diff --git a/cli/cli.go b/cli/cli.go
index 43ef3f7..9574237 100644
--- a/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cli/cli.go
@@ -24,3 +24,14 @@ func Printf (format string, values ...any) {
 func ServiceUser (service string) string {
 	return "hn-" + strings.ToLower(service)
 }
+
+// NeedRoot halts the program and displays an error if it is not being run as
+// root. This should be called whenever an operation takes place that requires
+// root privelages.
+func NeedRoot() {
+	uid := os.Getuid()
+	if uid != 0 {
+		Sayf("this utility must be run as root")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/hnctl/main.go b/cmd/hnctl/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cda221
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/hnctl/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package main
+
+import "os"
+import "fmt"
+import "time"
+import "flag"
+import "os/exec"
+import "hnakra/cli"
+import "path/filepath"
+import "hnakra/cmd/hnctl/spawn"
+
+func main () {
+	flag.Usage = func () {
+		out := flag.CommandLine.Output()
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "Usage of %s:\n", os.Args[0])
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "  start\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "    Start a service\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "  stop\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "    Stop a service\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "  restart\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "    Start and then stop a service\n")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// define commands
+	startCommand := flag.NewFlagSet("start", flag.ExitOnError)
+	startService := startCommand.String("s", "router", "Service to start")
+	
+	stopCommand := flag.NewFlagSet("stop", flag.ExitOnError)
+	stopService := stopCommand.String("s", "router", "Service to stop")
+	
+	restartCommand := flag.NewFlagSet("restart", flag.ExitOnError)
+	restartService := stopCommand.String("s", "router", "Service to restart")
+	
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	// execute correct command
+	if len(os.Args) < 2 {
+		flag.Usage()
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	subCommandArgs := os.Args[2:]
+	switch os.Args[1] {
+	case "start":
+		startCommand.Parse(subCommandArgs)
+		execStart(*startService)
+	case "stop":
+		stopCommand.Parse(subCommandArgs)
+		execStop(*stopService)
+	case "restart":
+		restartCommand.Parse(subCommandArgs)
+		execStop(*restartService)
+		execStart(*restartService)
+	}
+}
+
+func execStart (service string) {
+	fullName := cli.ServiceUser(service)
+	cli.NeedRoot()
+	
+	pid, err := spawn.PidOf(fullName)
+	if err == nil && spawn.Running(pid) {
+		cli.Sayf("service is already running")
+		return
+	}
+	
+	uid, gid, err := spawn.LookupUID(fullName)
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("cannot start service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	
+	path, err := exec.LookPath(fullName)
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("cannot start service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	logDir := filepath.Join("/var/log/", fullName)
+	env := append(os.Environ(), "HNAKRA_LOG_DIR=" + logDir)
+	err = ensureLogDir(logDir, int(uid), int(gid))
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("cannot start service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// prepare pidfile. the service will be responsible for actually writing
+	// to it
+	err = ensurePidFile(spawn.PidFile(fullName), int(uid), int(gid))
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("cannot start service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// spawn the service
+	pid, err = spawn.Spawn(path, uid, gid, env)
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("cannot start service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	
+	fmt.Println(pid)
+}
+
+func execStop (service string) {
+	fullName := cli.ServiceUser(service)
+	cli.NeedRoot()
+	
+	pid, err := spawn.PidOf(fullName)
+	if err != nil || !spawn.Running(pid) {
+		cli.Sayf("service is not running")
+		return
+	}
+
+	process, err := os.FindProcess(pid)
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("service is not running")
+		return
+	}
+
+	err = spawn.KillAndWait(process, 16 * time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		cli.Sayf("could not stop service: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
+
+func ensureLogDir (directory string, uid, gid int) error {
+	err := os.MkdirAll(directory, 0755)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+	err = os.Chmod(directory, 0770)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+	err = os.Chown(directory, uid, gid)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func ensurePidFile (file string, uid, gid int) error {
+	pidFile, err := os.Create(file)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+	err = pidFile.Close()
+	if err != nil { return err }
+	
+	err = os.Chmod(file, 0660)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+	err = os.Chown(file, uid, gid)
+	if err != nil { return err }
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/hnctl/spawn/spawn.go b/cmd/hnctl/spawn/spawn.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..558351e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/hnctl/spawn/spawn.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+// Package spawn provides utilities for daemonizing services.
+package spawn
+
+import "os"
+import "fmt"
+import "time"
+import "errors"
+import "syscall"
+import "os/user"
+import "strconv"
+import "path/filepath"
+
+// Spawn spawns a process in the background and returns its PID.
+func Spawn (path string, uid, gid uint32, env []string, args ...string) (pid int, err error) {
+	cred := &syscall.Credential{
+		Uid:         uid,
+		Gid:         gid,
+		Groups:      []uint32{},
+		NoSetGroups: false,
+	}
+
+	// the Noctty flag is used to detach the process from parent tty
+	sysproc := &syscall.SysProcAttr{
+		Credential: cred,
+		Noctty:     true,
+	}
+	attr := os.ProcAttr{
+		Dir: ".",
+		Env: os.Environ(),
+		Files: []*os.File{
+			os.Stdin,
+			nil,
+			nil,
+		},
+		Sys: sysproc,
+	}
+
+	process, err := os.StartProcess(path, args, &attr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	// Release() is what actually detatches the process and places it under
+	// init
+	return process.Pid, process.Release()
+}
+
+// LookupUID returns the uid and gid of the given username, if it exists.
+func LookupUID (name string) (uid, gid uint32, err error) {
+	user, err := user.Lookup(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+
+	puid, err := strconv.Atoi(user.Uid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	pgid, err := strconv.Atoi(user.Gid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	return uint32(puid), uint32(pgid), nil
+}
+
+// PidFile returns the path of a pidfile under the specified name. More
+// specifically, it returns `/run/<name>.pid`.
+func PidFile (name string) string {
+	return filepath.Join("/run/", name + ".pid")
+}
+
+// PidOf returns the PID stored in the pidfile of the given name as defined by
+// PidFile.
+func PidOf (name string) (pid int, err error) {
+	content, err := os.ReadFile(PidFile(name))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	pid, err = strconv.Atoi(string(content))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return pid, nil
+}
+
+// Running returns whether or not a process with the given PID is running.
+func Running (pid int) bool {
+	directoryInfo, err := os.Stat("/proc/")
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) || !directoryInfo.IsDir() {
+		// if /proc/ does not exist, fallback to sending a signal
+		process, err := os.FindProcess(pid)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		err = process.Signal(syscall.Signal(0))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+	} else {
+		// if /proc/ exists, see if the process's directory exists there
+		_, err = os.Stat("/proc/" + strconv.Itoa(pid))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
+// KillAndWait kills a process and waits for it to finish, with a timeout. If
+// the timeout is zero, it will wait indefinetly. This function will poll every
+// 100 milliseconds to see if the process has finished.
+func KillAndWait (process *os.Process, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	pid := process.Pid
+	err := process.Kill()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// wait for the process to exit, with a timeout
+	timeoutPoint := time.Now()
+	for timeout == 0 || time.Since(timeoutPoint) < 16 * time.Second {
+		if !Running(pid) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf (
+		"timeout exceeded while waiting for process %d to finish", pid))
+}