diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e2a3caa7b..489221243 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ option(USE_SHELLHOOKS "enable shell hooks on compile time (dangerous)" OFF)
 option(WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS "treat all warnings as errors. turn off for development, on for release" OFF)
 option(TRACY_ROOT "include tracy profiler source" OFF)
 option(WITH_TESTS "build unit tests" ON)
+option(WITH_HIVE "build simulation stubs" OFF)
 
 include(cmake/target_link_libraries_system.cmake)
 include(cmake/add_import_library.cmake)
@@ -290,6 +291,10 @@ if(TRACY_ROOT)
   list(APPEND LIBS -ldl)
 endif()
 
+if(WITH_HIVE)
+  add_definitions(-DLOKINET_HIVE=1)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(crypto)
 add_subdirectory(llarp)
 add_subdirectory(libabyss)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4db501361..5bb107d27 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ COVERAGE_OUTDIR ?= "$(TMPDIR)/lokinet-coverage"
 TRACY_ROOT ?=
 # enable sanitizer
 XSAN ?= False
+# lokinet hive build
+HIVE ?= OFF
 
 # cmake generator type
 CMAKE_GEN ?= Unix Makefiles
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ SCAN_BUILD ?= scan-build
 
 UNAME = $(shell which uname)
 
-COMMON_CMAKE_OPTIONS = -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DDOWNLOAD_SODIUM=$(DOWNLOAD_SODIUM) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON -DXSAN=$(XSAN)
+COMMON_CMAKE_OPTIONS = -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DDOWNLOAD_SODIUM=$(DOWNLOAD_SODIUM) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON -DXSAN=$(XSAN) -DWITH_HIVE=$(HIVE)
 
 ifeq ($(shell $(UNAME)),SunOS)
 CONFIG_CMD = $(shell gecho -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; gecho -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DUSE_SHELLHOOKS=$(SHELL_HOOKS) $(COMMON_CMAKE_OPTIONS) '$(REPO)'")