diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 569e29a..09e1786 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -603,6 +603,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "damocles-daemon"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
  "matrix-sdk",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c2a714b..80f5da5 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1"
 tracing = "0.1"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }
+anyhow = "1"
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 86b8dea..a90026a 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
             nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ pkg-config ];
             buildInputs = with pkgs; [
               openssl
+              sqlite
             ];
 
             meta = {
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@
               rustfmt
               pkg-config
               openssl
+              sqlite
             ];
           };
         }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fa21983..b238a42 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,186 @@
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, bail};
+use matrix_sdk::{
+    Client, Room, RoomState,
+    authentication::matrix::MatrixSession,
+    config::SyncSettings,
+    ruma::{
+        api::client::filter::FilterDefinition,
+        events::room::message::{MessageType, OriginalSyncRoomMessageEvent},
+    },
+};
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use tokio::fs;
 use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+struct Config {
+    homeserver: String,
+    username: String,
+    password: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+struct PersistedSession {
+    homeserver: String,
+    db_path: PathBuf,
+    user_session: MatrixSession,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    sync_token: Option<String>,
+}
+
+const STATE_DIR: &str = "/persist/damocles-lab/state";
+const CONFIG_PATH: &str = "/persist/damocles-lab/config.json";
+
 #[tokio::main]
-async fn main() {
+async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     tracing_subscriber::fmt()
         .with_env_filter(EnvFilter::from_default_env())
         .init();
 
     tracing::info!("damocles-daemon starting");
-    tracing::info!("the cage has a door now");
+
+    let state_dir = Path::new(STATE_DIR);
+    fs::create_dir_all(state_dir).await?;
+
+    let session_file = state_dir.join("session.json");
+    let db_path = state_dir.join("db");
+
+    let (client, sync_token) = if session_file.exists() {
+        restore_session(&session_file).await?
+    } else {
+        let config = load_config().await?;
+        (login(&config, &db_path, &session_file).await?, None)
+    };
+
+    sync(client, sync_token, &session_file).await
+}
+
+async fn load_config() -> anyhow::Result<Config> {
+    let data = fs::read_to_string(CONFIG_PATH)
+        .await
+        .context("failed to read config.json")?;
+    serde_json::from_str(&data).context("failed to parse config.json")
+}
+
+async fn restore_session(session_file: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<(Client, Option<String>)> {
+    let data = fs::read_to_string(session_file).await?;
+    let session: PersistedSession = serde_json::from_str(&data)?;
+
+    tracing::info!(user = %session.user_session.meta.user_id, "restoring session");
+
+    let client = Client::builder()
+        .homeserver_url(&session.homeserver)
+        .sqlite_store(&session.db_path, None)
+        .build()
+        .await?;
+
+    client.restore_session(session.user_session).await?;
+
+    Ok((client, session.sync_token))
+}
+
+async fn login(
+    config: &Config,
+    db_path: &Path,
+    session_file: &Path,
+) -> anyhow::Result<Client> {
+    tracing::info!(homeserver = %config.homeserver, user = %config.username, "logging in");
+
+    let client = Client::builder()
+        .homeserver_url(&config.homeserver)
+        .sqlite_store(db_path, None)
+        .build()
+        .await?;
+
+    client
+        .matrix_auth()
+        .login_username(&config.username, &config.password)
+        .initial_device_display_name("damocles-daemon")
+        .await?;
+
+    let user_session = client
+        .matrix_auth()
+        .session()
+        .context("no session after login")?;
+
+    let persisted = PersistedSession {
+        homeserver: config.homeserver.clone(),
+        db_path: db_path.to_owned(),
+        user_session,
+        sync_token: None,
+    };
+    fs::write(session_file, serde_json::to_string_pretty(&persisted)?).await?;
+
+    tracing::info!("session persisted");
+    Ok(client)
+}
+
+async fn sync(
+    client: Client,
+    initial_sync_token: Option<String>,
+    session_file: &Path,
+) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    tracing::info!("initial sync (ignoring past messages)");
+
+    let filter = FilterDefinition::with_lazy_loading();
+    let mut sync_settings = SyncSettings::default().filter(filter.into());
+
+    if let Some(token) = initial_sync_token {
+        sync_settings = sync_settings.token(token);
+    }
+
+    // initial sync loop - retries on transient errors
+    loop {
+        match client.sync_once(sync_settings.clone()).await {
+            Ok(response) => {
+                sync_settings = sync_settings.token(response.next_batch.clone());
+                persist_sync_token(session_file, response.next_batch).await?;
+                break;
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                tracing::warn!("initial sync failed, retrying: {e}");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    tracing::info!("synced, listening for messages");
+
+    client.add_event_handler(on_room_message);
+
+    // main sync loop
+    client.sync(sync_settings).await?;
+
+    bail!("sync loop exited unexpectedly")
+}
+
+async fn persist_sync_token(session_file: &Path, sync_token: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let data = fs::read_to_string(session_file).await?;
+    let mut session: PersistedSession = serde_json::from_str(&data)?;
+    session.sync_token = Some(sync_token);
+    fs::write(session_file, serde_json::to_string_pretty(&session)?).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn on_room_message(event: OriginalSyncRoomMessageEvent, room: Room) {
+    if room.state() != RoomState::Joined {
+        return;
+    }
+    let MessageType::Text(text_content) = &event.content.msgtype else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    let room_name = room
+        .display_name()
+        .await
+        .map(|n| n.to_string())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| room.room_id().to_string());
+
+    tracing::info!(
+        room = %room_name,
+        sender = %event.sender,
+        "{}",
+        text_content.body
+    );
 }