diff --git a/src/gui/src/IPC.js b/src/gui/src/IPC.js
index 6e7234e4..7d4823e8 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/IPC.js
+++ b/src/gui/src/IPC.js
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ window.ipc_handlers = {};
  * 
  * Precautions are taken to ensure proper usage of appInstanceIDs and other sensitive information.
  */
-window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
+const ipc_listener = async (event, handled) => {
     const app_env = event.data?.env ?? 'app';
     
     // Only process messages from apps
     if(app_env !== 'app')
-        return;
+        return handled.resolve(false);
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------
     // A response to a GUI message received from the app.
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
         delete window.appCallbackFunctions[event.data.original_msg_id];
 
         // Done
-        return;
+        return handled.resolve(false);
     }
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------
@@ -70,18 +70,20 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
 
     // `data` and `msg` are required
     if(!event.data || !event.data.msg){
-        return;
+        return handled.resolve(false);
     }
 
     // `appInstanceID` is required
     if(!event.data.appInstanceID){
         console.error(`appInstanceID is needed`);
-        return;
+        return handled.resolve(false);
     }else if(!window.app_instance_ids.has(event.data.appInstanceID)){
         console.error(`appInstanceID is invalid`);
-        return;
+        return handled.resolve(false);
     }
 
+    handled.resolve(true);
+
     const $el_parent_window = $(window.window_for_app_instance(event.data.appInstanceID));
     const parent_window_id = $el_parent_window.attr('data-id');
     const $el_parent_disable_mask = $el_parent_window.find('.window-disable-mask');
@@ -1522,4 +1524,11 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
             status_code,
         });
     }
+};
+
+if ( ! window.when_puter_happens ) window.when_puter_happens = [];
+window.when_puter_happens.push(async () => {
+    await puter.services.wait_for_init(['xd-incoming']);
+    const svc_xdIncoming = puter.services.get('xd-incoming');
+    svc_xdIncoming.register_filter_listener(ipc_listener);
 });
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/index.js b/src/puter-js/src/index.js
index 5dc97795..a7d2f126 100644
--- a/src/puter-js/src/index.js
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/index.js
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ import * as utils from './lib/utils.js';
 import path from './lib/path.js';
 import Util from './modules/Util.js';
 import Drivers from './modules/Drivers.js';
+import putility from '@heyputer/putility';
+import { FSHostService } from './services/FSHost.js';
+import { FilesystemService } from './services/Filesystem.js';
+import { APIAccessService } from './services/APIAccess.js';
+import { XDIncomingService } from './services/XDIncoming.js';
+import { NoPuterYetService } from './services/NoPuterYet.js';
 
 window.puter = (function() {
     'use strict';
@@ -60,7 +66,12 @@ window.puter = (function() {
         constructor(options) {
             options = options ?? {};
             
+            // "modules" in puter.js are external interfaces for the developer
             this.modules_ = [];
+            // "services" in puter.js are used by modules and may interact with each other
+            const context = new putility.libs.context.Context();
+            this.services = new putility.system.ServiceManager({ context });
+            context.services = this.services;
 
             // Holds the query parameters found in the current URL
             let URLParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
@@ -137,6 +148,35 @@ window.puter = (function() {
                 this.APIOrigin = 'https://api.' + URLParams.get('puter.domain');
             }
 
