diff --git a/OsemClient.go b/OsemClient.go
deleted file mode 100644
index c575057..0000000
--- a/OsemClient.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"net/http"
-	"github.com/dghubble/sling"
-)
-
-type OsemClient struct {
-	sling *sling.Sling
-}
-
-func NewOsemClient(client *http.Client) *OsemClient {
-	return &OsemClient{
-		sling: sling.New().Client(client).Base("https://api.opensensemap.org/"),
-	}
-}
-
-func (client *OsemClient) GetBox(boxId string) (Box, error) {
-	box := Box{}
-	_, err := client.sling.New().Path("boxes/").Path(boxId).ReceiveSuccess(&box)
-	return box, err
-}
diff --git a/cmd/args.go b/cmd/args.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9652f50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/args.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"../core"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"regexp"
+)
+
+func isValidBoxId(boxId string) bool {
+	// boxIds are UUIDs
+	r := regexp.MustCompile("^[0-9a-fA-F]{24}$")
+	return r.MatchString(boxId)
+}
+
+func BoxIdValidator(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) < 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("requires at least 1 argument")
+	}
+	for _, boxId := range args {
+		if isValidBoxId(boxId) == false {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid boxId specified: %s", boxId)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// TODO: actually to be read from arg / file
+var defaultConf = &core.NotifyConfig{
+	// Transports: struct {
+	// 	Slack: SlackConfig{
+	// 		Channel: "asdf"
+	// 		Token: "qwer"
+	// 	}
+	// },
+	Events: []core.NotifyEvent{
+		core.NotifyEvent{
+			Type:      "measurementAge",
+			Target:    "593bcd656ccf3b0011791f5d",
+			Threshold: "5h",
+		},
+	},
+}
+
+// func parseNotifyConfig(conf string) NotifyConfig, error {}
diff --git a/cmd/check.go b/cmd/check.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb1a409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/check.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"../core"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	checkCmd.AddCommand(checkBoxCmd)
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(checkCmd)
+}
+
+var checkCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "check",
+	Short: "One-off check for events on boxes",
+	Long:  "One-off check for events on boxes",
+}
+
+var checkBoxCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "boxes <boxId> [...<boxIds>]",
+	Short: "one-off check on one or more box IDs",
+	Long:  "specify box IDs to check them for events",
+	Args:  BoxIdValidator,
+	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		notifications, err := core.CheckNotifications(args, defaultConf)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error checking for notifications:", err)
+		}
+		fmt.Println(notifications)
+
+		// logNotifications(notifications)
+		if shouldNotify {
+			// TODO
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	},
+}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6fcf10d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:  "osem_notify",
+	Long: "Run healthchecks and send notifications for boxes on opensensemap.org",
+	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		cmd.Help()
+	},
+}
+
+var shouldNotify bool
+var defaultConfig string
+
+func init() {
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&shouldNotify, "notify", "n", false, "if set, will send out notifications.\nOtherwise results are printed to stdout only")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&defaultConfig, "confdefault", "c", "", "default JSON config to use for event checking")
+}
+
+func Execute() {
+	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/watch.go b/cmd/watch.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0447a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/watch.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"../core"
+)
+
+var watchInterval int
+var ticker <-chan time.Time
+
+func init() {
+	watchCmd.AddCommand(watchBoxesCmd)
+	watchCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVarP(&watchInterval, "interval", "i", 15, "interval to run checks in minutes")
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(watchCmd)
+}
+
+var watchCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:     "watch",
+	Aliases: []string{"serve"},
+	Short:   "Watch boxes for events at an interval",
+	Long:    "Watch boxes for events at an interval",
+	PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		ticker = time.NewTicker(time.Duration(watchInterval) * time.Second).C
+	},
+}
+
+var watchBoxesCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "boxes <boxId> [...<boxIds>]",
+	Short: "watch a list of box IDs for events",
+	Long:  "specify box IDs to watch them for events",
+	Args:  BoxIdValidator,
+	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		exec := func() error {
+			notifications, err := core.CheckNotifications(args, defaultConf)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error checking for notifications: ", err)
+			}
+			fmt.Println(notifications)
+
+			// logNotifications(notifications)
+			if shouldNotify {
+				// TODO
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		err := exec()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		for {
+			<-ticker
+			err = exec()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	},
+}
diff --git a/Box.go b/core/Box.go
similarity index 84%
rename from Box.go
rename to core/Box.go
index d75e23c..658a100 100644
--- a/Box.go
+++ b/core/Box.go
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-package main
+package core
+
+type NotifyEvent struct {
+	Type      string `json:"type"`
+	Target    string `json:"target"`
+	Threshold string `json:"threshold"`
+}
 
