diff --git a/pkg/vere/main.c b/pkg/vere/main.c
index fcadab15cf..33fd36290a 100644
--- a/pkg/vere/main.c
+++ b/pkg/vere/main.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include "db/lmdb.h"
 #include "getopt.h"
 #include "libgen.h"
+#include "pthread.h"
+#include "spawn.h"
 
 #include "ca_bundle.h"
 #include "pace.h"
@@ -299,12 +301,13 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
     { "prop-url",            required_argument, NULL, 2 },
     { "prop-name",           required_argument, NULL, 3 },
     //
-    { "urth-loom",           required_argument, NULL, 5 },
-    { "no-demand",           no_argument,       NULL, 6 },
-    { "swap",                no_argument,       NULL, 7 },
-    { "swap-to",             required_argument, NULL, 8 },
-    { "toss",                required_argument, NULL, 9 },
+    { "urth-loom",           required_argument, NULL,  5 },
+    { "no-demand",           no_argument,       NULL,  6 },
+    { "swap",                no_argument,       NULL,  7 },
+    { "swap-to",             required_argument, NULL,  8 },
+    { "toss",                required_argument, NULL,  9 },
     { "behn-allow-blocked",  no_argument,       NULL, 10 },
+    { "serf-bin",            required_argument, NULL, 11 },
     { "lmdb-map-size",       required_argument, NULL, 12 },
     //
     { NULL, 0, NULL, 0 },
@@ -349,10 +352,15 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
         u3_Host.ops_u.beb = c3y;
         break;
       }
+      case 11: {  // serf-bin
+        u3_Host.wrk_c = strdup(optarg);
+        break;
+      }
       case 12: { //  lmdb-map-size
         if ( 1 != sscanf(optarg, "%" SCNuMAX, &u3_Host.ops_u.siz_i) ) {
           return c3n;
         }
+
         break;
       }
       //  special args
@@ -2370,6 +2378,113 @@ _cw_play_impl(c3_d eve_d, c3_d sap_d, c3_o mel_o, c3_o sof_o, c3_o ful_o)
   return pay_d;
 }
 
+/* _cw_play_fork_heed(): wait for EOF on STDIN or until canceled.
+*/
+void* _cw_play_fork_heed(void* arg) {
+  c3_c buf[1];
+  c3_zs red;
+
+  do {
+    pthread_testcancel();
+    red = read(STDIN_FILENO, buf, sizeof(buf));
+    if ( 0 == red ) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "play: god save the king! committing sudoku...\r\n");
+      exit(1);
+    }
+  } while ( 0 < red );
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+/* _cw_play_fork(): spawn a subprocess for event replay.
+*/
+static c3_i
+_cw_play_fork(c3_d eve_d, c3_d sap_d, c3_o mel_o, c3_o sof_o, c3_o ful_o)
+{
+  //  prepare args
+  //
+  c3_c eve_c[21], sap_c[21] = { 0 };
+  if ( 0 > sprintf(eve_c, "%" PRIu64, eve_d) ||
+       0 > sprintf(sap_c, "%" PRIu64, sap_d) )
+  {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: error parsing args\r\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  c3_c *argv[11] = {
+    u3_Host.wrk_c,
+    "play",
+    u3_Host.dir_c,
+    "--replay-to",
+    eve_c,
+    "--snap-at",
+    sap_c,
+  };
+
+  c3_z i = 7;
+  if _(mel_o) {
+    argv[i++] = "--auto-meld";
+  }
+  if _(sof_o) {
+    argv[i++] = "--soft-mugs";
+  }
+  if _(ful_o) {
+    argv[i++] = "--full";
+  }
+  argv[i] = NULL;
+
+  //  prepare a pipe for ipc with the subprocess
+  //
+  c3_i pipefd[2];
+  if ( 0 != pipe(pipefd) ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: failed to open pipe\r\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  //  set the child process' stdin to read from the pipe
+  //
+  posix_spawn_file_actions_t action;
+  posix_spawn_file_actions_init(&action);
+  posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose(&action, pipefd[1]);
+  posix_spawn_file_actions_adddup2(&action, pipefd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+
+  //  spawn a new serf process and call its play subcommand
+  //
+  pid_t pid;
+  if ( 0 != posix_spawn(&pid, u3_Host.wrk_c, &action, 0, argv, 0) ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: posix_spawn: %d\r\n", errno);
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  //  close the read end of the pipe in the parent
+  //
+  close(pipefd[0]);
+
+  //  wait for the child to exit
+  //
+  c3_i sat_i;
+  if ( -1 == waitpid(pid, &sat_i, 0) ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: waitpid: %d\r\n", errno);
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  if ( WIFEXITED(sat_i) ) {
+    c3_i ret_i = WEXITSTATUS(sat_i);
+    if ( 0 != ret_i ) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "play: exited with %d\r\n", ret_i);
+    }
+    return ret_i;
+  }
+  else if ( WIFSIGNALED(sat_i) ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: terminated by signal %d\r\n", WTERMSIG(sat_i));
+    return 1;
+  }
+  else {
+    fprintf(stderr, "play: strange termination\r\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+}
+
 /* _cw_play(): replay events, but better.
 */
 static void
@@ -2462,9 +2577,14 @@ _cw_play(c3_i argc, c3_c* argv[])
     exit(1);
   }
 
+  pthread_t ted;
+  pthread_create(&ted, NULL, _cw_play_fork_heed, NULL);
+
   if ( !_cw_play_impl(eve_d, sap_d, mel_o, sof_o, ful_o) ) {
     fprintf(stderr, "mars: nothing to do!\r\n");
   }
+
+  pthread_cancel(ted);
 }
 
 /* _cw_prep(): prepare for upgrade
@@ -3037,8 +3157,6 @@ main(c3_i   argc,
 
   _main_self_path();
 
-  //  XX add argument
-  //
   if ( !u3_Host.wrk_c ) {
     u3_Host.wrk_c = bin_c;
   }
@@ -3181,7 +3299,11 @@ main(c3_i   argc,
     //  we need the current snapshot's latest event number to
     //  validate whether we can execute disk migration
     if ( u3_Host.ops_u.nuu == c3n ) {
-      _cw_play_impl(0, 0, c3n, c3n, c3n);
+      c3_i sat_i = _cw_play_fork(0, 0, c3n, c3n, c3n);
+      if ( sat_i ) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "play: replay failed: %d\r\n", sat_i);
+        exit(sat_i);
+      }
       signal(SIGTSTP, _stop_exit);
       //  XX  unmap loom, else parts of the snapshot could be left in memory
     }