diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f24cd995..c40d562d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ pip-log.txt
 
 #Mr Developer
 .mr.developer.cfg
+
+# Packaging output
+*.deb
diff --git a/akanda/rug/main.py b/akanda/rug/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3dc7efb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akanda/rug/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import logging
+import multiprocessing
+import sys
+
+from oslo.config import cfg
+
+from akanda.rug import notifications
+from akanda.rug import scheduler
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def worker(message):
+    # TODO(dhellmann): Replace with something from the state machine
+    # module.
+    LOG.debug('got: %s', message)
+
+
+def shuffle_notifications(notification_queue, sched):
+    """Copy messages from the notification queue into the scheduler.
+    """
+    while True:
+        try:
+            message = notification_queue.get()
+            sched.handle_message(message)
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            sched.stop()
+            break
+
+
+def main(argv=sys.argv[1:]):
+    cfg.CONF.register_cli_opts([
+        cfg.IntOpt('health-check-period',
+                   default=60,
+                   help='seconds between health checks'),
+        cfg.IntOpt('num-workers',
+                   short='n',
+                   default=16,
+                   help='the number of worker processes to run'),
+    ])
+    cfg.CONF(argv, project='akanda')
+    logging.basicConfig(
+        level=logging.DEBUG,
+        format='%(processName)s:%(name)s:%(message)s',
+    )
+
+    # Set up the queue to move messages between the eventlet-based
+    # listening process and the scheduler.
+    notification_queue = multiprocessing.Queue()
+
+    # Listen for notifications.
+    #
+    # TODO(dhellmann): We will need to pass config settings through
+    # here, or have the child process reset the cfg.CONF object.
+    notifications.listen(notification_queue)
+
+    # Set up the scheduler that knows how to manage the routers and
+    # dispatch messages.
+    sched = scheduler.Scheduler(
+        num_workers=cfg.CONF.num_workers,
+        worker_func=worker,
+    )
+    shuffle_notifications(notification_queue,
+                          sched,
+                          )
+
+    LOG.info('exiting')
diff --git a/akanda/rug/notifications.py b/akanda/rug/notifications.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ecaf1d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akanda/rug/notifications.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+"""Listen for notifications.
+"""
+
+
+def listen(notification_queue):
+    # TODO(dhellmann): Replace with a version of the service code from
+    # oslo that knows how to subscribe to notifications.
+    for i in range(5):
+        notification_queue.put({'key': 'value'})
diff --git a/akanda/rug/scheduler.py b/akanda/rug/scheduler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3dcc9dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akanda/rug/scheduler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+"""Scheduler to send messages for a given router to the correct worker.
+"""
+
+import logging
+import multiprocessing
+import signal
+
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def _worker(inq, callback):
+    """Scheduler's worker process main function.
+    """
+    # Ignore SIGINT, since the parent will catch it and give us a
+    # chance to exit cleanly.
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, signal.SIG_IGN)
+    LOG.debug('starting')
+    while True:
+        data = inq.get()
+        try:
+            callback(data)
+        except Exception:
+            LOG.exception('Error processing data %s' % data)
+        if data is None:
+            break
+    LOG.debug('exiting')
+
+
+class Scheduler(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, num_workers, worker_func):
+        """
+        :param num_workers: The number of worker processes to create.
+        :type num_workers: int
+        :param worker_func: Callable for the worker processes to use
+                            when a notification is received.
+        :type worker_func: Callable taking one argument.
+        """
+        if num_workers < 1:
+            raise ValueError('Need at least one worker process')
+        self.num_workers = num_workers
+        self.workers = []
+        # Create several worker processes, each with its own queue for
+        # sending it instructions based on the notifications we get
+        # when someone calls our handle_message() method.
+        for i in range(self.num_workers):
+            wq = multiprocessing.JoinableQueue()
+            worker = multiprocessing.Process(
+                target=_worker,
+                kwargs={
+                    'inq': wq,
+                    'callback': worker_func,
+                },
+                name='Worker %d' % i,
+            )
+            worker.start()
+            self.workers.append({
+                'queue': wq,
+                'worker': worker,
+            })
+
+    def stop(self):
+        """Shutdown all workers cleanly.
+        """
+        LOG.info('shutting down scheduler')
+        # Send a poison pill to all of the workers
+        for w in self.workers:
+            LOG.debug('sending stop message to %s', w['worker'].name)
+            w['queue'].put(None)
+        # Wait for the workers to finish and be ready to exit.
+        for w in self.workers:
+            LOG.debug('waiting for %s', w['worker'].name)
+            w['queue'].close()
+            w['worker'].join()
+
+    def handle_message(self, message):
+        """Call this method when a new notification message is delivered. The
+        scheduler will distribute it to the appropriate worker.
+        """
+        # TODO(dhellmann): Need a real dispatching algorithm here.
+        for w in self.workers:
+            w['queue'].put(message)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9dc53a03..be607cb5 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ setup(
     zip_safe=False,
     entry_points={
         'console_scripts': [
-            'akanda-rug-service=akanda.rug.service:main'
+            'akanda-rug-service=akanda.rug.service:main',
+            'akanda-rug-new=akanda.rug.main:main',
         ]
     },
 )