diff --git a/agentspawner/daemon.py b/agentspawner/daemon.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e99f194
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/daemon.py
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#! /bin/python3
+
+"""
+Manage ideal number of "agent" like resources in Resalloc.
+"""
+
+import subprocess
+import time
+import logging
+
+from resalloc.client import (
+    Connection as ResallocConnection,
+    Ticket,
+)
+
+RESALLOC_SERVER = "http://localhost:49100"
+
+
+class SpawnerPool:
+    """
+    Manage ideal number of "agent" like resources in Resalloc.
+    """
+    sleep = 30
+
+    def __init__(self, resalloc_connection, logger):
+        self.tags = ["A"]
+        # TODO: use a persistent storage so we can restart the process
+        self.tickets = []
+        self.conn = resalloc_connection
+        self.log = logger
+
+    def call_converge_to(self):
+        """ Execute the configured hook script """
+        while True:
+            result = subprocess.run(["./hook-converge-to"], capture_output=True,
+                                    check=False)
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                try:
+                    return int(result.stdout.decode("utf-8").strip())
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
+
+            self.log.debug("Failing to run converge-to hook")
+
+    def call_take(self, data):
+        """
+        Call hook that prepares the resource
+        """
+        return not subprocess.run(["./hook-take", f"{data}"], check=True)
+
+    def call_release(self, data):
+        """
+        Call hook that releases the resource
+        """
+        result = subprocess.run(["./hook-release", f"{data}"], check=False)
+        return not result.returncode
+
+    def start(self, count):
+        """ Start N agent-like resources """
+        self.log.info("Starting %s resources", count)
+        for _ in range(count):
+            ticket = self.conn.newTicket(self.tags)
+            self.log.debug("Taking ticket id %s", ticket.id)
+            self.tickets.append(ticket.id)
+            data = ticket.wait()
+            self.call_take(data)
+
+    def try_to_stop(self, to_stop):
+        """
+        Attempt to stop TO_STOP resources by closing Resalloc tickets.  Not all
+        the resources may be closed at this time.
+        """
+        self.log.info("Trying to stop %s resources", to_stop)
+        stopped = 0
+        for ticket_id in self.tickets:
+            if stopped >= to_stop:
+                break
+
+            ticket = Ticket(ticket_id, connection=self.conn)
+            data = ticket.collect()
+            if not self.call_release(data):
+                self.log.debug("Can't release %s", ticket.id)
+                continue
+
+            self.log.debug("Closing ticket %s", ticket.id)
+            ticket.close()
+            self.tickets.remove(ticket_id)
+            stopped += 1
+
+
+    def loop(self):
+        """
+        Periodically query the ideal number of builders, and attempt to converge
+        to the ideal state.
+        """
+        while True:
+            start = time.time()
+            todo = self.call_converge_to() - len(self.tickets)
+            if todo > 0:
+                self.start(todo)
+            elif todo < 0:
+                self.try_to_stop(-todo)
+            took = time.time() - start
+            sleep = self.sleep - took
+            if sleep > 0:
+                self.log.debug("Sleeping %ss", sleep)
+                time.sleep(sleep)
+
+
+def _main():
+    logging.basicConfig(
+        level=logging.DEBUG,
+        format='[%(asctime)s] {%(pathname)s:%(lineno)d} %(levelname)s - %(message)s',
+        datefmt='%H:%M:%S'
+    )
+    log = logging.getLogger()
+    conn = ResallocConnection(RESALLOC_SERVER, request_survives_server_restart=True)
+    spawner = SpawnerPool(conn, log)
+    spawner.loop()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    _main()
diff --git a/agentspawner/hook-converge-to b/agentspawner/hook-converge-to
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..80e91bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/hook-converge-to
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+echo 3
diff --git a/agentspawner/hook-release b/agentspawner/hook-release
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7327aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/hook-release
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+eval 'set -- $1'  # strip
+echo "Releasing with resalloc ticket data: $1"
+
+# ~33% chance of closing this one
+test $(( RANDOM % 3 )) -eq 0 && exit 0
+exit 1
diff --git a/agentspawner/hook-take b/agentspawner/hook-take
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..aa03295
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/hook-take
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+eval 'set -- $1'  # strip
+echo "Taking with resalloc ticket data: $1"
diff --git a/agentspawner/resalloc-testing-server b/agentspawner/resalloc-testing-server
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7e04cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/resalloc-testing-server
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+cd ..
+rm /tmp/server-sql
+mkdir -p /tmp/logdir
+./test-tooling/resalloc-server
diff --git a/agentspawner/test-it-in-tmux b/agentspawner/test-it-in-tmux
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cc79f5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentspawner/test-it-in-tmux
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#! /bin/sh -x
+
+tmux new-session -n "resalloc-server" ./resalloc-testing-server ';' \
+     new-window -n "agent spawner" python3 ./daemon.py
diff --git a/etc/pools.yaml b/etc/pools.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cf4307
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/pools.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+basic:
+    max: 15
+    max_prealloc: 5
+    cmd_new: "echo >&2 before; env | grep RESALLOC_; echo >&2 after"
+    cmd_delete: "echo >&2 stderr; echo stdout"
+    tags:
+        - A
+        - B
diff --git a/etc/server.yaml b/etc/server.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8689c9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/server.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+db_url: "sqlite:////tmp/server-sql"
+logdir: /tmp/logdir
+port: 49100
+loglevel: debug