diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 22ae3bb..44f5033 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "json-parser.h"
 #include "osdep.h"
 #include "exec-all.h"
+#include "virtagent.h"
 #ifdef CONFIG_SIMPLE_TRACE
 #include "trace.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/qerror.c b/qerror.c
index 4855604..741e0bc 100644
--- a/qerror.c
+++ b/qerror.c
@@ -209,6 +209,14 @@ static const QErrorStringTable qerror_table[] = {
         .error_fmt = QERR_VNC_SERVER_FAILED,
         .desc      = "Could not start VNC server on %(target)",
     },
+    {
+        .error_fmt = QERR_RPC_FAILED,
+        .desc      = "An RPC error has occurred: %(message)",
+    },
+    {
+        .error_fmt = QERR_VA_FAILED,
+        .desc      = "An error was reported by virtagent: %(message)",
+    },
     {}
 };
 
diff --git a/qerror.h b/qerror.h
index f732d45..f3322e7 100644
--- a/qerror.h
+++ b/qerror.h
@@ -171,4 +171,10 @@ QError *qobject_to_qerror(const QObject *obj);
 #define QERR_VNC_SERVER_FAILED \
     "{ 'class': 'VNCServerFailed', 'data': { 'target': %s } }"
 
+#define QERR_RPC_FAILED \
+    "{ 'class': 'RPCFailed', 'data': { 'code': %i, 'message': %s } }"
+
+#define QERR_VA_FAILED \
+    "{ 'class': 'VirtagentFailed', 'data': { 'code': %i, 'message': %s } }"
+
 #endif /* QERROR_H */
diff --git a/virtagent.c b/virtagent.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..670309b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/virtagent.c
@@ -0,0 +1,455 @@
+/*
+ * virtagent - host/guest RPC client functions
+ *
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2010
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Adam Litke        <aglitke@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
+ *  Michael Roth      <mdroth@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "qemu_socket.h"
+#include "qjson.h"
+#include "qint.h"
+#include "monitor.h"
+#include "virtagent-common.h"
+
+static VAClientData *va_client_data;
+
+static void va_set_capabilities(QList *qlist)
+{
+    TRACE("called");
+
+    if (va_client_data == NULL) {
+        LOG("client is uninitialized, unable to set capabilities");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (va_client_data->supported_methods != NULL) {
+        qobject_decref(QOBJECT(va_client_data->supported_methods));
+        va_client_data->supported_methods = NULL;
+        TRACE("capabilities reset");
+    }
+
+    if (qlist != NULL) {
+        va_client_data->supported_methods = qlist_copy(qlist);
+        TRACE("capabilities set");
+    }
+}
+
+static void va_set_version_level(const char *version) {
+    if (version) {
+        pstrcpy(va_client_data->guest_version, 32, version);
+    }
+}
+
+typedef struct VACmpState {
+    const char *method;
+    bool found;
+} VACmpState;
+
+static void va_cmp_capability_iter(QObject *obj, void *opaque)
+{
+    QString *method = qobject_to_qstring(obj);
+    const char *method_str = NULL;
+    VACmpState *cmp_state = opaque;
+
+    if (method) {
+        method_str = qstring_get_str(method);
+    }
+
+    if (method_str && opaque) {
+        if (strcmp(method_str, cmp_state->method) == 0) {
+            cmp_state->found = 1;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static bool va_has_capability(const char *method)
+{
+    VACmpState cmp_state;
+
+    if (method == NULL) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /* we can assume capabilities is available */
+    if (strcmp(method, "capabilities") == 0) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    /* assume hello is available to we can probe for/notify the host
+     * rpc server
+     */
+    if (strcmp(method, "hello") == 0) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /* compare method against the last retrieved supported method list */
+    cmp_state.method = method;
+    cmp_state.found = false;
+    if (va_client_data->supported_methods) {
+        qlist_iter(va_client_data->supported_methods,
+                   va_cmp_capability_iter,
+                   (void *)&cmp_state);
+    }
+
