diff --git a/cmd/lotus/daemon.go b/cmd/lotus/daemon.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3ad9f4620
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/lotus/daemon.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// +build !nodaemon
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
+	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v2"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/node"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/node/repo"
+)
+
+// DaemonCmd is the `go-lotus daemon` command
+var DaemonCmd = &cli.Command{
+	Name:  "daemon",
+	Usage: "Start a lotus daemon process",
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "api",
+			Value: "1234",
+		},
+	},
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		ctx := context.Background()
+		r, err := repo.NewFS(cctx.String("repo"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := r.Init(); err != nil && err != repo.ErrRepoExists {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		api, err := node.New(ctx,
+			node.Online(),
+			node.Repo(r),
+
+			node.Override(node.SetApiEndpointKey, func(lr repo.LockedRepo) error {
+				apima, err := multiaddr.NewMultiaddr("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/" + cctx.String("api"))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				return lr.SetAPIEndpoint(apima)
+			}),
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// TODO: properly parse api endpoint (or make it a URL)
+		return serveRPC(api, "127.0.0.1:"+cctx.String("api"))
+	},
+}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus/daemon_nodaemon.go b/cmd/lotus/daemon_nodaemon.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbaaa4963
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/lotus/daemon_nodaemon.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// +build nodaemon
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v2"
+)
+
+// DaemonCmd is the `go-lotus daemon` command
+var Cmd = &cli.Command{
+	Name:  "daemon",
+	Usage: "Start a lotus daemon process",
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "api",
+			Value: ":1234",
+		},
+	},
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		return errors.New("daemon support not included in this binary")
+	},
+}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus/rpc.go b/cmd/lotus/rpc.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8801bd0c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/lotus/rpc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/api"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/lib/jsonrpc"
+)
+
+func serveRPC(api api.API, addr string) error {
+	rpcServer := jsonrpc.NewServer()
+	rpcServer.Register("Filecoin", api)
+	http.Handle("/rpc/v0", rpcServer)
+	return http.ListenAndServe(addr, http.DefaultServeMux)
+}