diff --git a/cmd/kaiyan-index/main.go b/cmd/kaiyan-index/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..024e301
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/kaiyan-index/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+	"zombiezen.com/go/sqlite"
+	"zombiezen.com/go/sqlite/sqlitex"
+
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/kaiyan/emote"
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/kaiyan/emote/sqlitestore"
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/zephyr/kaiyan/queue"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	var (
+		dburi string
+	)
+	flag.StringVar(&dburi, "db", "", "SQLite database URI")
+	flag.Parse()
+	if flag.NArg() == 0 {
+		fail("provide broker addresses as args")
+	}
+	if dburi == "" {
+		fail("-db is mandatory")
+	}
+
+	ctx, stop := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), os.Interrupt)
+	go func() {
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		stop()
+	}()
+
+	opts := sqlitex.PoolOptions{
+		Flags: sqlite.OpenCreate | sqlite.OpenReadWrite | sqlite.OpenURI,
+		PrepareConn: func(conn *sqlite.Conn) error {
+			pragmas := []string{
+				`PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL`,
+				`PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL`,
+			}
+			for _, p := range pragmas {
+				s, _, err := conn.PrepareTransient(p)
+				if err != nil {
+					// If this function returns an error, then the pool will
+					// continue to invoke it for every connection.
+					// Explode violently instead.
+					panic(fmt.Errorf("couldn't set %s: %w", p, err))
+				}
+				if _, err := s.Step(); err != nil {
+					// This one is probably ok to retry, though.
+					return fmt.Errorf("couldn't run %s: %w", p, err)
+				}
+				if err := s.Finalize(); err != nil {
+					panic(fmt.Errorf("couldn't finalize statement for %s: %w", p, err))
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+	db, err := sqlitex.NewPool(dburi, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		fail("%v", err)
+	}
+	st, err := sqlitestore.Open(ctx, db)
+	if err != nil {
+		fail("%v", err)
+	}
+	q, err := kgo.NewClient(
+		kgo.SeedBrokers(flag.Args()...),
+		kgo.ConsumerGroup("kaiyan"),
+		kgo.ConsumeTopics(queue.Topic),
+		kgo.FetchIsolationLevel(kgo.ReadCommitted()),
+		kgo.GreedyAutoCommit(),
+		kgo.WithLogger(kgo.BasicLogger(os.Stderr, kgo.LogLevelDebug, nil)),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		fail("%v", err)
+	}
+
+	var msgs []queue.Message
+	var ems []emote.Emote
+	// TODO(branden): emote lists
+	for ctx.Err() == nil {
+		msgs, ems, err = batch(ctx, nil, q, st, msgs[:0], ems[:0])
+		if err != nil {
+			fail("%v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	st.Close()
+}
+
+func batch(ctx context.Context, ps map[string]emote.Parser, q *kgo.Client, st *sqlitestore.Store, msgs []queue.Message, ems []emote.Emote) ([]queue.Message, []emote.Emote, error) {
+	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "receive")
+	msgs, err := queue.Recv(ctx, q, msgs)
+	switch {
+	case err == nil: // do nothing
+	case ctx.Err() != nil:
+		// Exiting normally.
+		// Return no error and let the caller check the context.
+		return nil, nil, nil
+	default:
+		// TODO(branden): there are a variety of errors that are non-fatal;
+		// we should check for them and continue instead of giving up
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("queue recv: %w", err)
+	}
+	n := 0
+	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "process", slog.Int("count", len(msgs)))
+	for _, msg := range msgs {
+		p := ps[msg.Channel]
+		text := msg.Text
+		for {
+			em, rest := p.Next(text)
+			if em.ID == "" {
+				break
+			}
+			ems = append(ems, em)
+			text = rest
+		}
+		if err := st.Record(ctx, msg.Channel, msg.ID, msg.Sender.String(), time.Unix(0, msg.Timestamp), ems); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, err
+		}
+		n += len(ems)
+	}
+	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "recorded", slog.Int("emotes", n))
+	return msgs, ems, nil
+}
+
+func fail(format string, args ...any) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, format+"\n", args...)
+	os.Exit(1)
+}