diff --git a/flock/Makefile b/flock/Makefile
index c873e169..a108abbb 100644
--- a/flock/Makefile
+++ b/flock/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-src := ctl.c flock.c hypervisor.c
+src := container.c ctl.c flock.c hypervisor.c
 obj := $(src-o-files)
 
 flock=$(exedir)/flock-sim
diff --git a/flock/container.c b/flock/container.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f062095e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flock/container.c
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#include "lib/birdlib.h"
+#include "lib/cbor.h"
+#include "lib/io-loop.h"
+
+#include "flock/flock.h"
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+void
+container_start(struct birdsock *s, struct flock_machine_container_config *cfg)
+{
+  log(L_INFO "Requested to start a container, name %s, base %s, work %s",
+      cfg->cf.name, cfg->basedir, cfg->workdir);
+
+  struct linpool *lp = lp_new(s->pool);
+  struct cbor_writer *cw = cbor_init(s->tbuf, s->tbsize, lp);
+  cbor_open_block_with_length(cw, 1);
+  cbor_add_int(cw, -1);
+  cbor_add_string(cw, "OK");
+  sk_send(s, cw->pt);
+  rfree(lp);
+}
diff --git a/flock/ctl.c b/flock/ctl.c
index e2dc8f51..0291e5c1 100644
--- a/flock/ctl.c
+++ b/flock/ctl.c
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
  *   - 0 with NULL (7-22) = shutdown the hypervisor
  *   - 1 with NULL = open a telnet listener
  *   - 2 with NULL = close the telnet listener (if not used)
- *   - 3 with array of strings = run the given command inside the hypervisor
+ *   - 3 with one string = create a machine of this name
+ *   - 4 with array of strings = run the given command inside the hypervisor
  */
 
 struct cbor_parser_context {
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ struct cbor_parser_context {
 #define LOCAL_STACK_MAX_DEPTH 3
   u64 stack_countdown[LOCAL_STACK_MAX_DEPTH];
   uint stack_pos;
+
+  /* Specific */
+  union flock_machine_config cfg;
 };
 
 #define CBOR_PARSER_ERROR(...)	do {		\
@@ -158,7 +162,7 @@ hcs_parse(struct cbor_parser_context *ctx, const byte *buf, s64 size)
 	    if (ctx->type != 0)
 	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected integer, got %u", ctx->type);
 
-	    if (ctx->value >= 4)
+	    if (ctx->value >= 5)
 	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Command key too high, got %lu", ctx->value);
 
 	    ctx->major_state = ctx->value + 2;
@@ -201,10 +205,86 @@ hcs_parse(struct cbor_parser_context *ctx, const byte *buf, s64 size)
 	    ctx->major_state = 1;
 	    break;
 
-	  case 5: /* process spawner */
+	  case 5: /* machine creation request */
+	    if (ctx->type != 5)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected mapping, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    ctx->major_state = 501;
+	    break;
+
+	  case 6: /* process spawner */
 	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("NOT IMPLEMENTED YET");
 	    break;
 