+    return cmp_state.found;
+}
+
+int va_client_init(VAManager *m, VAClientData *client_data)
+{
+    client_data->supported_methods = NULL;
+    client_data->enabled = true;
+    client_data->manager = m;
+    va_client_data = client_data;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static bool va_is_enabled(void)
+{
+    return va_client_data && va_client_data->enabled;
+}
+
+typedef struct VAClientRequest {
+    QString *payload;
+    char tag[64];
+    VAClientCallback *cb;
+    /* for use by QMP functions */
+    MonitorCompletion *mon_cb;
+    void *mon_data;
+    int timeout;
+    QEMUTimer *timer;
+} VAClientRequest;
+
+typedef struct VAClientResponse {
+    char *content;
+    size_t content_len;
+} VAClientResponse;
+
+static void va_client_timeout(void *opaque)
+{
+    VAClientRequest *req = opaque;
+    qemu_del_timer(req->timer);
+    req->timer = NULL;
+    va_client_job_cancel(va_client_data->manager, req->tag);
+}
+
+/* called by xport layer to indicate send completion to VAManager */
+static void va_send_request_cb(const void *opaque)
+{
+    const char *tag = opaque;
+    va_client_job_send_done(va_client_data->manager, tag);
+}
+
+/* called by VAManager to start send, in turn calls out to xport layer */
+static int va_send_request(void *opaque, const char *tag)
+{
+    VAClientRequest *req = opaque;
+    const char *payload_json;
+    int ret;
+
+    TRACE("called");
+    if (!req || !req->payload) {
+        TRACE("marker");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+    payload_json = qstring_get_str(req->payload);
+    if (!payload_json) {
+        TRACE("marker");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+    TRACE("marker");
+    ret = va_xport_send_request(payload_json, strlen(payload_json),
+                                tag, tag, va_send_request_cb);
+    TRACE("marker");
+    /* register timeout */
+    if (req->timeout) {
+        TRACE("marker");
+        req->timer = qemu_new_timer(rt_clock, va_client_timeout, req);
+        qemu_mod_timer(req->timer, qemu_get_clock(rt_clock) + req->timeout);
+    }
+    TRACE("marker");
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/* called by xport layer to pass response to VAManager */
+void va_client_read_response_done(const char *content, size_t content_len, const char *tag)
+{
+    QDict *resp = NULL;
+    QObject *resp_qobject;
+
+    resp_qobject = qobject_from_json(content);
+    if (resp_qobject) {
+        resp = qobject_to_qdict(resp_qobject);
+    }
+    va_client_job_read_done(va_client_data->manager, tag, resp);
+}
+
+/* called by VAManager once RPC response is recieved */
+static int va_callback(void *opaque, void *resp_opaque, const char *tag)
+{
+    VAClientRequest *req = opaque; 
+    QDict *resp = resp_opaque;
+
+    TRACE("called");
+
+    if (req->timer) {
+        qemu_del_timer(req->timer);
+    }
+
+    if (req->cb) {
+        if (resp) {
+            req->cb(resp, req->mon_cb, req->mon_data);
+        } else {
+            /* RPC did not complete */
+            req->cb(NULL, req->mon_cb, req->mon_data);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (req) {
+        if (req->payload) {
+            QDECREF(req->payload);
+        }
+        qemu_free(req);
+    }
+
+    if (resp) {
+        QDECREF(resp);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static VAClientJobOps client_job_ops = {
+    .send = va_send_request,
+    .callback = va_callback,
+};
+
+static int va_do_rpc(const char *method, const QDict *params,
+                     VAClientCallback *cb, MonitorCompletion *mon_cb,
+                     void *mon_data)
+{
+    VAClientRequest *req;
+    QDict *payload, *params_copy = NULL;
+    QString *payload_json;
+    struct timeval ts;
+    int ret;
+
+    if (!va_is_enabled()) {
+        LOG("virtagent not initialized");
+        ret = -ENOTCONN;
+    }
+
+    if (!va_has_capability(method)) {
+        LOG("guest agent does not have required capability: %s", method);
+        ret = -ENOTSUP;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    req = qemu_mallocz(sizeof(VAClientRequest));