 type NotifyConfig struct {
 	// Transports interface{} `json:"transports"`
diff --git a/core/OsemClient.go b/core/OsemClient.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..568a0af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/OsemClient.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"github.com/dghubble/sling"
+	"net/http"
+)
+
+type OsemError struct {
+	Code    int    `json:"code"`
+	Message string `json:"message"`
+}
+
+type OsemClient struct {
+	sling *sling.Sling
+}
+
+func NewOsemClient(client *http.Client) *OsemClient {
+	return &OsemClient{
+		sling: sling.New().Client(client).Base("https://api.opensensemap.org/"),
+	}
+}
+
+func (client *OsemClient) GetBox(boxId string) (Box, error) {
+	box := Box{}
+	fail := OsemError{}
+	client.sling.New().Path("boxes/").Path(boxId).Receive(&box, &fail)
+	if fail.Message != "" {
+		return box, errors.New("could not fetch box: " + fail.Message)
+	}
+	return box, nil
+}
+
+var osem = NewOsemClient(&http.Client{}) // default client
diff --git a/core/jobs.go b/core/jobs.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d17bd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/jobs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
+	log.SetOutput(os.Stdout)
+	// log.SetFormatter(&log.JSONFormatter{})
+}
+
+func CheckNotifications(boxIds []string, defaultConf *NotifyConfig) ([]Notification, []error) {
+	log.Info("Checking notifications for ", len(boxIds), " box(es)")
+
+	// TODO: return a map of Box: []Notification instead?
+	notifications := []Notification{}
+	errors := []error{}
+	for _, boxId := range boxIds {
+		n, err := checkBox(boxId, defaultConf)
+		if notifications != nil {
+			notifications = append(notifications, n...)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			errors = append(errors, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(errors) == 0 {
+		errors = nil
+	}
+
+	return notifications, errors
+}
+
+func checkBox(boxId string, defaultConf *NotifyConfig) ([]Notification, error) {
+	boxLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{"boxId": boxId})
+	boxLogger.Debug("checking box for due notifications")
+
+	// get box data
+	box, err := osem.GetBox(boxId)
+	if err != nil {
+		boxLogger.Error(err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// if box has no notify config, we use the defaultConf
+	if box.NotifyConf == nil {
+		box.NotifyConf = defaultConf
+	}
+	boxLogger.Debug(box.NotifyConf)
+
+	// run checks
+	notifications, err2 := box.runChecks()
+	if err2 != nil {
+		boxLogger.Error("could not run checks on box: ", err)
+		return notifications, err2
+	}
+	if notifications == nil {
+		boxLogger.Debug("all is fine")
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// store notifications for later submit
+	// notifier, err3 := box.getNotifier()
+	// if err3 != nil {
+	// 	boxLogger.Error("could not get notifier for box: ", err)
+	// 	return notifications, err3
+	// }
+	// notifier.AddNotifications(notifications)
+
+	return notifications, nil
+}
diff --git a/notifiers.go b/core/notifiers.go
similarity index 67%
rename from notifiers.go
rename to core/notifiers.go
index c8bdead..0186055 100644
--- a/notifiers.go
+++ b/core/notifiers.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package main
+package core
 
 type AbstractNotifier interface {
 	GetName() string
@@ -12,9 +12,3 @@ type Notification struct {
 
 // TODO: multiple transports? one transport per event? (??)
 type SlackConfig struct{}
-
-type NotifyEvent struct {
-	Type      string `json:"type"`
-	Target    string `json:"target"`
-	Threshold string `json:"threshold"`
-}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 8a9dd0f..231c3ff 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,81 +1,9 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"net/http"
-	"os"
-	"runtime"
-
-	"github.com/carlescere/scheduler"
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"./cmd"
 )
 
-func checkBox(boxId string, defaultConf *NotifyConfig) {
-	boxLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{"boxId": boxId})
-	boxLogger.Debug("checking box for due notifications")
-
-	// get box data
-	box, err := osem.GetBox(boxId)
-	if err != nil {
-		boxLogger.Error("could not fetch box: ", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	// if box has no notify config, we use the defaultConf
-	if box.NotifyConf == nil {
-		box.NotifyConf = defaultConf
-	}
-	boxLogger.Debug(box.NotifyConf)
-
-	// run checks
-	notifications, err2 := box.runChecks()
-	if err2 != nil {
-		boxLogger.Error("could not run checks on box: ", err)
-		return
-	}
-	if notifications == nil {
-		boxLogger.Debug("all is fine")
-		return
-	}
-
-	// store notifications for later submit
-	// notifier, err3 := box.getNotifier()
-	// if err3 != nil {
-	// 	boxLogger.Error("could not get notifier for box: ", err)
-	// 	return
-	// }
-	// notifier.AddNotifications(notifications)
-}
-
-func checkNotifications() {
-	log.Info("running job checkNotifications()")
-	checkBox("593bcd656ccf3b0011791f5a", defaultConf)
-}
-
-var osem = NewOsemClient(&http.Client{})
-var defaultConf = &NotifyConfig{
-	// Transports: struct {
-	// 	Slack: SlackConfig{
-	// 		Channel: "asdf"
-	// 		Token: "qwer"
-	// 	}
-	// },
-	Events: []NotifyEvent{
-		NotifyEvent{
-			Type:      "measurementAge",
-			Target:    "593bcd656ccf3b0011791f5d",
-			Threshold: "5h",
-		},
-	},
-}
-
-func init() {
-	log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
-	log.SetOutput(os.Stdout)
-	// log.SetFormatter(&log.JSONFormatter{})
-}
-
 func main() {
-	scheduler.Every(15).Seconds().Run(checkNotifications)
-	// scheduler.Every(30).Seconds().Run(submitNotifications)
-	runtime.Goexit() // keep runtime running
+	cmd.Execute()
 }