diff --git a/client.js b/client.js
index 562ee1e..1e14054 100644
--- a/client.js
+++ b/client.js
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@ function startServer(opts) {
 }
 
 function getConnection(opts) {
-  if (!opts.sock) {
-    opts.sock = opts.filename + '.sock';
-  }
-
   return new Promise(function (resolve) {
     setTimeout(function () {
       var WebSocket = require('ws');
       var ws = new WebSocket('ws+unix:' + opts.sock);
 
-      if (opts.server) {
-        return startServer(opts);
+      if (opts.serve) {
+        console.log("[EXPLICIT SERVER] #################################################");
+        return startServer(opts).then(function (client) {
+          // ws.masterClient = client;
+          resolve({ masterClient: client });
+        });
       }
 
       ws.on('error', function (err) {
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ function getConnection(opts) {
           }, 100 + (Math.random() * 250));
         }
 
-        if ('ENOENT' === err.code || 'ECONNREFUSED' === err.code) {
+        if (!opts.connect && ('ENOENT' === err.code || 'ECONNREFUSED' === err.code)) {
+          console.log('[NO SERVER] attempting to create a server #######################');
           return startServer(opts).then(function (client) {
             // ws.masterClient = client;
             resolve({ masterClient: client });
@@ -68,8 +69,38 @@ function getConnection(opts) {
 }
 
 function create(opts) {
+  if (!opts.sock) {
+    opts.sock = opts.filename + '.sock';
+  }
+
+  var promise;
+  var numcpus = require('os').cpus().length;
+  if (opts.standalone || (1 === numcpus && !opts.serve && !opts.connect)) {
+    return require('./wrapper').create(opts);
+  }
+
+  function retryServe() {
+    return startServer(opts).then(function (client) {
+      // ws.masterClient = client;
+      return { masterClient: client };
+    }, function () {
+      retryServe();
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (opts.serve) {
+    console.log('[EXPLICIT]');
+    promise = retryServe();
+  } else {
+    promise = getConnection(opts);
+  }
+  /*
+  if (opts.connect) {
+  }
+  */
+
   // TODO maybe use HTTP POST instead?
-  return getConnection(opts).then(function (ws) {
+  return promise.then(function (ws) {
     if (ws.masterClient) {
       console.log('[MASTER CLIENT] found');
       return ws.masterClient;
diff --git a/cluster.js b/cluster.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9f722c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var sqlite3 = require('./index');
+
+function create(opts) {
+  var cluster = require('cluster');
+  var numCores = require('os').cpus().length;
+
+  if (!opts.serve && ('boolean' !== typeof opts.serve)) {
+    opts.serve = (numCores > 1) && cluster.isMaster;
+  }
+
+  if (!opts.connect && ('boolean' !== typeof opts.connect)) {
+    opts.connect = (numCores > 1) && cluster.isWorker;
+  }
+
+  return sqlite3.create(opts);
+}
+
+module.exports.sanitize = sqlite3.sanitize;
+module.exports.create = create;
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index aad176a..a961216 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var numcpus = require('os').cpus().length;
-var sqlite3;
-
-if (numcpus >= 2) {
-  sqlite3 = require('./client');
-} else {
-  sqlite3 = require('./wrapper');
-}
-
-module.exports = sqlite3;
+module.exports = require('./client');
diff --git a/standalone.js b/standalone.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..770044d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/standalone.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var sqlite3 = require('./index');
+
+function create(opts) {
+  opts.standalone = true;
+
+  // TODO if cluster *is* used issue a warning?
+  // I suppose the user could be issuing a different filename for each
+  // ... but then they have no need to use this module, right?
+
+  return sqlite3.create(opts);
+}
+
+module.exports.sanitize = sqlite3.sanitize;
+module.exports.create = create;
diff --git a/test-cluster.js b/test-cluster.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e897a61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-cluster.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var cluster = require('cluster');
+var numCores = require('os').cpus().length;
+var i;
+
+function run() {
+  var sqlite3 = require('./cluster');
+
+  sqlite3.create({
+      key: '00000000000000000000000000000000'
+    , bits: 128
+    , filename: '/tmp/test.cluster.sqlcipher'
+    , verbose: null
+    , standalone: null
+    , serve: null
+    , connect: null
+  }).then(function (client) {
+    client.run("SELECT 1", [], function (err) {
+      if (err) {
+        console.error('[ERROR]', cluster.isMaster && '0' || cluster.worker.id);
+        console.error(err);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      console.log('[this]', cluster.isMaster && '0' || cluster.worker.id);
+      console.log(this);
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+if (cluster.isMaster) {
+  for (i = 1; i <= numCores; i += 1) {
+    cluster.fork();
+  }
+}
+
+run();
diff --git a/test-standalone.js b/test-standalone.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22ededd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-standalone.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+'use strict';
+
+function run() {
+  var sqlite3 = require('./standalone');
+
+  sqlite3.create({
+      key: '00000000000000000000000000000000'
+    , bits: 128
+    , filename: '/tmp/test.cluster.sqlcipher'
+    , verbose: null
+    , standalone: true
+    , serve: null
+    , connect: null
+  }).then(function (client) {
+    client.run("SELECT 1", [], function (err) {
+      if (err) {
+        console.error('[ERROR] standalone');
+        console.error(err);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      console.log('[this] standalone');
+      console.log(this);
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+run();