfile                     string
+	// FIXME: don't call this GraphPath, it doesn't actually
+	// point to /var/lib/docker/graph, which is confusing.
 	GraphPath                   string
 	ProtoAddresses              []string
 	AutoRestart                 bool
@@ -16,3 +20,26 @@ type DaemonConfig struct {
 	DefaultIp                   net.IP
 	InterContainerCommunication bool
 }
+
+// ConfigGetenv creates and returns a new DaemonConfig object
+// by parsing the contents of a job's environment.
+func ConfigGetenv(job *engine.Job) *DaemonConfig {
+	var config DaemonConfig
+	config.Pidfile = job.Getenv("Pidfile")
+	config.GraphPath = job.Getenv("GraphPath")
+	config.AutoRestart = job.GetenvBool("AutoRestart")
+	config.EnableCors = job.GetenvBool("EnableCors")
+	if dns := job.Getenv("Dns"); dns != "" {
+		config.Dns = []string{dns}
+	}
+	config.EnableIptables = job.GetenvBool("EnableIptables")
+	if br := job.Getenv("BridgeIface"); br != "" {
+		config.BridgeIface = br
+	} else {
+		config.BridgeIface = DefaultNetworkBridge
+	}
+	config.ProtoAddresses = job.GetenvList("ProtoAddresses")
+	config.DefaultIp = net.ParseIP(job.Getenv("DefaultIp"))
+	config.InterContainerCommunication = job.GetenvBool("InterContainerCommunication")
+	return &config
+}
diff --git a/docker/docker.go b/docker/docker.go
index 362e899ba1..7487dba86f 100644
--- a/docker/docker.go
+++ b/docker/docker.go
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker"
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/sysinit"
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/utils"
+	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/engine"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"strconv"
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	bridge := docker.DefaultNetworkBridge
-	if *bridgeName != "" {
-		bridge = *bridgeName
-	}
 	if *flDebug {
 		os.Setenv("DEBUG", "1")
 	}
@@ -75,26 +71,25 @@ func main() {
 			flag.Usage()
 			return
 		}
-		var dns []string
-		if *flDns != "" {
-			dns = []string{*flDns}
+		eng, err := engine.New(*flGraphPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
-
-		ip := net.ParseIP(*flDefaultIp)
-
-		config := &docker.DaemonConfig{
-			Pidfile:                     *pidfile,
-			GraphPath:                   *flGraphPath,
-			AutoRestart:                 *flAutoRestart,
-			EnableCors:                  *flEnableCors,
-			Dns:                         dns,
-			EnableIptables:              *flEnableIptables,
-			BridgeIface:                 bridge,
-			ProtoAddresses:              flHosts,
-			DefaultIp:                   ip,
-			InterContainerCommunication: *flInterContainerComm,
+		job, err := eng.Job("serveapi")
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
-		if err := daemon(config); err != nil {
+		job.Setenv("Pidfile", *pidfile)
+		job.Setenv("GraphPath", *flGraphPath)
+		job.SetenvBool("AutoRestart", *flAutoRestart)
+		job.SetenvBool("EnableCors", *flEnableCors)
+		job.Setenv("Dns", *flDns)
+		job.SetenvBool("EnableIptables", *flEnableIptables)
+		job.Setenv("BridgeIface", *bridgeName)
+		job.SetenvList("ProtoAddresses", flHosts)
+		job.Setenv("DefaultIp", *flDefaultIp)
+		job.SetenvBool("InterContainerCommunication", *flInterContainerComm)
+		if err := daemon(job, *pidfile); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -142,51 +137,22 @@ func removePidFile(pidfile string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func daemon(config *docker.DaemonConfig) error {
-	if err := createPidFile(config.Pidfile); err != nil {
+// daemon runs `job` as a daemon. 
+// A pidfile is created for the duration of the job,
+// and all signals are intercepted.
+func daemon(job *engine.Job, pidfile string) error {
+	if err := createPidFile(pidfile); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer removePidFile(config.Pidfile)
-
-	server, err := docker.NewServer(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer server.Close()
+	defer removePidFile(pidfile)
 
