diff --git a/src/api.rs b/src/api.rs
index a8ce87a..82ae3e2 100644
--- a/src/api.rs
+++ b/src/api.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 use crate::gamemaster::*;
 use crate::AppState;
-use axum::extract::ConnectInfo;
 use axum::{
     extract::{
         ws::{Message, WebSocket, WebSocketUpgrade},
-        State,
+        ConnectInfo, State,
     },
     response::IntoResponse,
 };
 use futures::{sink::SinkExt, stream::StreamExt};
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::{net::SocketAddr, sync::Arc};
+pub mod message_handler;
+use crate::message_handler::*;
 
 /// New game request structure
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ fn greeting(state: &Arc<AppState>) -> String {
         state.games.lock().unwrap().len(),
     )
 }
+
 pub async fn websocket(stream: WebSocket, state: Arc<AppState>, who: SocketAddr) {
     // By splitting, we can send and receive at the same time.
     let (mut sender, mut receiver) = stream.split();
@@ -74,57 +76,10 @@ pub async fn websocket(stream: WebSocket, state: Arc<AppState>, who: SocketAddr)
         }
     });
 
-    // clone things for receiving task
-    let tx = state.tx.clone();
-    let name = who.clone();
-
     // handle new incoming messages
     let mut recv_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
         while let Some(Ok(message)) = receiver.next().await {
-            match message {
-                Message::Text(text) => {
-                    tracing::debug!("{who}: {}", text);
-
-                    if let Ok(new_game) = serde_json::from_str::<NewGameRequest>(&text) {
-                        tracing::debug!("{:#?}", &new_game);
-                        // create game
-                        if let Ok(new_game_object) = CAHGame::new(new_game) {
-                            state.games.lock().unwrap().push(new_game_object);
-                            let _update = tx.send(greeting(&state));
-                        } else {
-                            let _res = tx.send(format!("error creating game"));
-                        }
-                    } else {
-                        // just echo
-                        let msg = format!{"{who}: {text}"};
-                        tracing::debug!("{msg}");
-                        let _res = tx.send(msg);
-                    }
-                }
-                Message::Binary(data) => {
-                    tracing::debug!("Binary: {:?}", data)
-                }
-                Message::Close(c) => {
-                    if let Some(cf) = c {
-                        tracing::debug!(
-                            "Close received from {who} with code: {} and reason: {}",
-                            cf.code,
-                            cf.reason
-                        )
-                    } else {
-                        tracing::debug!("close received without close frame")
-                    }
-                    let msg = format!("{name} left.");
-                    tracing::debug!("{msg}");
-                    let _ = tx.send(msg);
-                }
-                Message::Pong(ping) => {
-                    tracing::debug!("Pong received with: {:?}", ping);
-                }
-                Message::Ping(pong) => {
-                    tracing::debug!("Pong received with: {:?}", pong);
-                }
-            }
+            message_handler(message, &state, who).await
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/src/api/message_handler.rs b/src/api/message_handler.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..162bf1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/message_handler.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+use crate::api::{greeting, Message, SocketAddr};
+use crate::AppState;
+use crate::Arc;
+use crate::CAHGame;
+use crate::NewGameRequest;
+
+pub async fn message_handler(message: Message, state: &Arc<AppState>, who: SocketAddr) {
+    let tx = &state.tx;
+
+    match message {
+        Message::Text(text) => {
+            tracing::debug!("{who}: {}", text);
+
+            if let Ok(new_game) = serde_json::from_str::<NewGameRequest>(&text) {
+                tracing::debug!("{:#?}", &new_game);
+                // create game
+                if let Ok(new_game_object) = CAHGame::new(new_game) {
+                    state.games.lock().unwrap().push(new_game_object);
+                    let _update = tx.send(greeting(&state));
+                } else {
+                    let _res = tx.send(format!("error creating game"));
+                }
+            } else {
+                // just echo
+                let msg = format! {"{who}: {text}"};
+                tracing::debug!("{msg}");
+                let _res = tx.send(msg);
+            }
+        }
+
+        Message::Binary(data) => {
+            tracing::debug!("Binary: {:?}", data)
+        }
+
+        Message::Close(c) => {
+            if let Some(cf) = c {
+                tracing::debug!(
+                    "Close received from {who} with code: {} and reason: {}",
+                    cf.code,
+                    cf.reason
+                )
+            } else {
+                tracing::debug!("close received without close frame")
+            }
+            let msg = format!("{who} left.");
+            tracing::debug!("{msg}");
+            let _ = tx.send(msg);
+        }
+
+        Message::Pong(ping) => {
+            tracing::debug!("Pong received with: {:?}", ping);
+        }
+
+        Message::Ping(pong) => {
+            tracing::debug!("Pong received with: {:?}", pong);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e104e61..d256ff1 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-use axum::{response::Html, routing::get, Router, ServiceExt};
+use axum::{response::Html, routing::get, Router};
 use std::{
-    collections::HashSet,
+    // collections::HashSet,
+    error::Error,
+    fs,
     net::SocketAddr,
+    result::Result,
     sync::{Arc, Mutex},
 };
-use std::{error::Error, fs, result::Result};
 use tokio::sync::broadcast;
 use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt};
-
 pub mod gamemaster;
 use crate::gamemaster::*;
-
 pub mod api;
 use crate::api::*;
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ fn test() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
 // Our shared state
 pub struct AppState {
     // We require unique usernames. This tracks which usernames have been taken.
-    user_set: Mutex<HashSet<String>>,
+    // user_set: Mutex<HashSet<String>>,
     // Channel used to send messages to all connected clients.
     tx: broadcast::Sender<String>,
     // Master card decks
@@ -96,18 +96,13 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
         .init();
 
     // Set up application state for use with with_state().
-    let user_set = Mutex::new(HashSet::new());
+    // let user_set = Mutex::new(HashSet::new());
     let (tx, _rx) = broadcast::channel(100);
-
-    // choose decks
     let cards_input_path: &str = "data/cah-cards-full.json";
-
-    // TODO: this should be a master card database and pointers
-    // to the cards should be passed to the game instead of actual cards
     let all_cards = Mutex::new(load_json(cards_input_path)?);
     let games = Mutex::new(vec![]);
     let app_state = Arc::new(AppState {
-        user_set,
+        // user_set,
         tx,
         all_cards,
         games,