diff --git a/exec.prs b/exec.prs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8760498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exec.prs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+; Copied from ../syndicate-rs/syndicate-server/protocols/schemas/externalServices.prs
+version 1 .
+
+Exec = <exec @argv CommandLine @restartPolicy RestartPolicy> .
+
+CommandLine = @shell string / @full FullCommandLine .
+FullCommandLine = [@program string @args string ...] .
+
+RestartPolicy =
+/ ; Whether the process terminates normally or abnormally, restart it
+  ; without affecting any peer processes within the service.
+  =always
+/ ; If the process terminates normally, leave everything alone; if it
+  ; terminates abnormally, restart it without affecting peers.
+  @onError =on-error
+/ ; If the process terminates normally, leave everything alone; if it
+  ; terminates abnormally, restart the whole daemon (all processes
+  ; within the daemon).
+  =all
+/ ; Treat both normal and abnormal termination as normal termination; that is, never restart,
+  ; and enter state "complete" even if the process fails.
+  =never
+.
diff --git a/src/exec.nim b/src/exec.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60a9717
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/exec.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+import
+  std/typetraits, preserves
+
+type
+  CommandLineKind* {.pure.} = enum
+    `shell`, `full`
+  CommandLineShell* = string
+  `CommandLine`* {.preservesOr.} = object
+    case orKind*: CommandLineKind
+    of CommandLineKind.`shell`:
+        `shell`*: CommandLineShell
+
+    of CommandLineKind.`full`:
+        `full`*: FullCommandLine
+
+  
+  Exec* {.preservesRecord: "exec".} = object
+    `argv`*: CommandLine
+    `restartPolicy`*: RestartPolicy
+
+  `RestartPolicy`* {.preservesOr, pure.} = enum
+    `always`, `onError`, `all`, `never`
+  FullCommandLine* {.preservesTuple.} = object
+    `program`*: string
+    `args`* {.preservesTupleTail.}: seq[string]
+
+proc `$`*(x: CommandLine | Exec | FullCommandLine): string =
+  `$`(toPreserve(x))
+
+proc encode*(x: CommandLine | Exec | FullCommandLine): seq[byte] =
+  encode(toPreserve(x))
diff --git a/src/uri_runner.nim b/src/uri_runner.nim
index 48ef719..c97884e 100644
--- a/src/uri_runner.nim
+++ b/src/uri_runner.nim
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: ☭ 2022 Emery Hemingway
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense
 
-import std/[asyncdispatch, deques, re, streams, strutils, osproc]
-import preserves
-import syndicate
-import ./protocol
+import std/[asyncdispatch, re]
+import preserves, syndicate
+import ./protocol, ./exec
 
 bootDataspace("main") do (root: Ref; turn: var Turn):
-  var
-    actions: seq[tuple[regex: Regex; cmd: string; args: seq[Assertion]]]
-    children: Deque[Process]
+  var actions: seq[tuple[regex: Regex; cmd: string; args: seq[Assertion]]]
 
   connectStdio(root, turn)
 
@@ -26,12 +23,6 @@ bootDataspace("main") do (root: Ref; turn: var Turn):
   during(turn, root, ?ListenOn[Ref]) do (a: Assertion):
     let ds = unembed a
     onMessage(turn, ds, ?XdgOpen) do (uris: seq[string]):
-      while children.len > 0 and not children.peekFirst.running:
-        var child = children.popFirst()
-        if child.peekExitCode != 0:
-          stderr.writeLine child.errorStream.readAll
-        close child
-        # TODO check children on a timer?
       for uri in uris:
         var matched: bool
         for act in actions:
@@ -46,9 +37,13 @@ bootDataspace("main") do (root: Ref; turn: var Turn):
                   args[i] = uri
                 else:
                   args[i] = replacef(uri, act.regex, "$" & $arg.int)
-            var child = startProcess(
-              command = act.cmd, args = args, options = {})
-            children.addLast child
+            message(turn, root, Exec(
+              argv: CommandLine(
+                orKind: CommandLineKind.full,
+                full: FullCommandLine(
+                  program: act.cmd,
+                  args: args)),
+              restartPolicy: RestartPolicy.never))
         if not matched:
           stderr.writeLine "no actions matched for ", uri
   do:
diff --git a/uri_runner.pr b/uri_runner.pr
index 57800bb..dcb07ff 100644
--- a/uri_runner.pr
+++ b/uri_runner.pr
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ let ?root_ds = dataspace
 }>
 
 ? <service-object <daemon uri_runner> ?cap> [
+
+  ; send configuration to uri_runner
   $cap [
     <listen-on $root_ds>
 
@@ -29,4 +31,20 @@ let ?root_ds = dataspace
     ; filesystem paths are always prefixed with file://
     <action-handler "file://(.*.pdf)" ["/run/current-system/sw/bin/mupdf" 1]>
   ]
+
+  ; uri_runner sends messages to the server to start handler applications
+  $cap ?? <exec ?argv ?restartPolicy> [
+    let ?id = timestamp
+    let ?facet = facet
+    let ?d = <uri_runner-exec $id $argv>
+    $config <run-service <daemon $d>>
+    $config <daemon $d {
+      argv: $argv,
+      readyOnStart: #f,
+      restart: $restartPolicy,
+    }>
+    $config ? <service-state <daemon $d> complete> [$facet ! stop]
+    $config ? <service-state <daemon $d> failed>   [$facet ! stop]
+  ]
+
 ]
diff --git a/xdg_open_ng.nimble b/xdg_open_ng.nimble
index ed70d17..68bdf83 100644
--- a/xdg_open_ng.nimble
+++ b/xdg_open_ng.nimble
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Package
 
-version       = "0.3.2"
+version       = "0.4.0"
 author        = "Emery"
 description   = "A better xdg-open"
 license       = "Unlicense"