diff --git a/lib/sorting-hat.js b/lib/sorting-hat.js
index 1f2c91d..436395b 100644
--- a/lib/sorting-hat.js
+++ b/lib/sorting-hat.js
@@ -141,6 +141,40 @@ module.exports.assign = function (state, tun, cb) {
     return conn;
   }
 
+  function errorTcp(conf, cb) {
+    var socketPair = require('socket-pair');
+    var conn = socketPair.create(function (err, other) {
+      if (err) { cb(err); return; }
+
+      cb(null, conn);
+
+      other.write("\n" +
+      [ "[Telebit Error Server]"
+      , "Could not load '" + conf.handler + "' as a module, file, or directory."
+      ].join("\n") + "\n\n");
+      other.end();
+    });
+    //if (tun.data) { conn.write(tun.data); }
+    return conn;
+  }
+  function fileDirTcp(conf, cb) {
+    var socketPair = require('socket-pair');
+    var conn = socketPair.create(function (err, other) {
+      if (err) { cb(err); return; }
+
+      if (conf._stat.isFile()) {
+        fs.createReadStream(conf.handler).pipe(other);
+      } else {
+        fs.readdir(conf.handler, function (err, nodes) {
+          other.write('\n' + nodes.join('\n') + '\n\n');
+          other.end();
+        });
+      }
+      cb(null, conn);
+    });
+    //if (tun.data) { conn.write(tun.data); }
+    return conn;
+  }
   function echoTcp(cb) {
     var socketPair = require('socket-pair');
     var conn = socketPair.create(function (err, other) {
@@ -228,16 +262,30 @@ module.exports.assign = function (state, tun, cb) {
         console.error("Failed to require('" + handlerpath + "'):", e1.message);
         console.error("Failed to require('" + path.join(localshare, handlerpath) + "'):", e2.message);
         console.warn("Trying static and index handlers for '" + handle + ":" + id + "'");
-        echoTcp(cb);
-        return;
+        handler = null;
+        // fallthru
       }
     }
-    var socketPair = require('socket-pair');
-    conn = socketPair.create(function (err, other) {
-      handler(other, tun, id);
-      cb(null, conn);
+
+    if (handler) {
+      var socketPair = require('socket-pair');
+      conn = socketPair.create(function (err, other) {
+        handler(other, tun, id);
+        cb(null, conn);
+      });
+      return conn;
+    }
+
+    fs.access(conf.handler, fs.constants.R_OK, function (err1) {
+      fs.stat(conf.handler, function (err2, stat) {
+        if (err1 || err2 && (stat.isFile() || stat.isDirectory())) {
+          errorTcp(conf, cb);
+          return;
+        }
+        conf._stat = stat;
+        fileDirTcp(conf, cb);
+      });
     });
-    return conn;
   }
   var handlerservers = {};
   function invokeHandler(conf, tlsSocket, tun, id) {
@@ -289,7 +337,7 @@ module.exports.assign = function (state, tun, cb) {
       } catch(e2) {
         console.error("Failed to require('" + handlerpath + "'):", e1.message);
         console.error("Failed to require('" + path.join(localshare, handlerpath) + "'):", e2.message);
-        console.warn("Using default handler for '" + handle + ":" + id + "'");
+        console.warn("Trying static and index handlers for '" + handle + ":" + id + "'");
         handler = null;
         // fallthru
       }