diff --git a/vpp-api/java/jvpp/jvpp.c b/vpp-api/java/jvpp/jvpp.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1e23dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vpp-api/java/jvpp/jvpp.c
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates.
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at:
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+#define _GNU_SOURCE /* for strcasestr(3) */
+#include <vnet/vnet.h>
+
+#define vl_api_version(n,v) static u32 vpe_api_version = (v);
+#include <api/vpe.api.h>
+#undef vl_api_version
+
+#include <jni.h>
+#include <jvpp/jvpp.h>
+#include <jvpp/org_openvpp_jvpp_VppJNIConnection.h>
+#include <jvpp/org_openvpp_jvpp_JVppImpl.h>
+
+#include <api/vpe_msg_enum.h>
+#define vl_typedefs             /* define message structures */
+#include <api/vpe_all_api_h.h>
+#undef vl_typedefs
+
+#define vl_endianfun
+#include <api/vpe_all_api_h.h>
+#undef vl_endianfun
+
+/* instantiate all the print functions we know about */
+#define vl_print(handle, ...)
+#define vl_printfun
+#include <api/vpe_all_api_h.h>
+#undef vl_printfun
+
+#define VPPJNI_DEBUG 0
+
+#if VPPJNI_DEBUG == 1
+  #define DEBUG_LOG(...) clib_warning(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+  #define DEBUG_LOG(...)
+#endif
+
+#include "gen/target/jvpp_gen.h"
+
+static int connect_to_vpe(char *name);
+
+/*
+ * The Java runtime isn't compile w/ -fstack-protector,
+ * so we have to supply missing external references for the
+ * regular vpp libraries. Weak reference in case folks get religion
+ * at a later date...
+ */
+void __stack_chk_guard (void) __attribute__((weak));
+void __stack_chk_guard (void) {  }
+
+void vl_client_add_api_signatures (vl_api_memclnt_create_t *mp)
+{
+    /*
+     * Send the main API signature in slot 0. This bit of code must
+     * match the checks in ../vpe/api/api.c: vl_msg_api_version_check().
+     */
+    mp->api_versions[0] = clib_host_to_net_u32 (vpe_api_version);
+}
+
+/* cleanup handler for RX thread */
+static void cleanup_rx_thread(void *arg)
+{
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+
+    vppjni_lock (jm, 99);
+
+    int getEnvStat = (*jm->jvm)->GetEnv(jm->jvm, (void **)&(jm->jenv), JNI_VERSION_1_6);
+    if (getEnvStat == JNI_EVERSION) {
+        clib_warning ("Unsupported JNI version\n");
+        jm->retval = VNET_API_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_JNI_VERSION;
+        goto out;
+    } else if (getEnvStat != JNI_EDETACHED) {
+        (*jm->jvm)->DetachCurrentThread(jm->jvm);
+    }
+out:
+    vppjni_unlock (jm);
+}
+
+JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_org_openvpp_jvpp_VppJNIConnection_clientConnect
+  (JNIEnv *env, jclass obj, jstring clientName, jobject callback)
+{
+    int rv;
+    const char *client_name;
+    void vl_msg_reply_handler_hookup(void);
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+
+    /*
+     * Bail out now if we're not running as root
+     */
+    if (geteuid() != 0)
+        return VNET_API_ERROR_NOT_RUNNING_AS_ROOT;
+
+    if (jm->is_connected)
+        return VNET_API_ERROR_ALREADY_CONNECTED;
+
+    client_name = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, clientName, 0);
+    if (!client_name)
+        return VNET_API_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE;
+
+    rv = connect_to_vpe ((char *) client_name);
+
+    if (rv < 0)
+        clib_warning ("connection failed, rv %d", rv);
+
+    (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars (env, clientName, client_name);
+
+    if (rv == 0) {
+        f64 timeout;
+        clib_time_t clib_time;
+        clib_time_init (&clib_time);
+
+        /* vl_msg_reply_handler_hookup (); */
+        jm->is_connected = 1;
+
+        jm->callback = (*env)->NewGlobalRef(env, callback);
+        jm->callbackClass = (jclass)(*env)->NewGlobalRef(env, (*env)->GetObjectClass(env, callback));
+
+        {
+            // call control ping first to attach rx thread to java thread
+            vl_api_control_ping_t * mp;
+            M(CONTROL_PING, control_ping);
+            S;
+
+            // wait for results:
+            timeout = clib_time_now (&clib_time) + 1.0;
+            rv = VNET_API_ERROR_RESPONSE_NOT_READY;
+            while (clib_time_now (&clib_time) < timeout) {
+              if (jm->result_ready == 1) {
+                rv = (jm->retval);
+                break;
+              }
+            }
+
+            if (rv != 0) {
+                clib_warning ("first control ping failed: %d", rv);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    DEBUG_LOG ("clientConnect result: %d", rv);
