diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0a3137d9e..9333a5186 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -21,6 +21,18 @@ version = "0.4.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "4d25d88fd6b8041580a654f9d0c581a047baee2b3efee13275f2fc392fc75034"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "arrayref"
+version = "0.3.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a4c527152e37cf757a3f78aae5a06fbeefdb07ccc535c980a3208ee3060dd544"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "arrayvec"
+version = "0.5.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cff77d8686867eceff3105329d4698d96c2391c176d5d03adc90c7389162b5b8"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "async-channel"
 version = "1.5.1"
@@ -132,12 +144,29 @@ version = "1.0.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "cdb031dd78e28731d87d56cc8ffef4a8f36ca26c38fe2de700543e627f8a464a"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "base64"
+version = "0.12.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3441f0f7b02788e948e47f457ca01f1d7e6d92c693bc132c22b087d3141c03ff"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bitflags"
 version = "1.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "cf1de2fe8c75bc145a2f577add951f8134889b4795d47466a54a5c846d691693"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "blake2b_simd"
+version = "0.5.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d8fb2d74254a3a0b5cac33ac9f8ed0e44aa50378d9dbb2e5d83bd21ed1dc2c8a"
+dependencies = [
+ "arrayref",
+ "arrayvec",
+ "constant_time_eq",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "blocking"
 version = "1.0.2"
@@ -212,6 +241,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "cache-padded",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "constant_time_eq"
+version = "0.1.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "245097e9a4535ee1e3e3931fcfcd55a796a44c643e8596ff6566d68f09b87bbc"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "crossbeam-utils"
+version = "0.7.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c3c7c73a2d1e9fc0886a08b93e98eb643461230d5f1925e4036204d5f2e261a8"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "lazy_static",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "crossterm"
 version = "0.18.0"
@@ -238,6 +284,27 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "dirs"
+version = "2.0.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "13aea89a5c93364a98e9b37b2fa237effbb694d5cfe01c5b70941f7eb087d5e3"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "dirs-sys",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "dirs-sys"
+version = "0.3.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8e93d7f5705de3e49895a2b5e0b8855a1c27f080192ae9c32a6432d50741a57a"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "redox_users",
+ "winapi",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "event-listener"
 version = "2.5.1"
@@ -290,6 +357,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "waker-fn",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "getrandom"
+version = "0.1.15"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "fc587bc0ec293155d5bfa6b9891ec18a1e330c234f896ea47fbada4cadbe47e6"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+ "wasi",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "glob"
+version = "0.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9b919933a397b79c37e33b77bb2aa3dc8eb6e165ad809e58ff75bc7db2e34574"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
 version = "0.9.1"
@@ -312,6 +396,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "unicode-width",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "helix-lsp"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "glob",
+ "lsp-types",
+ "pathdiff",
+ "shellexpand",
+ "smol",
+ "url",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "helix-syntax"
 version = "0.1.0"
@@ -354,6 +450,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "idna"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "02e2673c30ee86b5b96a9cb52ad15718aa1f966f5ab9ad54a8b95d5ca33120a9"
+dependencies = [
+ "matches",
+ "unicode-bidi",
+ "unicode-normalization",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "indexmap"
 version = "1.6.0"
@@ -373,6 +480,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "itoa"
+version = "0.4.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "dc6f3ad7b9d11a0c00842ff8de1b60ee58661048eb8049ed33c73594f359d7e6"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "jobserver"
 version = "0.1.21"
@@ -412,12 +525,32 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "lsp-types"
+version = "0.82.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "db895abb8527cf59e3de893ab2acf52cf904faeb65e60ea6f373e11fe86464e8"
+dependencies = [
+ "base64",
+ "bitflags",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+ "serde_repr",
+ "url",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "mac"
 version = "0.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "matches"
+version = "0.1.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7ffc5c5338469d4d3ea17d269fa8ea3512ad247247c30bd2df69e68309ed0a08"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "memchr"
 version = "2.3.3"
@@ -526,6 +659,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pathdiff"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "877630b3de15c0b64cc52f659345724fbf6bdad9bd9566699fc53688f3c34a34"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "percent-encoding"
+version = "2.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d4fd5641d01c8f18a23da7b6fe29298ff4b55afcccdf78973b24cf3175fee32e"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pin-project-lite"
 version = "0.1.10"
@@ -545,12 +690,41 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "proc-macro2"
+version = "1.0.24"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1e0704ee1a7e00d7bb417d0770ea303c1bccbabf0ef1667dae92b5967f5f8a71"
+dependencies = [
+ "unicode-xid",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "quote"
+version = "1.0.7"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "aa563d17ecb180e500da1cfd2b028310ac758de548efdd203e18f283af693f37"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "redox_syscall"
 version = "0.1.57"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "41cc0f7e4d5d4544e8861606a285bb08d3e70712ccc7d2b84d7c0ccfaf4b05ce"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "redox_users"
+version = "0.3.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "de0737333e7a9502c789a36d7c7fa6092a49895d4faa31ca5df163857ded2e9d"
+dependencies = [
+ "getrandom",
+ "redox_syscall",
+ "rust-argon2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "regex"
 version = "1.4.1"
@@ -578,12 +752,81 @@ dependencies = [
  "smallvec",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rust-argon2"
+version = "0.8.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9dab61250775933275e84053ac235621dfb739556d5c54a2f2e9313b7cf43a19"
+dependencies = [
+ "base64",
+ "blake2b_simd",
+ "constant_time_eq",
+ "crossbeam-utils",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ryu"
