diff --git a/json-api/src/rtc.rs b/json-api/src/rtc.rs
index f992475..85e8f54 100644
--- a/json-api/src/rtc.rs
+++ b/json-api/src/rtc.rs
@@ -12,20 +12,65 @@
  * is sufficiently large & securely transferred on both parties behalf
  */
 
-
-use websocket::ClientBuilder;
-use websocket::r#async::client::{Client, ClientNew};
-use websocket::r#async::TcpStream;
-use websocket::futures::{Future, Stream, Sink};
-use websocket::Message;
-use websocket::url::Url;
-
+use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 use tokio_tungstenite::connect_async;
+use tokio_tungstenite::tungstenite::Message;
+use futures::{StreamExt, SinkExt};
+use serde::Serialize;
+use serde_json::json;
+use jsonwebtoken::{
+    Header, Algorithm, EncodingKey
+};
 
+lazy_static! {
+    static ref HMAC_SECRET: Vec<u8> = {
+        std::fs::read("wss-hmac.secret").expect("Couldn't get HMAC secret")
+    };
+    static ref WSS_KEY: EncodingKey = {
+        EncodingKey::from_secret(&HMAC_SECRET)
+    };
+}
+
+macro_rules! event {
+    ($type:literal, $payload:expr) => {
+        json!({"type": $type, $type: $payload})
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize)]
+struct Claim {
+    nbf: i64
+}
+
+impl Claim {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let now = (SystemTime::now() + Duration::from_secs(0))
+            .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap().as_secs() as i64;
+        let now = now / 1000;
+        Self {
+            nbf: now
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 
 pub async fn new_message(message: db::Message) {
-    // just open and close for now
-    let (mut ws, _) = connect_async("ws://localhost:5648").await.unwrap();
-    ws.close(None);
+    let claim = Claim::new();
+    let header = Header::new(Algorithm::HS512);
+    let jwt = jsonwebtoken::encode(&header, &claim, &WSS_KEY).unwrap();
+    
+    match connect_async(format!("ws://localhost:5648/jwt/{}", jwt)).await {
+        Ok((ws, _read)) => {
+            let (mut write, _read) = ws.split();
+            let m = event!("message", &message);
+            let m = m.to_string();
+
+            if let Err(e) = write.send(Message::text(m)).await {
+                eprintln!("[RTC-COMM-ERR] {}", e)
+            }
+        },
+        Err(e) => {
+            eprintln!("unable to connect to rtc: {}", e);
+        }
+    };
 }