diff --git a/boot/master.js b/boot/master.js
index e6d904b..92b2598 100644
--- a/boot/master.js
+++ b/boot/master.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ console.info('\n\n\n[MASTER] Welcome to WALNUT!');
 var cluster = require('cluster');
 var path = require('path');
 //var minWorkers = 2;
-var numCores = 1; // Math.max(minWorkers, require('os').cpus().length);
+var numCores = 2; // Math.max(minWorkers, require('os').cpus().length);
 var workers = [];
 var caddypath = '/usr/local/bin/caddy';
 var useCaddy = require('fs').existsSync(caddypath);
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ cluster.on('exit', function (worker, code, signal) {
     return w;
   });
 
-  console.log('WARNING: worker spawning turned off for debugging ');
-  //fork();
+  //console.log('WARNING: worker spawning turned off for debugging ');
+  fork();
 });
 
 fork();
diff --git a/lib/api-server.js b/lib/api-server.js
index 2ab22ce..3ab23c0 100644
--- a/lib/api-server.js
+++ b/lib/api-server.js
@@ -2,29 +2,34 @@
 
 // TODO handle static app urls?
 // NOTE rejecting non-api urls should happen before this
-module.exports.create = function (conf, deps, app) {
+module.exports.create = function (conf, deps/*, Services*/) {
+  var PromiseA = deps.Promise;
+  var app = deps.app;
+  var express = deps.express;
   var escapeStringRegexp = require('escape-string-regexp');
   var vhostsMap = conf.vhostsMap;
-  if (!app) {
-    app = deps.app;
-  }
 
   function getApi(route) {
     // TODO don't modify route, modify some other variable instead
 
-    var PromiseA = require('bluebird');
     var path = require('path');
     // TODO needs some version stuff (which would also allow hot-loading of updates)
     // TODO version could be tied to sha256sum
     var pkgpath = path.join(conf.apipath, (route.api.package || route.api.id), (route.api.version || ''));
 
     return new PromiseA(function (resolve, reject) {
+      var myApp;
+
       try {
         // TODO dynamic requires are a no-no
         // can we statically generate a require-er? on each install?
         // module.exports = { {{pkgpath}}: function () { return require({{pkgpath}}) } }
         // requirer[pkgpath]()
-        route.route = require(pkgpath).create(conf, deps, app);
+        myApp = express();
+        if (app.get('trust proxy')) {
+          myApp.set('trust proxy', app.get('trust proxy'));
+        }
+        route.route = require(pkgpath).create(conf, deps, myApp);
       } catch(e) {
         reject(e);
         return;
@@ -50,8 +55,10 @@ module.exports.create = function (conf, deps, app) {
         pathname = '/api';
       }
       if (-1 === pathname.indexOf('/api')) {
+        // TODO needs namespace for current api
         pathname = '/api' + pathname;
       }
+      // pathname += '.local';
 
       if (!route.re) {
         route.re = new RegExp(escapeStringRegexp(pathname) + '(#|\\/|\\?|$)');
@@ -62,7 +69,8 @@ module.exports.create = function (conf, deps, app) {
       // re.test("/api/foo")
       // re.test("/apifoo") // false
       if (route.re.test(req.url)) {
-        apps = route.apps;
+        // make a copy
+        apps = route.apps.slice(0);
         return true;
       }
     });
@@ -90,11 +98,17 @@ module.exports.create = function (conf, deps, app) {
       }
 
       if (route.route) {
+        if (route.route.then) {
+          route.route.then(function (expressApp) {
+            expressApp(req, res, nextify);
+          });
+          return;
+        }
         route.route(req, res, nextify);
         return;
       }
 
-     if (route._errored) {
+      if (route._errored) {
         nextify(new Error("couldn't load api"));
         return;
       }
@@ -104,16 +118,20 @@ module.exports.create = function (conf, deps, app) {
         return;
       }
 
-      getApi(route).then(function (route) {
+      return getApi(route).then(function (expressApp) {
         try {
-          route(req, res, nextify);
-          route.route = route; 
+          expressApp(req, res, nextify);
+          route.route = expressApp;
         } catch(e) {
           route._errored = true;
           console.error('[App Load Error]');
-          console.error(e.stack);
           nextify(new Error("couldn't load api"));
         }
+
+        return expressApp;
+      }, function (err) {
+        console.error('[App Promise Error]');
+        nextify(err);
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/worker.js b/lib/worker.js
index 305ef1b..a282d64 100644
--- a/lib/worker.js
+++ b/lib/worker.js
@@ -173,8 +173,6 @@ module.exports.create = function (webserver, info, state) {
         });
 
         function handleApi(req, res, next) {
-          var myApp;
-
           if (!/^\/api/.test(req.url)) {
             next();
             return;
@@ -189,25 +187,21 @@ module.exports.create = function (webserver, info, state) {
           }
 
           if (apiHandler) {
+            /*
             if (apiHandler.then) {
               apiHandler.then(function (myApp) {
                 myApp(req, res, next);
               });
               return;
             }
+            */
 
             apiHandler(req, res, next);
             return;
           }
 
-          // apiHandler = require('./vhost-server').create(info.conf.localPort, vhostsdir).create(webserver, app)
-          myApp = express();
-          if (app.get('trust proxy')) {
-            myApp.set('trust proxy', app.get('trust proxy'));
-          }
           apiHandler = require('./api-server').create(apiConf, {
-            app: myApp
-          , memstore: memstore
+            memstore: memstore
           , sqlstores: sqlstores
           , clientSqlFactory: clientFactory
           , systemSqlFactory: systemFactory
@@ -215,6 +209,8 @@ module.exports.create = function (webserver, info, state) {
           //, handleRejection: require('./lib/common').rejectableRequest;
           //, localPort: info.conf.localPort
           , Promise: PromiseA
+          , express: express
+          , app: app
           }, Services).api;
 
           apiHandler(req, res, next);
@@ -248,6 +244,15 @@ module.exports.create = function (webserver, info, state) {
           .use(require('connect-send-error').error())
           ;
         app.use('/', handleApi);
+        app.use('/', function (err, req, res, next) {
+          console.error('[Error Handler]');
+          console.error(err.stack);
+          if (req.xhr) {
+            res.send({ error: { message: "kinda unknownish error" } });
+          } else {
+            res.send('<html><head><title>ERROR</title></head><body>Error</body></html>');
+          }
+        });
 
         return app;
       });