diff --git a/Annex/WorkerPool.hs b/Annex/WorkerPool.hs
index 9f2b7f872f..ddad985b42 100644
--- a/Annex/WorkerPool.hs
+++ b/Annex/WorkerPool.hs
@@ -97,13 +97,11 @@ changeStageTo mytid tv getnewstage = liftIO $
 
 -- | Waits until there's an idle StartStage worker in the worker pool,
 -- removes it from the pool, and returns its state.
---
--- If the worker pool is not already allocated, returns Nothing.
-waitStartWorkerSlot :: TMVar (WorkerPool t) -> STM (Maybe (t, WorkerStage))
+waitStartWorkerSlot :: TMVar (WorkerPool t) -> STM (t, WorkerStage)
 waitStartWorkerSlot tv = do
 	pool <- takeTMVar tv
 	v <- go pool
-	return $ Just (v, StartStage)
+	return (v, StartStage)
   where
 	go pool = case spareVals pool of
 		[] -> retry
diff --git a/CmdLine/Action.hs b/CmdLine/Action.hs
index fbfc92272c..d0e5d3e733 100644
--- a/CmdLine/Action.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/Action.hs
@@ -87,9 +87,8 @@ commandAction start = do
 
 	runconcurrent sizelimit Nothing = runnonconcurrent sizelimit
 	runconcurrent sizelimit (Just tv) = 
-		liftIO (atomically (waitStartWorkerSlot tv)) >>= maybe
-			(runnonconcurrent sizelimit)
-			(runconcurrent' sizelimit tv)
+		liftIO (atomically (waitStartWorkerSlot tv))
+			>>= runconcurrent' sizelimit tv
 	runconcurrent' sizelimit tv (workerstrd, workerstage) = do
 		aid <- liftIO $ async $ snd 
 			<$> Annex.run workerstrd
diff --git a/Command/P2PHttp.hs b/Command/P2PHttp.hs
index 077617ca1b..4b141adbe1 100644
--- a/Command/P2PHttp.hs
+++ b/Command/P2PHttp.hs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import Network.Socket (PortNumber)
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 
 cmd :: Command
-cmd = command "p2phttp" SectionPlumbing
+cmd = withAnnexOptions [jobsOption] $ command "p2phttp" SectionPlumbing
 	"communicate in P2P protocol over http"
 	paramNothing (seek <$$> optParser)
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ optParser _ = Options
 		)
 
 seek :: Options -> CommandSeek
-seek o = startConcurrency commandStages $ do
+seek o = getAnnexWorkerPool $ \workerpool -> do
 	-- XXX remove this
 	when (isNothing (portOption o)) $ do
 		liftIO $ putStrLn "test begins"
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ seek o = startConcurrency commandStages $ do
 		giveup "TEST DONE" 
 	withLocalP2PConnections $ \acquireconn -> liftIO $ do
 		authenv <- getAuthEnv
-		st <- mkP2PHttpServerState acquireconn $
+		st <- mkP2PHttpServerState acquireconn workerpool $
 			mkGetServerMode authenv o
 		Warp.run (fromIntegral port) (p2pHttpApp st)
   where
diff --git a/P2P/Http.hs b/P2P/Http.hs
index a361105b71..4fa0dab043 100644
--- a/P2P/Http.hs
+++ b/P2P/Http.hs
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ import P2P.Http.Types
 import P2P.Http.State
 import P2P.Protocol hiding (Offset, Bypass, auth)
 import P2P.IO
+import Annex.WorkerPool
+import Types.WorkerPool
+import Types.Direction
+import Utility.Metered
 
 import Servant
 import Servant.Client.Streaming
@@ -114,11 +118,12 @@ serveGetGeneric :: P2PHttpServerState -> B64Key -> Handler (S.SourceT IO B.ByteS
 serveGetGeneric = undefined -- TODO
 
 type GetAPI
-	= ClientUUID Optional
-	:> ServerUUID Optional
+	= ClientUUID Required
+	:> ServerUUID Required
 	:> BypassUUIDs
 	:> AssociatedFileParam
 	:> OffsetParam
+	:> IsSecure
 	:> AuthHeader
 	:> StreamGet NoFraming OctetStream
 		(Headers '[DataLengthHeader] (SourceIO B.ByteString))
@@ -128,20 +133,46 @@ serveGet
 	=> P2PHttpServerState
 	-> v
 	-> B64Key
-	-> Maybe (B64UUID ClientSide)
-	-> Maybe (B64UUID ServerSide)
+	-> B64UUID ClientSide
+	-> B64UUID ServerSide
 	-> [B64UUID Bypass]
 	-> Maybe B64FilePath
 	-> Maybe Offset
+	-> IsSecure
 	-> Maybe Auth
 	-> Handler (Headers '[DataLengthHeader] (S.SourceT IO B.ByteString))
-serveGet = undefined -- TODO
+serveGet st apiver (B64Key k) cu su bypass baf startat sec auth = do
+	res <- withP2PConnection apiver st cu su bypass sec auth ReadAction
+		$ \runst conn -> do
+			liftIO $ inAnnexWorker st $
+				enteringStage (TransferStage Upload) $ do
+					liftIO $ print "IN ANNEX WORKER!"
+			{-
+			let storer offset len getdata checkvalidity = do
+				undefined -- FIXME
+			-- XXX needs to run in annex monad to runFullProto
+			liftIO $ runNetProto runst conn $
+				receiveContent Nothing nullMeterUpdate
+					sizer storer getreq
+			-}
+			undefined
+	undefined -- XXX fixme streaming out
+  where
+	sizer = Len $ case startat of
+		Just (Offset o) -> fromIntegral o
+		Nothing -> 0
+	
+	getreq offset = P2P.Protocol.GET offset (ProtoAssociatedFile af) k
+	
+	af = AssociatedFile $ case baf of
+		Just (B64FilePath f) -> Just f
+		Nothing -> Nothing
 
