diff --git a/cmd/lotus-provider/run.go b/cmd/lotus-provider/run.go
index b1a4ff828..b5a286ba7 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-provider/run.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-provider/run.go
@@ -117,13 +117,10 @@ var runCmd = &cli.Command{
 		dependencies := &deps.Deps{}
 		err = dependencies.PopulateRemainingDeps(ctx, cctx, true)
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println("err", err)
 			return err
 		}
-		fmt.Println("ef")
 
 		taskEngine, err := tasks.StartTasks(ctx, dependencies)
-		fmt.Println("gh")
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil
diff --git a/lib/harmony/harmonydb/sql/20231225-message-waits.sql b/lib/harmony/harmonydb/sql/20231225-message-waits.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3cfc1b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/harmony/harmonydb/sql/20231225-message-waits.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+create table message_waits (
+    signed_message_cid text primary key references message_sends (signed_cid),
+    waiter_machine_id int references harmony_machines (id) on delete set null,
+
+    executed_tsk_cid text,
+    executed_tsk_epoch bigint,
+    executed_msg_cid text,
+    executed_msg_data jsonb,
+
+    executed_rcpt_exitcode bigint,
+    executed_rcpt_return bytea,
+    executed_rcpt_gas_used bigint
+)
diff --git a/provider/lpmessage/watch.go b/provider/lpmessage/watch.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f18e5add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/provider/lpmessage/watch.go
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+package lpmessage
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/lib/harmony/harmonydb"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/lib/harmony/harmonytask"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/provider/chainsched"
+	"sync/atomic"
+)
+
+/*
+create table message_waits (
+
+	signed_message_cid text primary key references message_sends (signed_cid),
+	waiter_machine_id int references harmony_machines (id) on delete set null,
+
+	executed_tsk_cid text,
+	executed_tsk_epoch bigint,
+	executed_msg_cid text,
+	executed_msg_data jsonb,
+
+	executed_rcpt_exitcode bigint,
+	executed_rcpt_return bytea,
+	executed_rcpt_gas_used bigint
+
+)
+
+create table message_sends
+(
+
+	from_key     text   not null,
+	to_addr      text   not null,
+	send_reason  text   not null,
+	send_task_id bigint not null,
+
+	unsigned_data bytea not null,
+	unsigned_cid  text  not null,
+
+	nonce        bigint,
+	signed_data  bytea,
+	signed_json  jsonb,
+	signed_cid   text,
+
+	send_time    timestamp default null,
+	send_success boolean   default null,
+	send_error   text,
+
+	constraint message_sends_pk
+	    primary key (send_task_id, from_key)
+
+);
+*/
+type MessageWaiter struct {
+	db *harmonydb.DB
+	ht *harmonytask.TaskEngine
+
+	stopping, stopped chan struct{}
+
+	updateCh chan struct{}
+	bestTs   atomic.Pointer[types.TipSetKey]
+}
+
+func NewMessageWaiter(db *harmonydb.DB, ht *harmonytask.TaskEngine, pcs *chainsched.ProviderChainSched) (*MessageWaiter, error) {
+	mw := &MessageWaiter{
+		db:       db,
+		ht:       ht,
+		stopping: make(chan struct{}),
+		stopped:  make(chan struct{}),
+		updateCh: make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+	mw.run()
+	if err := pcs.AddHandler(mw.processHeadChange); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return mw, nil
+}
+
+func (mw *MessageWaiter) run() {
+	defer close(mw.stopped)
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-mw.stopping:
+			// todo cleanup assignments
+			return
+		case <-mw.updateCh:
+			mw.update()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (mw *MessageWaiter) update() {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	tsk := *mw.bestTs.Load()
+
+	machineID := mw.ht.ResourcesAvailable().MachineID
+
+	// first if we see pending messages with null owner, assign them to ourselves
+	{
+		n, err := mw.db.Exec(ctx, `UPDATE message_waits SET owner_machine_id = $1 WHERE owner_machine_id IS NULL AND executed_tsk_cid IS NULL`, machineID)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("failed to assign pending messages: %+v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		if n > 0 {
+			log.Debugw("assigned pending messages to ourselves", "assigned", n)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// get messages assigned to us
+	var msgs []struct {
+		Cid   string
+		Nonce uint64
+	}
+
+	// really large limit in case of things getting stuck and backlogging severely
+	err := mw.db.Select(ctx, &msgs, `SELECT signed_message_cid FROM message_waits WHERE owner_machine_id = $1 LIMIT 10000`, machineID)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("failed to get assigned messages: %+v", err)
+		return
+	}
+}
+
+func (mw *MessageWaiter) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
+	close(mw.stopping)
+	select {
+	case <-mw.stopped:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (mw *MessageWaiter) processHeadChange(ctx context.Context, revert *types.TipSet, apply *types.TipSet) error {
+	best := apply.Key()
+	mw.bestTs.Store(&best)
+	select {
+	case mw.updateCh <- struct{}{}:
+	default:
+	}
+	return nil
+}