+    req->cb = cb;
+    req->mon_cb = mon_cb;
+    req->mon_data = mon_data;
+    req->timeout = VA_CLIENT_TIMEOUT_MS;
+
+    /* add params and remote RPC method to call to payload */
+    payload = qdict_new();
+    qdict_put_obj(payload, "method",
+                  QOBJECT(qstring_from_str(method)));
+    if (params) {
+        params_copy = va_qdict_copy(params);
+        if (!params_copy) {
+            LOG("error processing parameters");
+            QDECREF(payload);
+            ret = -EINVAL;
+            goto out_free;
+        }
+        qdict_put_obj(payload, "params", QOBJECT(params_copy));
+    }
+
+    /* convert payload to json */
+    payload_json = qobject_to_json(QOBJECT(payload));
+    QDECREF(payload);
+    if (!payload_json) {
+        LOG("error converting request to json");
+        ret = -EINVAL;
+        goto out_free;
+    }
+    req->payload = payload_json;
+
+    /* TODO: should switch to UUIDs eventually */
+    memset(req->tag, 0, 64);
+    gettimeofday(&ts, NULL);
+    sprintf(req->tag, "%u.%u", (uint32_t)ts.tv_sec, (uint32_t)ts.tv_usec);
+    TRACE("req->payload: %p, req->cb: %p, req->mon_cb: %p, req->mon_data: %p",
+          req->payload, req->cb, req->mon_cb, req->mon_data);
+
+    ret = va_client_job_add(va_client_data->manager, req->tag, req,
+                            client_job_ops);
+    if (ret) {
+        TRACE("marker");
+        va_client_job_cancel(va_client_data->manager, req->tag);
+        goto out_free;
+    }
+
+out:
+    return ret;
+out_free:
+    qemu_free(req);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/* validate the RPC response. if response indicates an error, log it
+ * to stderr/monitor. if return_data != NULL, return_data will be set
+ * to the response payload of the RPC if present, otherwise an error
+ * will be logged. if return_data == NULL, response payload is ignored,
+ * and only the RPC's error indicator is checked for success.
+ *
+ * XXX: The JSON that generates the response may originate from untrusted
+ * sources such as an unsupported/malicious guest agent, so we must take
+ * particular care to not make any assumptions about what the response
+ * contains. In particular, always check for key existence, and no blind
+ * qdict_get_<type>() calls since the value may be an unexpected type. This
+ * also applies to the return_data we pass back to callers.
+ */
+static bool va_check_response_ok(QDict *resp, QDict **return_data)
+{
+    int errnum;
+    const char *errstr = NULL;
+
+    TRACE("called");
+    /* TODO: not sure if errnum is of much use here */
+    if (!resp) {
+        errnum = ENOMSG;
+        errstr = "response is null";
+        goto out_bad;
+    }
+    
+    if (va_qdict_haskey_with_type(resp, "errnum", QTYPE_QINT)) {
+        errnum = qdict_get_int(resp, "errnum");
+        if (errnum) {
+            if (va_qdict_haskey_with_type(resp, "errstr", QTYPE_QSTRING)) {
+                errstr = qdict_get_str(resp, "errstr");
+            }
+            goto out_bad;
+        }
+    } else {
+        errnum = EINVAL;
+        errstr = "response is missing error code";
+        goto out_bad;
+    }
+    
+    if (return_data) {
+        if (va_qdict_haskey_with_type(resp, "return_data", QTYPE_QDICT)) {
+            TRACE("marker");
+            *return_data = qdict_get_qdict(resp, "return_data");
+        } else {
+            errnum = EINVAL;
+            errstr = "response indicates success, but missing expected retval";
+            goto out_bad;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+out_bad:
+    qerror_report(QERR_RPC_FAILED, errnum, errstr);
+    return false;
+}
+
+/* QMP/HMP RPC client functions and their helpers */
+
+static void va_print_capability_iter(QObject *obj, void *opaque)
+{
+    Monitor *mon = opaque;
+    QString *function = qobject_to_qstring(obj);
+    const char *function_str;
+
+    if (function) {
+        function_str = qstring_get_str(function);
+        monitor_printf(mon, "%s\n", function_str); 
+    }
+}
+