 clientGet
 	:: ProtocolVersion
 	-> B64Key
-	-> Maybe (B64UUID ClientSide)
-	-> Maybe (B64UUID ServerSide)
+	-> B64UUID ClientSide
+	-> B64UUID ServerSide
 	-> [B64UUID Bypass]
 	-> Maybe B64FilePath
 	-> Maybe Offset
diff --git a/P2P/Http/State.hs b/P2P/Http/State.hs
index 29d2351e25..7c42b2ea93 100644
--- a/P2P/Http/State.hs
+++ b/P2P/Http/State.hs
@@ -13,12 +13,16 @@
 module P2P.Http.State where
 
 import Annex.Common
+import qualified Annex
 import P2P.Http.Types
 import qualified P2P.Protocol as P2P
 import P2P.IO
 import P2P.Annex
 import Annex.UUID
 import Annex.Concurrent
+import Types.WorkerPool
+import Annex.WorkerPool
+import CmdLine.Action (startConcurrency)
 
 import Servant
 import qualified Data.Map as M
@@ -27,13 +31,20 @@ import Control.Concurrent.STM
 
 data P2PHttpServerState = P2PHttpServerState
 	{ acquireP2PConnection :: AcquireP2PConnection
+	, annexWorkerPool :: AnnexWorkerPool
 	, getServerMode :: GetServerMode
 	, openLocks :: TMVar (M.Map LockID Locker)
 	}
 
-mkP2PHttpServerState :: AcquireP2PConnection -> GetServerMode -> IO P2PHttpServerState
-mkP2PHttpServerState acquireconn getservermode = P2PHttpServerState
+type AnnexWorkerPool = TMVar (WorkerPool (Annex.AnnexState, Annex.AnnexRead))
+
+-- Nothing when the server is not allowed to serve any requests.
+type GetServerMode = IsSecure -> Maybe Auth -> Maybe P2P.ServerMode
+
+mkP2PHttpServerState :: AcquireP2PConnection -> AnnexWorkerPool -> GetServerMode -> IO P2PHttpServerState
+mkP2PHttpServerState acquireconn annexworkerpool getservermode = P2PHttpServerState
 	<$> pure acquireconn
+	<*> pure annexworkerpool
 	<*> pure getservermode
 	<*> newTMVarIO mempty
 
@@ -89,9 +100,6 @@ basicAuthRequired = err401 { errHeaders = [(h, v)] }
 	h = "WWW-Authenticate"
 	v = "Basic realm=\"git-annex\", charset=\"UTF-8\""
 
--- Nothing when the server is not allowed to serve any requests.
-type GetServerMode = IsSecure -> Maybe Auth -> Maybe P2P.ServerMode
-
 data ConnectionParams = ConnectionParams
 	{ connectionProtocolVersion :: P2P.ProtocolVersion
 	, connectionServerUUID :: UUID
@@ -237,3 +245,33 @@ dropLock lckid st = do
 	case v of
 		Nothing -> return ()
 		Just locker -> wait (lockerThread locker)
+
+getAnnexWorkerPool :: (AnnexWorkerPool -> Annex a) -> Annex a
+getAnnexWorkerPool a = startConcurrency transferStages $
+	Annex.getState Annex.workers >>= \case
+		Nothing -> giveup "Use -Jn or set annex.jobs to configure the number of worker threads."
+		Just wp -> a wp
+
+inAnnexWorker :: P2PHttpServerState -> Annex a -> IO (Either SomeException a)
+inAnnexWorker st annexaction = do
+	(workerstrd, workerstage) <- atomically $
+		waitStartWorkerSlot (annexWorkerPool st)
+	resv <- newEmptyTMVarIO
+	aid <- async $ do
+		(res, strd) <- Annex.run workerstrd annexaction
+		atomically $ putTMVar resv res
+		return strd
+	atomically $ do
+		pool <- takeTMVar (annexWorkerPool st)
+		let !pool' = addWorkerPool (ActiveWorker aid workerstage) pool
+		putTMVar (annexWorkerPool st) pool'
+	(res, workerstrd') <- waitCatch aid >>= \case
+		Right strd -> do
+			r <- atomically $ takeTMVar resv
+			return (Right r, strd)
+		Left err -> return (Left err, workerstrd)
+	atomically $ do
+		pool <- takeTMVar (annexWorkerPool st)
+		let !pool' = deactivateWorker pool aid workerstrd'
+		putTMVar (annexWorkerPool st) pool'
+	return res
diff --git a/P2P/Protocol.hs b/P2P/Protocol.hs
index 18fc729f33..9f8131d3b8 100644
--- a/P2P/Protocol.hs
+++ b/P2P/Protocol.hs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import Control.DeepSeq
 import Prelude
 
 newtype Offset = Offset Integer
-	deriving (Show, NFData)
+	deriving (Show, Eq, NFData, Num, Real, Ord, Enum, Integral)
 
 newtype Len = Len Integer
 	deriving (Show)
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-p2phttp.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-p2phttp.mdwn
index 0e58e18665..655084e37b 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-p2phttp.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-p2phttp.mdwn
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ a repository over HTTP with write access for authenticated users.
 
 # OPTIONS
 
+* `--jobs=N`
+
+  Use this or annex.jobs must be set to configure the number of worker
+  threads.
+  
+  Since the webserver itself uses one thread, this needs to be set to
+  2 or more.
+
 * `--port=N`
 
   Port to listen on. Default is port 80.