diff --git a/src/api/mod.rs b/src/api/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6af73c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+use axum::{Router, routing::get};
+
+pub fn api_router() -> Router {
+    Router::new().route("/api/live", get(async || "Mnemosyne lives"))
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 013fb12..86ec1c6 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,40 @@
 use std::error::Error;
 
+use tokio::net::TcpListener;
+
+mod api;
 mod database;
 mod persons;
 mod quotes;
 mod tags;
 mod users;
 
-fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
-    dotenvy::dotenv()?;
+// Mnemosyne, the mother of the nine muses
+const DEFAULT_PORT: u16 = 0x9999; // 39321
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    if let Err(e) = dotenvy::dotenv() {
+        if !e.not_found() {
+            return Err(e.into());
+        }
+    }
+
     database::migrations()?;
     users::setup::initialise_reserved_users_if_needed()?;
 
+    let port = match std::env::var("PORT") {
+        Ok(p) => p.parse::<u16>()?,
+        Err(e) => match e {
+            std::env::VarError::NotPresent => DEFAULT_PORT,
+            _ => return Err(e)?,
+        },
+    };
+    let r = api::api_router();
+    let l = TcpListener::bind(format!("0.0.0.0:{port}")).await?;
+    println!("Listener bound to {}", l.local_addr()?);
+    let port = l.local_addr()?.port();
+
+    axum::serve(l, r).await?;
     Ok(())
 }