+    return rv;
+}
+
+JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_openvpp_jvpp_VppJNIConnection_clientDisconnect
+  (JNIEnv *env, jclass clazz)
+{
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+    jm->is_connected = 0; // TODO make thread safe
+    vl_client_disconnect_from_vlib();
+}
+
+// control ping needs to be very first thing called
+// to attach rx thread to java thread
+static void vl_api_control_ping_reply_t_handler
+(vl_api_control_ping_reply_t * mp)
+{
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+
+    char was_thread_connected = 0;
+
+    // attach to java thread if not attached
+    int getEnvStat = (*jm->jvm)->GetEnv(jm->jvm, (void **)&(jm->jenv), JNI_VERSION_1_6);
+    if (getEnvStat == JNI_EDETACHED) {
+        if ((*jm->jvm)->AttachCurrentThread(jm->jvm, (void **)&(jm->jenv), NULL) != 0) {
+            clib_warning("Failed to attach thread\n");
+            jm->retval = VNET_API_ERROR_FAILED_TO_ATTACH_TO_JAVA_THREAD;
+            goto out;
+        }
+
+        // workaround as we can't use pthread_cleanup_push
+        pthread_key_create(&jm->cleanup_rx_thread_key, cleanup_rx_thread);
+        // destructor is only called if the value of key is non null
+        pthread_setspecific(jm->cleanup_rx_thread_key, (void *)1);
+        was_thread_connected = 1;
+    } else if (getEnvStat == JNI_EVERSION) {
+        clib_warning ("Unsupported JNI version\n");
+        jm->retval = VNET_API_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_JNI_VERSION;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    if (was_thread_connected == 0) {
+        JNIEnv *env = jm->jenv;
+
+        jclass dtoClass = (*env)->FindClass(env, "org/openvpp/jvpp/dto/ControlPingReply");
+
+        jmethodID constructor = (*env)->GetMethodID(env, dtoClass, "<init>", "()V");
+        jmethodID callbackMethod = (*env)->GetMethodID(env, jm->callbackClass, "onControlPingReply", "(Lorg/openvpp/jvpp/dto/ControlPingReply;)V");
+
+        jobject dto = (*env)->NewObject(env, dtoClass, constructor);
+
+
+        printf("vl_api_control_ping_reply_t_handler ctx=%d\n", clib_net_to_host_u32(mp->context));
+
+        jfieldID contextFieldId = (*env)->GetFieldID(env, dtoClass, "context", "I");
+        (*env)->SetIntField(env, dto, contextFieldId, clib_net_to_host_u32(mp->context));
+
+        jfieldID retvalFieldId = (*env)->GetFieldID(env, dtoClass, "retval", "I");
+        (*env)->SetIntField(env, dto, retvalFieldId, clib_net_to_host_u32(mp->retval));
+
+        jfieldID clientIndexFieldId = (*env)->GetFieldID(env, dtoClass, "clientIndex", "I");
+        (*env)->SetIntField(env, dto, clientIndexFieldId, clib_net_to_host_u32(mp->client_index));
+
+        jfieldID vpePidFieldId = (*env)->GetFieldID(env, dtoClass, "vpePid", "I");
+        (*env)->SetIntField(env, dto, vpePidFieldId, clib_net_to_host_u32(mp->vpe_pid));
+
+        (*env)->CallVoidMethod(env, jm->callback, callbackMethod, dto);
+    }
+
+    out:
+        jm->result_ready = 1;
+}
+
+
+jint JNI_OnLoad(JavaVM *vm, void *reserved) {
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+    JNIEnv* env;
+    if ((*vm)->GetEnv(vm, (void**) &env, JNI_VERSION_1_6) != JNI_OK) {
+        return JNI_ERR;
+    }
+
+    jm->jvm = vm;
+    return JNI_VERSION_1_6;
+}
+
+void JNI_OnUnload(JavaVM *vm, void *reserved) {
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+    JNIEnv* env;
+    if ((*vm)->GetEnv(vm, (void**) &env, JNI_VERSION_1_6) != JNI_OK) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // cleanup:
+    (*env)->DeleteGlobalRef(env, jm->callbackClass);
+    (*env)->DeleteGlobalRef(env, jm->callback);
+
+    jm->callbackClass = NULL;
+    jm->callback = NULL;
+    jm->jenv = NULL;
+    jm->jvm = NULL;
+}
+
+static int connect_to_vpe(char *name)
+{
+    vppjni_main_t * jm = &vppjni_main;
+    api_main_t * am = &api_main;
+
+    if (vl_client_connect_to_vlib("/vpe-api", name, 32) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    jm->my_client_index = am->my_client_index;
+    jm->vl_input_queue = am->shmem_hdr->vl_input_queue;
+
+#define _(N,n)                                  \
+    vl_msg_api_set_handlers(VL_API_##N, #n,     \
+            vl_api_##n##_t_handler,	            \
+            vl_noop_handler,                    \
+            vl_api_##n##_t_endian,              \
+            vl_api_##n##_t_print,               \
+            sizeof(vl_api_##n##_t), 1);
+    foreach_vpe_api_msg;
+#undef _
+
+    return 0;
+}