diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 793b1c872..4f5fec79e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ option(USE_AVX2 "enable avx2 code" OFF)
 option(USE_NETNS "enable networking namespace support. Linux only" OFF)
 option(NATIVE_BUILD "optimise for host system and FPU" ON)
 option(EMBEDDED_CFG "optimise for older hardware or embedded systems" OFF)
-option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "build lokinet libraries as shared libraries instead of static" OFF)
+option(BUILD_LIBLOKINET "build liblokinet.so" ON)
 option(SHADOW "use shadow testing framework. linux only" OFF)
 option(XSAN "use sanitiser, if your system has it (requires -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug)" OFF)
 option(WITH_JEMALLOC "use jemalloc as allocator" OFF)
diff --git a/crypto/CMakeLists.txt b/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
index bbadc09f0..083d6bfb6 100644
--- a/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 add_library(lokinet-cryptography
+  STATIC
   libntrup/src/ntru.cpp
   libntrup/src/ref/randomsmall.c
   libntrup/src/ref/swap.c
@@ -58,10 +59,6 @@ endif()
 enable_lto(lokinet-cryptography)
 add_log_tag(lokinet-cryptography)
 
-if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-  install(TARGETS lokinet-cryptography LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
-endif()
-
 if (WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS)
   target_compile_options(lokinet-cryptography PUBLIC -Wall -Wextra -Werror)
 endif()
diff --git a/include/lokinet.h b/include/lokinet.h
index 878070afc..92a754ff0 100644
--- a/include/lokinet.h
+++ b/include/lokinet.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define LOKINET_H
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
diff --git a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
index 54566ee07..864d0218d 100644
--- a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 include(Version)
 
 add_library(lokinet-util
+  STATIC
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/constants/version.cpp
   util/bencode.cpp
   util/buffer.cpp
@@ -47,7 +48,8 @@ if(ANDROID)
 endif()
 
 add_library(lokinet-platform
-# for networking
+  STATIC
+  # for networking
   ev/ev.cpp
   ev/ev_libuv.cpp
   net/ip.cpp
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "FreeBSD")
 endif()
 
 add_library(liblokinet
+  STATIC
   config/config.cpp
   config/definition.cpp
   config/ini.cpp
@@ -230,13 +233,16 @@ target_link_libraries(liblokinet PUBLIC cxxopts lokinet-platform lokinet-util lo
 target_link_libraries(liblokinet PRIVATE libunbound)
 
 
-if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+if(BUILD_LIBLOKINET)
   include(GNUInstallDirs)
-
-  install(TARGETS lokinet-util lokinet-platform liblokinet LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+  add_library(lokinet-shared SHARED lokinet_shared.cpp)
+  set_target_properties(lokinet-shared PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME lokinet)
+  target_link_libraries(lokinet-shared liblokinet)
+  install(TARGETS lokinet-shared LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
   if(WIN32)
-    target_link_libraries(liblokinet PUBLIC ws2_32 iphlpapi)
+    target_link_libraries(lokinet-shared PUBLIC ws2_32 iphlpapi)
   endif()
+  add_log_tag(lokinet-shared)
 endif()
 
 foreach(lokinet_lib liblokinet lokinet-platform lokinet-util lokinet-cryptography)
@@ -244,5 +250,5 @@ foreach(lokinet_lib liblokinet lokinet-platform lokinet-util lokinet-cryptograph
 endforeach()
 
 file(GLOB_RECURSE docs_SRC */*.hpp *.hpp)
-  
+
 set(DOCS_SRC ${docs_SRC} PARENT_SCOPE)
diff --git a/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bbdb5287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+
+
+#include "lokinet.h"
+#include "llarp.hpp"
+#include "config/config.hpp"
+
+struct lokinet_context
+{
+  std::shared_ptr<llarp::Context> impl;
+
+  std::unique_ptr<std::thread> runner;
+
+  lokinet_context() : impl{std::make_shared<llarp::Context>()}
+  {}
+
+  ~lokinet_context()
+  {
+    if (runner)
+      runner->join();
+  }
+};
+
+struct lokinet_context g_context
+{};
+
+extern "C"
+{
+  struct lokinet_context*
+  lokinet_default()
+  {
+    return &g_context;
+  }
+
+  struct lokinet_context*
+  lokinet_context_new()
+  {
+    return new lokinet_context{};
+  }
+
+  void
+  lokinet_context_free(struct lokinet_context* ctx)
+  {
+    delete ctx;
+  }
+
+  void
+  lokinet_context_start(struct lokinet_context* ctx)
+  {
+    ctx->runner = std::make_unique<std::thread>([ctx]() {
+      auto config = std::make_shared<llarp::Config>(fs::path{""});
+      ctx->impl->Configure(config);
+      const llarp::RuntimeOptions opts{};
+      ctx->impl->Setup(opts);
+    });
+  }
+
+  void
+  lokinet_context_stop(struct lokinet_context* ctx)
+  {
+    ctx->impl->CloseAsync();
+    ctx->impl->Wait();
+  }
+}