 	c := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Kill, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 	go func() {
 		sig := <-c
 		log.Printf("Received signal '%v', exiting\n", sig)
-		server.Close()
-		removePidFile(config.Pidfile)
+		removePidFile(pidfile)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}()
-
-	chErrors := make(chan error, len(config.ProtoAddresses))
-	for _, protoAddr := range config.ProtoAddresses {
-		protoAddrParts := strings.SplitN(protoAddr, "://", 2)
-		if protoAddrParts[0] == "unix" {
-			syscall.Unlink(protoAddrParts[1])
-		} else if protoAddrParts[0] == "tcp" {
-			if !strings.HasPrefix(protoAddrParts[1], "127.0.0.1") {
-				log.Println("/!\\ DON'T BIND ON ANOTHER IP ADDRESS THAN 127.0.0.1 IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING /!\\")
-			}
-		} else {
-			server.Close()
-			removePidFile(config.Pidfile)
-			log.Fatal("Invalid protocol format.")
-		}
-		go func() {
-			chErrors <- docker.ListenAndServe(protoAddrParts[0], protoAddrParts[1], server, true)
-		}()
-	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(config.ProtoAddresses); i += 1 {
-		err := <-chErrors
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
+	return job.Run()
 }
diff --git a/engine/MAINTAINERS b/engine/MAINTAINERS
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e1c6f2ccfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/MAINTAINERS
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Solomon Hykes <solomon@dotcloud.com>
diff --git a/engine/engine.go b/engine/engine.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e253678069
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/engine.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+
+type Handler func(*Job) string
+
+var globalHandlers map[string]Handler
+
+func Register(name string, handler Handler) error {
+	if globalHandlers == nil {
+		globalHandlers = make(map[string]Handler)
+	}
+	globalHandlers[name] = handler
+	return nil
+}
+
+// The Engine is the core of Docker.
+// It acts as a store for *containers*, and allows manipulation of these
+// containers by executing *jobs*.
+type Engine struct {
+	root		string
+	handlers	map[string]Handler
+}
+
+// New initializes a new engine managing the directory specified at `root`.
+// `root` is used to store containers and any other state private to the engine.
+// Changing the contents of the root without executing a job will cause unspecified
+// behavior.
+func New(root string) (*Engine, error) {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700); err != nil && !os.IsExist(err) {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	eng := &Engine{
+		root:		root,
+		handlers:	globalHandlers,
+	}
+	return eng, nil
+}
+
+// Job creates a new job which can later be executed.
+// This function mimics `Command` from the standard os/exec package.
+func (eng *Engine) Job(name string, args ...string) (*Job, error) {
+	handler, exists := eng.handlers[name]
+	if !exists || handler == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Undefined command; %s", name)
+	}
+	job := &Job{
+		eng:		eng,
+		Name:		name,
+		Args:		args,
+		Stdin:		os.Stdin,
+		Stdout:		os.Stdout,
+		Stderr:		os.Stderr,
+		handler:	handler,
+	}
+	return job, nil
+}
+
diff --git a/engine/job.go b/engine/job.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ff722d2fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/job.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+	"fmt"
+	"encoding/json"
+)
+
+// A job is the fundamental unit of work in the docker engine.
+// Everything docker can do should eventually be exposed as a job.
+// For example: execute a process in a container, create a new container,
+// download an archive from the internet, serve the http api, etc.
+//
+// The job API is designed after unix processes: a job has a name, arguments,
+// environment variables, standard streams for input, output and error, and
+// an exit status which can indicate success (0) or error (anything else).
+//
+// One slight variation is that jobs report their status as a string. The
+// string "0" indicates success, and any other strings indicates an error.
+// This allows for richer error reporting.
+// 
+type Job struct {
+	eng	*Engine
+	Name	string
+	Args	[]string
+	env	[]string
+	Stdin	io.ReadCloser
+	Stdout	io.WriteCloser
+	Stderr	io.WriteCloser
+	handler	func(*Job) string
+	status	string
+}
+
+// Run executes the job and blocks until the job completes.
+// If the job returns a failure status, an error is returned
+// which includes the status.
+func (job *Job) Run() error {
+	if job.handler == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Undefined job handler")
+	}
+	status := job.handler(job)
+	job.status = status
+	if status != "0" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Job failed with status %s", status)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+
+func (job *Job) Getenv(key string) (value string) {
+        for _, kv := range job.env {
+                if strings.Index(kv, "=") == -1 {
+                        continue
+                }
+                parts := strings.SplitN(kv, "=", 2)
+                if parts[0] != key {
+                        continue
+                }
+                if len(parts) < 2 {
+                        value = ""
+                } else {
+                        value = parts[1]
+                }
+        }
+        return
+}
+
+func (job *Job) GetenvBool(key string) (value bool) {
+	s := strings.ToLower(strings.Trim(job.Getenv(key), " \t"))
+	if s == "" || s == "0" || s == "no" || s == "false" || s == "none" {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
+func (job *Job) SetenvBool(key string, value bool) {
+	if value {
+		job.Setenv(key, "1")
+	} else {
+		job.Setenv(key, "0")
+	}
+}
+
+func (job *Job) GetenvList(key string) []string {
+	sval := job.Getenv(key)
+	l := make([]string, 0, 1)
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(sval), &l); err != nil {
+		l = append(l, sval)
+	}
+	return l
+}
+
+func (job *Job) SetenvList(key string, value []string) error {
+	sval, err := json.Marshal(value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	job.Setenv(key, string(sval))
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (job *Job) Setenv(key, value string) {
+	job.env = append(job.env, key + "=" + value)
+}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index d1bbe1bfe3..d833f06b7f 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/gograph"
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/registry"
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/utils"
+	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/engine"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
@@ -22,12 +23,50 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
+	"syscall"
 )
 
 func (srv *Server) Close() error {
 	return srv.runtime.Close()
 }
 
+func init() {
+	engine.Register("serveapi", JobServeApi)
+}
+
+func JobServeApi(job *engine.Job) string {
+	srv, err := NewServer(ConfigGetenv(job))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err.Error()
+	}
+	defer srv.Close()
+	// Parse addresses to serve on
+	protoAddrs := job.Args
+	chErrors := make(chan error, len(protoAddrs))
+	for _, protoAddr := range protoAddrs {
+		protoAddrParts := strings.SplitN(protoAddr, "://", 2)
+		if protoAddrParts[0] == "unix" {
+			syscall.Unlink(protoAddrParts[1])
+		} else if protoAddrParts[0] == "tcp" {
+			if !strings.HasPrefix(protoAddrParts[1], "127.0.0.1") {
+				log.Println("/!\\ DON'T BIND ON ANOTHER IP ADDRESS THAN 127.0.0.1 IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING /!\\")
+			}
+		} else {
+			return "Invalid protocol format."
+		}
+		go func() {
+			chErrors <- ListenAndServe(protoAddrParts[0], protoAddrParts[1], srv, true)
+		}()
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(protoAddrs); i += 1 {
+		err := <-chErrors
+		if err != nil {
+			return err.Error()
+		}
+	}
+	return "0"
+}
+
 func (srv *Server) DockerVersion() APIVersion {
 	return APIVersion{
 		Version:   VERSION,