diff --git a/daemon/CMakeLists.txt b/daemon/CMakeLists.txt
index cf29f2650..d2817dd9e 100644
--- a/daemon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/daemon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ if(SHADOW)
     enable_lto(shadow-plugin)
 else()
     add_executable(lokinet main.cpp)
-    add_executable(lokinetctl lokinetctl.cpp)
-    enable_lto(lokinet lokinetctl)
+    add_executable(lokinet-vpn lokinet-vpn.cpp)
+    enable_lto(lokinet lokinet-vpn)
 
     if(TRACY_ROOT)
         target_sources(lokinet PRIVATE ${TRACY_ROOT}/TracyClient.cpp)
     endif()
 
-    foreach(exe lokinet lokinetctl)
+    foreach(exe lokinet lokinet-vpn)
         if(WIN32 AND NOT MSVC_VERSION)
             target_sources(${exe} PRIVATE ../llarp/win32/version.rc)
             target_link_libraries(${exe} PRIVATE ws2_32 iphlpapi)
@@ -38,12 +38,7 @@ else()
         install(CODE "execute_process(COMMAND setcap cap_net_admin,cap_net_bind_service=+eip ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/bin/lokinet)")
     endif()
 
-    if(CURL_FOUND)
-        target_include_directories(lokinetctl PRIVATE ${CURL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-        target_link_libraries(lokinetctl PRIVATE ${CURL_LIBRARIES})
-    endif(CURL_FOUND)
 
-
-    install(PROGRAMS lokinet-vpn DESTINATION bin COMPONENT lokinet)
+    install(TARGETS lokinet-vpn RUNTIME DESTINATION bin COMPONENT lokinet)
     
 endif()
diff --git a/daemon/lokinet-vpn.cpp b/daemon/lokinet-vpn.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b31060739
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/lokinet-vpn.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#include <lokimq/lokimq.h>
+#include <cxxopts.hpp>
+#include <future>
+
+int
+main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+  cxxopts::Options opts("lokinet-vpn", "LokiNET vpn control utility");
+
+  opts.add_options()("v,verbose", "Verbose", cxxopts::value<bool>())(
+      "h,help", "help", cxxopts::value<bool>())("up", "put vpn up", cxxopts::value<bool>())(
+      "down", "put vpn down", cxxopts::value<bool>())(
+      "exit", "specify exit node address", cxxopts::value<std::string>())(
+      "rpc", "rpc url for lokinet", cxxopts::value<std::string>());
+
+  lokimq::address rpcURL("tcp://127.0.0.1:1190");
+  std::string exitAddress;
+  lokimq::LogLevel logLevel = lokimq::LogLevel::warn;
+  bool goUp = false;
+  bool goDown = false;
+  try
+  {
+    const auto result = opts.parse(argc, argv);
+
+    if (result.count("help") > 0)
+    {
+      std::cout << opts.help() << std::endl;
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (result.count("verbose") > 0)
+    {
+      logLevel = lokimq::LogLevel::debug;
+    }
+    if (result.count("rpc") > 0)
+    {
+      rpcURL = lokimq::address(result["rpc"].as<std::string>());
+    }
+    if (result.count("exit") > 0)
+    {
+      exitAddress = result["exit"].as<std::string>();
+    }
+    goUp = result.count("up") > 0;
+    goDown = result.count("down") > 0;
+  }
+  catch (const cxxopts::option_not_exists_exception& ex)
+  {
+    std::cerr << ex.what();
+    std::cout << opts.help() << std::endl;
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if ((not goUp) and (not goDown))
+  {
+    std::cout << opts.help() << std::endl;
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (goUp and exitAddress.empty())
+  {
+    std::cout << "no exit address provided" << std::endl;
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  lokimq::LokiMQ lmq{[](lokimq::LogLevel lvl, const char* file, int line, std::string msg) {
+                       std::cout << lvl << " [" << file << ":" << line << "] " << msg << std::endl;
+                     },
+                     logLevel};
+
+  lmq.start();
+
+  std::promise<bool> connectPromise;
+
+  const auto connID = lmq.connect_remote(
+      rpcURL,
+      [&connectPromise](auto) { connectPromise.set_value(true); },
+      [&connectPromise](auto, std::string_view msg) {
+        std::cout << "failed to connect to lokinet RPC: " << msg << std::endl;
+        connectPromise.set_value(false);
+      });
+
+  auto ftr = connectPromise.get_future();
+  if (not ftr.get())
+  {
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  return 0;
+}