+            if ( this.env !== 'app' ) {
+                this.services.register('no-puter-yet', NoPuterYetService);
+                this.services.register('filesystem', FilesystemService);
+                this.services.register('api-access', APIAccessService);
+                this.services.register('xd-incoming', XDIncomingService);
+                // this.services.register('fs-host', FSHostService);
+            }
+
+            // When api-access is initialized, bind `.authToken` and
+            // `.APIOrigin` as a 1-1 mapping with the `puter` global
+            (async () => {
+                await this.services.wait_for_init(['api-access']);
+                const svc_apiAccess = this.services.get('api-access');
+
+                svc_apiAccess.authToken = this.authToken;
+                svc_apiAccess.APIOrigin = this.APIOrigin;
+                ['authToken', 'APIOrigin'].forEach(key => {
+                    Object.defineProperty(this, key, {
+                        get () {
+                            return svc_apiAccess[key];
+                        },
+                        set (v) {
+                            svc_apiAccess[key] = v;
+                            return true;
+                        }
+                    });
+                });
+            })();
+
             // The SDK is running in the Puter GUI (i.e. 'gui')
             if(this.env === 'gui'){
                 this.authToken = window.auth_token;
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/services/APIAccess.js b/src/puter-js/src/services/APIAccess.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bceaf818
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/services/APIAccess.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import putility from "@heyputer/putility";
+
+const { TTopics } = putility.traits;
+
+/**
+ * Manages the auth token and origin used to communicate with
+ * Puter's API
+ */
+export class APIAccessService extends putility.concepts.Service {
+    static TOPICS = ['update'];
+
+    static PROPERTIES = {
+        auth_token: {
+            post_set () {
+                this.as(TTopics).pub('update');
+            }
+        },
+        api_origin: {
+            post_set () {
+                this.as(TTopics).pub('update');
+            }
+        },
+    };
+}
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/services/FSHost.js b/src/puter-js/src/services/FSHost.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9aeccde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/services/FSHost.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import putility from '@heyputer/putility';
+
+export class FSHostService extends putility.concepts.Service {
+    async _init () {
+        //
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/services/Filesystem.js b/src/puter-js/src/services/Filesystem.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c30e805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/services/Filesystem.js
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import putility from "@heyputer/putility";
+
+export class FilesystemService extends putility.concepts.Service {
+    static PROPERTIES = {
+        // filesystem: 
+    };
+
+    static DEPENDS = ['api-access'];
+    static HOOKS = [
+        {
+            service: 'api-access',
+            event: 'update',
+            description: `
+                re-initialize the socket connection whenever the
+                authentication token or API origin is changed.
+            `,
+            async do () {
+                console.log('do() was called');
+                this.initializeSocket();
+            }
+        }
+    ]
+
+    _init () {
+        console.log('does this init get called');
+        this.initializeSocket();
+    }
+
+    initializeSocket () {
+        console.log('THIS IS RUNNING');
+        if (this.socket) {
+            this.socket.disconnect();
+        }
+
+        this.socket = io(this.APIOrigin, {
+            auth: {
+                auth_token: this.authToken,
+            }
+        });
+
+        this.bindSocketEvents();
+    }
+
+    bindSocketEvents() {
+        this.socket.on('connect', () => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Connected', this.socket.id);
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('disconnect', () => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Disconnected');
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('reconnect', (attempt) => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Reconnected', this.socket.id);
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('reconnect_attempt', (attempt) => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Reconnection Attemps', attempt);
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('reconnect_error', (error) => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Reconnection Error', error);
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('reconnect_failed', () => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.log('FileSystem Socket: Reconnection Failed');
+        });
+
+        this.socket.on('error', (error) => {
+            if(puter.debugMode)
+                console.error('FileSystem Socket Error:', error);
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/services/NoPuterYet.js b/src/puter-js/src/services/NoPuterYet.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..004a4720
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/services/NoPuterYet.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import putility from "@heyputer/putility";
+
+/**
+ * Runs commands on the special `window.when_puter_happens` global, for
+ * situations where the `puter` global doesn't exist soon enough.
+ */
+export class NoPuterYetService extends putility.concepts.Service {
+    _init () {
+        if ( ! window.when_puter_happens ) return;
+        if ( puter && puter.env !== 'gui' ) return;
+
+        if ( ! Array.isArray(window.when_puter_happens) ) {
+            window.when_puter_happens = [window.when_puter_happens];
+        }
+
+        for ( const fn of window.when_puter_happens ) {
+            fn({ context: this._.context });
+        }
+    }  
+}
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/services/XDIncoming.js b/src/puter-js/src/services/XDIncoming.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce5833ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/services/XDIncoming.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import putility from "@heyputer/putility";
+
+const TeePromise = putility.libs.promise.TeePromise;
+
+/**
+ * Manages message events from the window object.
+ */
+export class XDIncomingService extends putility.concepts.Service {
+    _construct () {
+        this.filter_listeners_ = [];
+        this.tagged_listeners_ = {};
+    }
+
+    _init () {
+        window.addEventListener('message', async event => {
+            for ( const fn of this.filter_listeners_ ) {
+                const tp = new TeePromise();
+                fn(event, tp);
+                if ( await tp ) return;
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    register_filter_listener (fn) {
+        this.filter_listeners_.push(fn);
+    }
+}