+	  case 501: /* machine creation argument */
+	    if (ctx->type != 0)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected integer, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    if (ctx->value >= 5)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Command key too high, got %lu", ctx->value);
+
+	    ctx->major_state = ctx->value + 502;
+	    break;
+
+	  case 502: /* machine creation argument 0: name */
+	    if (ctx->type != 3)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected string, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    if (value_is_special)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Variable length string not supported yet");
+
+	    if (ctx->cfg.cf.name)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Duplicate argument 0 / name");
+
+	    ASSERT_DIE(!ctx->target_buf);
+	    ctx->cfg.cf.name = ctx->target_buf = lp_alloc(ctx->lp, ctx->value + 1);
+	    ctx->target_len = ctx->value;
+	    break;
+
+	  case 503: /* machine creation argument 1: type */
+	    if (ctx->type != 0)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected integer, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    if (ctx->cfg.cf.type)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Duplicate argument 1 / type, already have %d", ctx->cfg.cf.type);
+
+	    if ((ctx->value < 1) && (ctx->value > 1) )
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Unexpected type, got %lu", ctx->value);
+
+	    ctx->cfg.cf.type = ctx->value;
+	    ctx->major_state = 501;
+	    break;
+
+	  case 504: /* machine creation argument 2: workdir */
+	    if (ctx->type != 2)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected bytestring, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    if (value_is_special)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Variable length string not supported yet");
+
+	    if (ctx->cfg.container.workdir)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Duplicate argument 2 / workdir");
+
+	    ASSERT_DIE(!ctx->target_buf);
+	    ctx->cfg.container.workdir = ctx->target_buf = lp_alloc(ctx->lp, ctx->value + 1);
+	    ctx->target_len = ctx->value;
+	    break;
+
+	  case 505: /* machine creation argument 3: basedir */
+	    if (ctx->type != 2)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Expected bytestring, got %u", ctx->type);
+
+	    if (value_is_special)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Variable length string not supported yet");
+
+	    if (ctx->cfg.container.basedir)
+	      CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Duplicate argument 3 / basedir");
+
+	    ASSERT_DIE(!ctx->target_buf);
+	    ctx->cfg.container.basedir = ctx->target_buf = lp_alloc(ctx->lp, ctx->value + 1);
+	    ctx->target_len = ctx->value;
+	    break;
+
 	  default:
 	    bug("invalid parser state");
 	}
@@ -256,11 +336,20 @@ hcs_parse(struct cbor_parser_context *ctx, const byte *buf, s64 size)
 	    /* Actually not this one */
 	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("NOT IMPLEMENTED YET");
 
+	  case 502:
+	  case 504:
+	  case 505:
+	    ctx->major_state = 501;
+	    break;
+
 	  default:
 	    bug("Unexpected state to end a (byte)string in");
 	  /* Code to run at the end of a (byte)string */
 	}
 
+	ctx->target_buf = NULL;
+	ctx->partial_state = CPE_TYPE;
+
 	exit_stack = !--ctx->stack_countdown[ctx->stack_pos];
     }
 
@@ -284,6 +373,23 @@ hcs_parse(struct cbor_parser_context *ctx, const byte *buf, s64 size)
 	  ctx->major_state = 1;
 	  break;
 
+	case 501:
+	  if (!ctx->cfg.cf.type)
+	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Machine type not specified");
+
+	  if (!ctx->cfg.cf.name)
+	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Machine name not specified");
+
+	  if (!ctx->cfg.container.workdir)
+	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Machine workdir not specified");
+
+	  if (!ctx->cfg.container.basedir)
+	    CBOR_PARSER_ERROR("Machine basedir not specified");
+
+	  container_start(ctx->sock, &ctx->cfg.container);
+	  ctx->major_state = 1;
+	  break;
+
 	default:
 	  bug("Unexpected state to end a mapping in");
       }
diff --git a/flock/flock.h b/flock/flock.h
index 076d7141..22637975 100644
--- a/flock/flock.h
+++ b/flock/flock.h
@@ -27,6 +27,23 @@ bool hcs_complete(struct cbor_parser_context *ctx);
 
 void hexp_get_telnet(sock *, const char *name);
 
+union flock_machine_config {
+  struct flock_machine_common_config {
+    const char *name;
+    enum {
+      FLOCK_MACHINE_NONE = 0,
+      FLOCK_MACHINE_CONTAINER = 1,
+    } type;
+  } cf;
+  struct flock_machine_container_config {
+    struct flock_machine_common_config cf;
+    const char *workdir;
+    const char *basedir;
+  } container;
+};
+
+void container_start(sock *, struct flock_machine_container_config *);
+
 extern event reboot_event, poweroff_event;
 extern event_list shutdown_event_list;
 
diff --git a/flock/hypervisor.c b/flock/hypervisor.c
index 9ec1d860..d69959cc 100644
--- a/flock/hypervisor.c
+++ b/flock/hypervisor.c
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ hypervisor_control_socket(void)
   s->rbsize = 1024;
   s->tbsize = 1024;
 
-  unlink(flock_config.control_socket_path);
   if (sk_open_unix(s, loop, flock_config.control_socket_path) < 0)
     die("Can't create control socket %s: %m", flock_config.control_socket_path);