diff --git a/proxy/src/mgmt.rs b/proxy/src/mgmt.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0834c832d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxy/src/mgmt.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+use std::{
+    net::{TcpListener, TcpStream},
+    thread,
+};
+
+use bytes::Bytes;
+use zenith_utils::{
+    postgres_backend::{self, PostgresBackend},
+    pq_proto::{BeMessage, SINGLE_COL_ROWDESC},
+};
+
+use crate::ProxyConf;
+
+///
+/// Main proxy listener loop.
+///
+/// Listens for connections, and launches a new handler thread for each.
+///
+pub fn thread_main(conf: &'static ProxyConf, listener: TcpListener) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    loop {
+        let (socket, peer_addr) = listener.accept()?;
+        println!("accepted connection from {}", peer_addr);
+        socket.set_nodelay(true).unwrap();
+
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            if let Err(err) = mgmt_conn_main(conf, socket) {
+                println!("error: {}", err);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn mgmt_conn_main(conf: &'static ProxyConf, socket: TcpStream) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let mut conn_handler = MgmtHandler { conf };
+    let mut pgbackend = PostgresBackend::new(socket, postgres_backend::AuthType::Trust)?;
+    pgbackend.run(&mut conn_handler)
+}
+
+struct MgmtHandler {
+    conf: &'static ProxyConf,
+}
+
+impl postgres_backend::Handler for MgmtHandler {
+    fn process_query(
+        &mut self,
+        pgb: &mut PostgresBackend,
+        query_string: Bytes,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        println!("Got mgmt query: {:?}", query_string);
+
+        pgb.write_message_noflush(&SINGLE_COL_ROWDESC)?
+            .write_message_noflush(&BeMessage::DataRow(&[Some(b"mgmt_ok")]))?
+            .write_message_noflush(&BeMessage::CommandComplete(b"SELECT 1"))?;
+
+        pgb.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}