+version = "1.0.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "71d301d4193d031abdd79ff7e3dd721168a9572ef3fe51a1517aba235bd8f86e"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "scopeguard"
 version = "1.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d29ab0c6d3fc0ee92fe66e2d99f700eab17a8d57d1c1d3b748380fb20baa78cd"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "serde"
+version = "1.0.116"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "96fe57af81d28386a513cbc6858332abc6117cfdb5999647c6444b8f43a370a5"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde_derive",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_derive"
+version = "1.0.116"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f630a6370fd8e457873b4bd2ffdae75408bc291ba72be773772a4c2a065d9ae8"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_json"
+version = "1.0.59"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "dcac07dbffa1c65e7f816ab9eba78eb142c6d44410f4eeba1e26e4f5dfa56b95"
+dependencies = [
+ "itoa",
+ "ryu",
+ "serde",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_repr"
+version = "0.1.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2dc6b7951b17b051f3210b063f12cc17320e2fe30ae05b0fe2a3abb068551c76"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "shellexpand"
+version = "2.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9a2b22262a9aaf9464d356f656fea420634f78c881c5eebd5ef5e66d8b9bc603"
+dependencies = [
+ "dirs",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook"
 version = "0.1.16"
@@ -641,6 +884,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "syn"
+version = "1.0.44"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e03e57e4fcbfe7749842d53e24ccb9aa12b7252dbe5e91d2acad31834c8b8fdd"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "unicode-xid",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tendril"
 version = "0.4.1"
@@ -669,6 +923,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "lazy_static",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tinyvec"
+version = "0.3.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "238ce071d267c5710f9d31451efec16c5ee22de34df17cc05e56cbc92e967117"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tree-sitter"
 version = "0.17.0"
@@ -691,6 +951,24 @@ dependencies = [
  "unicode-width",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-bidi"
+version = "0.3.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "49f2bd0c6468a8230e1db229cff8029217cf623c767ea5d60bfbd42729ea54d5"
+dependencies = [
+ "matches",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-normalization"
+version = "0.1.13"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6fb19cf769fa8c6a80a162df694621ebeb4dafb606470b2b2fce0be40a98a977"
+dependencies = [
+ "tinyvec",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "unicode-segmentation"
 version = "1.6.0"
@@ -703,6 +981,24 @@ version = "0.1.8"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9337591893a19b88d8d87f2cec1e73fad5cdfd10e5a6f349f498ad6ea2ffb1e3"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-xid"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f7fe0bb3479651439c9112f72b6c505038574c9fbb575ed1bf3b797fa39dd564"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "url"
+version = "2.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "829d4a8476c35c9bf0bbce5a3b23f4106f79728039b726d292bb93bc106787cb"
+dependencies = [
+ "idna",
+ "matches",
+ "percent-encoding",
+ "serde",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "utf-8"
 version = "0.7.5"
@@ -727,6 +1023,12 @@ version = "1.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9d5b2c62b4012a3e1eca5a7e077d13b3bf498c4073e33ccd58626607748ceeca"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "wasi"
+version = "0.9.0+wasi-snapshot-preview1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cccddf32554fecc6acb585f82a32a72e28b48f8c4c1883ddfeeeaa96f7d8e519"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "wepoll-sys"
 version = "3.0.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 25dbe725d..d7dab22ed 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ members = [
   "helix-view",
   "helix-term",
   "helix-syntax",
+  "helix-lsp",
 ]
 
 # Build helix-syntax in release mode to make the code path faster in development.
diff --git a/helix-lsp/Cargo.toml b/helix-lsp/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6fd59bf42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helix-lsp/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[package]
+name = "helix-lsp"
+version = "0.1.0"
+authors = ["Blaž Hrastnik <blaz@mxxn.io>"]
+edition = "2018"
+
+# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+
+[dependencies]
+lsp-types = { version = "0.82", features = ["proposed"] }
+smol = "1.2"
+url = "2.1.1"
+pathdiff = "0.2.0"
+shellexpand = "2.0.0"
+glob = "0.3.0"
diff --git a/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs b/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..14d53bea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+use std::{
+    collections::HashMap,
+    process::{ChildStderr, ChildStdin, ChildStdout, Command, Stdio},
+};
+
+use smol::io::{BufReader, BufWriter};
+use smol::prelude::*;
+use smol::Unblock;
+
+struct Client {
+    // process: Command,
+    reader: BufReader<Unblock<ChildStdout>>,
+}
+
+impl Client {
+    fn start(cmd: &str, args: &[String]) -> Self {
+        let mut process = Command::new(cmd)
+            .args(args)
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+            .spawn()
+            .expect("Failed to start language server");
+        // TODO: impl drop that kills the process
+
+        // TODO: do we need bufreader/writer here? or do we use async wrappers on unblock?
+        let writer = BufWriter::new(Unblock::new(
+            process.stdin.take().expect("Failed to open stdin"),
+        ));
+        let reader = BufReader::new(Unblock::new(
+            process.stdout.take().expect("Failed to open stdout"),
+        ));
+        let stderr = BufReader::new(Unblock::new(
+            process.stderr.take().expect("Failed to open stderr"),
+        ));
+
+        Client { reader }
+    }
+
+    async fn receiver(&mut self) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+        let mut headers: HashMap<String, String> = HashMap::default();
+        loop {
+            // read headers
+            loop {
+                let mut header = String::new();
+                // detect pipe closed if 0
+                self.reader.read_line(&mut header).await?;
+                let header = header.trim();
+
+                if header.is_empty() {
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                let parts: Vec<&str> = header.split(": ").collect();
+                if parts.len() != 2 {
+                    // return Err(Error::new(ErrorKind::Other, "Failed to parse header"));
+                    panic!()
+                }
+                headers.insert(parts[0].to_string(), parts[1].to_string());
+            }
+
+            // find content-length
+
+            // read data
+            // decode via serde_json decoding into jsonrpc_core Output
+            break;
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}