diff --git a/bin/rdfdb b/bin/rdfdb
--- a/bin/rdfdb
+++ b/bin/rdfdb
@@ -107,9 +107,10 @@ Our web ui:
     to this, focused on that resource
 
 """
-from twisted.internet import reactor
+from twisted.internet import reactor, defer
 import twisted.internet.error
 from twisted.python.filepath import FilePath
+from twisted.python.failure import Failure
 from twisted.internet.inotify import humanReadableMask, IN_CREATE
 import sys, optparse, logging, json, os
 import cyclone.web, cyclone.httpclient, cyclone.websocket
@@ -129,10 +130,12 @@ log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
 from lib.cycloneerr import PrettyErrorHandler
 
+class WebsocketDisconnect(ValueError):
+    pass
+
 def sendGraphToClient(graph, client):
     """send the client the whole graph contents"""
-    log.info("sending all graphs to %s at %s" %
-             (client.label, client.updateUri))
+    log.info("sending all graphs to %r" % client)
     client.sendPatch(Patch(
         addQuads=graph.quads(ALLSTMTS),
         delQuads=[]))
@@ -144,14 +147,33 @@ class Client(object):
     """
     def __init__(self, updateUri, label):
         self.label = label
+        # todo: updateUri is used publicly to compare clients. Replace
+        # it with Client.__eq__ so WsClient doesn't have to fake an
+        # updateUri.
         self.updateUri = updateUri
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<%s client at %s>" % (self.label, self.updateUri)
 
     def sendPatch(self, p):
+        """
+        returns deferred. error will be interpreted as the client being
+        broken.
+        """
         return sendPatch(self.updateUri, p)
+        
+class WsClient(object):
+    def __init__(self, connectionId, sendMessage):
+        self.updateUri = connectionId
+        self.sendMessage = sendMessage
 
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "<WsClient %s>" % self.updateUri
+
+    def sendPatch(self, p):
+        self.sendMessage(p.makeJsonRepr())
+        return defer.succeed(None)
+        
 class WatchedFiles(object):
     """
     find files, notice new files.
@@ -304,8 +326,8 @@ class Db(object):
             d.addErrback(self.clientErrored, c)
         
     def clientErrored(self, err, c):
-        err.trap(twisted.internet.error.ConnectError)
-        log.info("connection error- dropping client %r" % c)
+        err.trap(twisted.internet.error.ConnectError, WebsocketDisconnect)
+        log.info("%r %r - dropping client", c, err.getErrorMessage())
         self.clients.remove(c)
         self.sendClientsToAllLivePages()
 
@@ -335,14 +357,14 @@ class Db(object):
         [self.clients.remove(c)
          for c in self.clients if c.updateUri == newClient.updateUri]
 
-        log.info("new client %s at %s" % (newClient.label, newClient.updateUri))
+        log.info("new client %r" % newClient)
         sendGraphToClient(self.graph, newClient)
         self.clients.append(newClient)
         self.sendClientsToAllLivePages()
 
     def sendClientsToAllLivePages(self):
         sendToLiveClients({"clients":[
-            dict(updateUri=c.updateUri, label=c.label)
+            dict(updateUri=c.updateUri, label=repr(c))
             for c in self.clients]})
 
 class GraphResource(PrettyErrorHandler, cyclone.web.RequestHandler):
@@ -376,6 +398,28 @@ class GraphClients(PrettyErrorHandler, c
             import traceback
             traceback.print_exc()
             raise
+            
+_wsClientSerial = 0
+class WebsocketClient(cyclone.websocket.WebSocketHandler):
+
+    def connectionMade(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        global _wsClientSerial
+        self.connectionId = 'connection-%s' % _wsClientSerial
+        log.info("new ws client %r", self.connectionId)
+        _wsClientSerial += 1
+
+        self.wsClient = WsClient(self.connectionId, self.sendMessage)
+        self.settings.db.addClient(self.wsClient)
+
+    def connectionLost(self, reason):
+        log.info("bye ws client %r", self.connectionId)
+        self.settings.db.clientErrored(
+            Failure(WebsocketDisconnect(reason)), self.wsClient)
+
+    def messageReceived(self, message):
+        log.info("got message from %s: %s", self.connectionId, message)
+        # how
+        self.sendMessage(message)
 
 liveClients = set()
 def sendToLiveClients(d=None, asJson=None):
@@ -427,6 +471,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         (r'/graph', GraphResource),
         (r'/patches', Patches),
         (r'/graphClients', GraphClients),
+        (r'/syncedGraph', WebsocketClient),
 
         (r'/(.*)', NoExts,
          {"path" : "light9/rdfdb/web",