+void do_va_capabilities_print(Monitor *mon, const QObject *data)
+{
+    QDict *ret = qobject_to_qdict(data);
+
+    TRACE("called");
+    if (!data) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    monitor_printf(mon,
+                   "guest agent version: %s\n"
+                   "supported methods:\n", qdict_get_str(ret, "version"));
+    qlist_iter(qdict_get_qlist(ret, "methods"), va_print_capability_iter, mon);
+}
+
+static void do_va_capabilities_cb(QDict *resp,
+                                  MonitorCompletion *mon_cb,
+                                  void *mon_data)
+{
+    QDict *ret = NULL;
+    QObject *ret_qobject = NULL;
+        
+    TRACE("called");
+    if (!va_check_response_ok(resp, &ret)) {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    if (!va_qdict_haskey_with_type(ret, "methods", QTYPE_QLIST) ||
+        !va_qdict_haskey_with_type(ret, "version", QTYPE_QSTRING)) {
+        qerror_report(QERR_VA_FAILED, -EINVAL,
+                      "response does not contain required fields");
+        goto out;
+    }
+    va_set_capabilities(qdict_get_qlist(ret, "methods"));
+    va_set_version_level(qdict_get_str(ret, "version"));
+    ret_qobject = QOBJECT(ret);
+out:
+    if (mon_cb) {
+        mon_cb(mon_data, ret_qobject);
+    }
+}
+
+/*
+ * do_va_capabilities(): Fetch/re-negotiate guest agent capabilities
+ */
+int do_va_capabilities(Monitor *mon, const QDict *params,
+                       MonitorCompletion cb, void *opaque)
+{
+    int ret = va_do_rpc("capabilities", params, do_va_capabilities_cb, cb,
+                        opaque);
+    if (ret) {
+        qerror_report(QERR_VA_FAILED, ret, strerror(-ret));
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/* RPC client functions called outside of HMP/QMP */
+
+int va_client_init_capabilities(void)
+{
+    int ret = va_do_rpc("capabilities", NULL, do_va_capabilities_cb, NULL,
+                        NULL);
+    if (ret) {
+        LOG("erroring negotiating capabilities: %s", strerror(-ret));
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int va_send_hello(void)
+{
+    int ret = va_do_rpc("hello", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    if (ret) {
+        LOG("error sending start up notification to host: %s",
+            strerror(-ret));
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/virtagent.h b/virtagent.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1652fdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/virtagent.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * virt-agent - host/guest RPC client functions
+ *
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2010
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Adam Litke        <aglitke@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
+ *  Michael Roth      <mdroth@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef VIRTAGENT_H
+#define VIRTAGENT_H
+
+#include "monitor.h"
+#include "virtagent-manager.h"
+
+#define VA_GUEST_PATH_VIRTIO_DEFAULT "/dev/virtio-ports/org.qemu.virtagent"
+#define VA_HOST_PATH_DEFAULT "/tmp/virtagent.sock"
+#define VA_MAX_CHUNK_SIZE 4096 /* max bytes at a time for get/send file */
+
+typedef void (VAClientCallback)(QDict *resp,
+                                MonitorCompletion *mon_cb, void *mon_data);
+typedef struct VAClientData {
+    QList *supported_methods;
+    char guest_version[32];
+    bool enabled;
+    VAManager *manager;
+} VAClientData;
+
+int va_client_init(VAManager *m, VAClientData *client_data);
+int va_client_close(void);
+void va_client_read_response_done(const char *content, size_t content_len,
+                                  const char *tag);
+int va_client_init_capabilities(void);
+int va_send_hello(void);
+int do_agent_shutdown(Monitor *mon, const QDict *mon_params,
+                      MonitorCompletion cb, void *opaque);
+void do_va_capabilities_print(Monitor *mon, const QObject *qobject);
+int do_va_capabilities(Monitor *mon, const QDict *mon_params,
+                       MonitorCompletion cb, void *opaque);
+
+#endif /* VIRTAGENT_H */
