diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index bb3e187..7bb34da 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,10 +4,17 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/netip"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v3"
+
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/chord/chord/httpnode"
 )
 
 var app = cli.Command{
@@ -109,7 +116,57 @@ var (
 	}
 )
 
-func cliJoin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error   { return errors.New("not implemented") }
+func addrflag(ip string, p uint64) (string, error) {
+	ap, err := netip.ParseAddrPort(ip)
+	if err == nil {
+		// note inverted error check
+		if p != 0 {
+			ap = netip.AddrPortFrom(ap.Addr(), uint16(p))
+		}
+		return ap.String(), nil
+	}
+	a, err := netip.ParseAddr(ip)
+	if err == nil {
+		// note inverted error check
+		return netip.AddrPortFrom(a, uint16(p)).String(), nil
+	}
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't parse %q as ip:port or ip", ip)
+}
+
+func cliJoin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error {
+	addr, err := addrflag(cmd.String("ip"), cmd.Uint("p"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer l.Close()
+	cl := &httpnode.Client{HTTP: http.Client{Timeout: 5 * time.Second}}
+	s, err := httpnode.New(l, cl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	srv := http.Server{
+		Handler:     s.Router(),
+		ReadTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+		BaseContext: func(l net.Listener) context.Context { return ctx },
+	}
+	go func() {
+		slog.InfoContext(ctx, "HTTP API server", slog.Any("addr", l.Addr()))
+		err := srv.Serve(l)
+		if err == http.ErrServerClosed {
+			return
+		}
+		slog.ErrorContext(ctx, "HTTP API server closed", slog.Any("err", err))
+	}()
+	<-ctx.Done()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	return srv.Shutdown(ctx)
+}
+
 func cliLeave(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error  { return errors.New("not implemented") }
 func cliLookup(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error { return errors.New("not implemented") }
 func cliPut(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error    { return errors.New("not implemented") }