diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 48105a8..9032094 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -1,19 +1,52 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"os"
-	"io"
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
 
 	"github.com/google/shlex"
 )
 
 type Directive struct {
-	Params []string
+	Name     string
+	Params   []string
 	Children []*Directive
 }
 
+func (d *Directive) ParseParams(params ...*string) error {
+	if len(d.Params) < len(params) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("directive %q: want %v params, got %v", d.Name, len(params), len(d.Params))
+	}
+	for i, ptr := range params {
+		if ptr == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		*ptr = d.Params[i]
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Directive) ChildrenByName(name string) []*Directive {
+	l := make([]*Directive, 0, len(d.Children))
+	for _, child := range d.Children {
+		if child.Name == name {
+			l = append(l, child)
+		}
+	}
+	return l
+}
+
+func (d *Directive) ChildByName(name string) *Directive {
+	for _, child := range d.Children {
+		if child.Name == name {
+			return child
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func Load(path string) ([]*Directive, error) {
 	f, err := os.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -38,7 +71,7 @@ func Parse(r io.Reader) ([]*Directive, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if len(words) == 1 && l[len(l) - 1] == '}' {
+		if len(words) == 1 && l[len(l)-1] == '}' {
 			if cur == nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected '}'")
 			}
@@ -47,14 +80,13 @@ func Parse(r io.Reader) ([]*Directive, error) {
 		}
 
 		var d *Directive
-		if words[len(words) - 1] == "{" && l[len(l) - 1] == '{' {
-			d = &Directive{
-				Params: words[:len(words) - 1],
-			}
+		if words[len(words)-1] == "{" && l[len(l)-1] == '{' {
+			words = words[:len(words)-1]
+			d = &Directive{Params: words}
 			cur = d
 			directives = append(directives, d)
 		} else {
-			d = &Directive{Params: words}
+			d = &Directive{Name: words[0], Params: words[1:]}
 			if cur != nil {
 				cur.Children = append(cur.Children, d)
 			} else {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 7f4bd33..0b17b08 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"net"
+	"net/url"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -9,5 +13,89 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("failed to load config file: %v", err)
 	}
-	_ = directives
+
+	srv := &Server{}
+
+	for _, d := range directives {
+		if err := parseFrontend(srv, d); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to parse frontend: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	select {}
+}
+
+func parseFrontend(srv *Server, d *Directive) error {
+	frontend := &Frontend{Server: srv}
+	srv.Frontends = append(srv.Frontends, frontend)
+
+	// TODO: support multiple backends
+	backendDirective := d.ChildByName("backend")
+	if backendDirective == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("missing backend directive in frontend block")
+	}
+	if err := parseBackend(&frontend.Backend, backendDirective); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, listenDirective := range d.ChildrenByName("listen") {
+		var listenAddr string
+		if err := listenDirective.ParseParams(&listenAddr); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		host, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(listenAddr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse listen address %q: %v", listenAddr, err)
+		}
+
+		// TODO: come up with something more robust
+		if host != "localhost" && net.ParseIP(host) == nil {
+			host = ""
+		}
+
+		ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(host, port))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to listen on %q: %v", listenAddr, err)
+		}
+
+		go func() {
+			if err := frontend.Serve(ln); err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("failed to serve: %v", err)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func parseBackend(backend *Backend, d *Directive) error {
+	var backendURI string
+	if err := d.ParseParams(&backendURI); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(backendURI, ":/") {
+		// This is a raw domain name, make it an URL with an empty scheme
+		backendURI = "//" + backendURI
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(backendURI)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse backend URI %q: %v", backendURI, err)
+	}
+
+	// TODO: +proxy to use the PROXY protocol
+
+	switch u.Scheme {
+	case "", "tcp":
+		backend.Network = "tcp"
+		backend.Address = u.Host
+	case "unix":
+		backend.Network = "unix"
+		backend.Address = u.Host
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to setup backend %q: unsupported URI scheme", backendURI)
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34d09d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net"
+)
+
+type Server struct {
+	Frontends []*Frontend
+}
+
+type Frontend struct {
+	Server  *Server
+	Backend Backend
+}
+
+func (fe *Frontend) Serve(ln net.Listener) error {
+	for {
+		conn, err := ln.Accept()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to accept connection: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// TODO: log errors to debug log
+		go fe.handle(conn)
+	}
+}
+
+func (fe *Frontend) handle(downstream net.Conn) error {
+	defer downstream.Close()
+
+	be := &fe.Backend
+	upstream, err := net.Dial(be.Network, be.Address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to dial backend: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer upstream.Close()
+
+	return duplexCopy(upstream, downstream)
+}
+
+type Backend struct {
+	Network string
+	Address string
+}
+
+func duplexCopy(a, b io.ReadWriter) error {
+	done := make(chan error, 2)
+	go func() {
+		_, err := io.Copy(a, b)
+		done <- err
+	}()
+	go func() {
+		_, err := io.Copy(b, a)
+		done <- err
+	}()
+	return <-done
+}