diff --git a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/ei_helpers.c b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/ei_helpers.c
index 7c7bc036be..fc73f7ab13 100644
--- a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/ei_helpers.c
+++ b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/ei_helpers.c
@@ -122,6 +122,80 @@ void ei_encode_switch_event_tag(ei_x_buff *ebuf, switch_event_t *event, char *ta
 }
 
 
+/* function to spawn a process on a remote node */
+int ei_spawn(struct ei_cnode_s *ec, int sockfd, char *module, char *function, int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	ei_x_buff buf;
+	ei_x_new_with_version(&buf);
+	erlang_ref ref;
+	int i;
+
+	ei_x_encode_tuple_header(&buf, 3);
+	ei_x_encode_atom(&buf, "$gen_call");
+	ei_x_encode_tuple_header(&buf, 2);
+	ei_x_encode_pid(&buf, ei_self(ec)); 
+	/* TODO - use this reference to determine the response */
+	ei_init_ref(ec, &ref);
+	ei_x_encode_ref(&buf, &ref);
+	ei_x_encode_tuple_header(&buf, 5);
+	ei_x_encode_atom(&buf, "spawn");
+	ei_x_encode_atom(&buf, module);
+	ei_x_encode_atom(&buf, function);
+
+	/* argument list */
+	ei_x_encode_list_header(&buf, argc);
+	for(i = 0; i < argc && argv[i]; i++) {
+		ei_x_encode_atom(&buf, argv[i]);
+	}
+
+	ei_x_encode_empty_list(&buf);
+
+	/*if (i != argc - 1) {*/
+		/* horked argument list */
+	/*}*/
+
+	ei_x_encode_pid(&buf, ei_self(ec)); /* should really be a valid group leader */
+
+	char *pbuf = 0;
+	i = 1;
+	ei_s_print_term(&pbuf, buf.buff, &i);
+	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "spawn returning %s\n", pbuf);
+
+	return ei_reg_send(ec, sockfd, "net_kernel", buf.buff, buf.index);
+}
+
+
+/* stolen from erts/emulator/beam/erl_term.h */
+#define _REF_NUM_SIZE    18
+#define MAX_REFERENCE    (1 << _REF_NUM_SIZE)
+
+/* function to fill in an erlang reference struct */
+void ei_init_ref(ei_cnode *ec, erlang_ref *ref)
+{
+	memset(ref, 0, sizeof(*ref)); /* zero out the struct */
+	snprintf(ref->node, MAXATOMLEN, ec->thisnodename);
+	
+	switch_mutex_lock(globals.ref_mutex);
+	globals.reference0++;
+	if (globals.reference0 >= MAX_REFERENCE) {
+		globals.reference0 = 0;
+		globals.reference1++;
+		if (globals.reference1 == 0) {
+			globals.reference2++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ref->n[0] = globals.reference0;
+	ref->n[1] = globals.reference1;
+	ref->n[2] = globals.reference2;
+
+	switch_mutex_unlock(globals.ref_mutex);
+
+	ref->creation = 1; /* why is this 1 */
+	ref->len = 3; /* why is this 3 */
+}
+
+
 switch_status_t initialise_ei(struct ei_cnode_s *ec)
 {
 	switch_status_t rv;
@@ -167,7 +241,6 @@ switch_status_t initialise_ei(struct ei_cnode_s *ec)
 		return SWITCH_STATUS_FALSE;
 	}
 
-	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "ei initialized node at %s\n", thisnodename);
 	return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.c b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.c
index 607c73adc1..5b193924e1 100644
--- a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.c
+++ b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.c
@@ -592,6 +592,8 @@ static void check_event_queue(listener_t *listener)
 static void listener_main_loop(listener_t *listener) 
 {
 	int status = 1;
+	/*int i = 1;*/
+	/*char *pbuf = 0;*/
 
 	while ((status >= 0 || erl_errno == ETIMEDOUT || erl_errno == EAGAIN) && !prefs.done) {
 		erlang_msg msg;
@@ -613,12 +615,20 @@ static void listener_main_loop(listener_t *listener)
 				switch(msg.msgtype) {
 					case ERL_SEND :
 						/*switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "erl_send\n");*/
+						/*i = 1;*/
+						/*ei_s_print_term(&pbuf, buf.buff, &i);*/
+						/*switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "erl_send was message %s\n", pbuf);*/
+
 						if (handle_msg(listener, &msg, &buf, &rbuf)) {
 							return;
 						}
 						break;
 					case ERL_REG_SEND :
-						/*switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "erl_reg_send\n");*/
+						/*switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "erl_reg_send to %s\n", msg.toname);*/
+						/*i = 1;*/
+						/*ei_s_print_term(&pbuf, buf.buff, &i);*/
+						/*switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "erl_reg_send was message %s\n", pbuf);*/
+
 						if (handle_msg(listener, &msg, &buf, &rbuf)) {
 						    return;
 						}
@@ -980,6 +990,12 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_LOAD_FUNCTION(mod_erlang_event_load)
 	switch_application_interface_t *app_interface;
 
 	switch_mutex_init(&globals.listener_mutex, SWITCH_MUTEX_NESTED, pool);
+	
+	/* intialize the unique reference stuff */
+	switch_mutex_init(&globals.ref_mutex, SWITCH_MUTEX_NESTED, pool);
+	globals.reference0 = 0;
+	globals.reference1 = 0;
+	globals.reference2 = 0;
 
 	if (switch_event_bind_removable(modname, SWITCH_EVENT_ALL, SWITCH_EVENT_SUBCLASS_ANY, event_handler, NULL, &globals.node) != SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
 		switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Couldn't bind!\n");
@@ -1099,7 +1115,7 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_RUNTIME_FUNCTION(mod_erlang_event_runtime)
 		}
 	}
 
-	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "Connected and published erlang cnode\n");
+	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "Connected and published erlang cnode at %s\n", ec.thisnodename);
 
 	listen_list.ready = 1;
 
diff --git a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.h b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.h
index f1373e5d8b..421b7abd36 100644
--- a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.h
+++ b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_erlang_event/mod_erlang_event.h
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ struct api_command_struct {
 struct globals_struct {
 	switch_mutex_t *listener_mutex;
 	switch_event_node_t *node;
+	unsigned int reference0;
+	unsigned int reference1;
+	unsigned int reference2;
+	switch_mutex_t *ref_mutex;
 };
 typedef struct globals_struct globals_t;
 
@@ -182,6 +186,8 @@ int handle_msg(listener_t *listener, erlang_msg *msg, ei_x_buff *buf, ei_x_buff
 void ei_link(listener_t *listener, erlang_pid *from, erlang_pid *to);
 void ei_encode_switch_event_headers(ei_x_buff *ebuf, switch_event_t *event);
 void ei_encode_switch_event_tag(ei_x_buff *ebuf, switch_event_t *event, char *tag);
+int ei_spawn(struct ei_cnode_s *ec, int sockfd, char *module, char *function, int argc, char **argv);
+void ei_init_ref(struct ei_cnode_s *ec, erlang_ref *ref);
 switch_status_t initialise_ei(struct ei_cnode_s *ec);
 #define ei_encode_switch_event(_b, _e) ei_encode_switch_event_tag(_b, _e, "event")