diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 58c7bf9f1..abd682e3b 100755
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ sourceSets {
     launch {
         compileClasspath += main.compileClasspath + main.runtimeClasspath + main.output
     }
-    tenor {}
+    tenor {
+        compileClasspath += comms.compileClasspath + comms.output
+    }
     main {
-        compileClasspath += tenor.compileClasspath
+        compileClasspath += tenor.compileClasspath + tenor.output
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tenor/java/tenor/Bot.java b/src/tenor/java/tenor/Bot.java
index a3e44a0be..fcecbed3c 100644
--- a/src/tenor/java/tenor/Bot.java
+++ b/src/tenor/java/tenor/Bot.java
@@ -17,10 +17,28 @@
 
 package tenor;
 
-public class Bot {
+import comms.IConnection;
+import comms.IMessageListener;
+import comms.upward.MessageStatus;
+
+public class Bot implements IMessageListener {
     public final BotTaskRegistry taskRegistry = new BotTaskRegistry(this);
 
+    private final IConnection connectionToBot;
+    private volatile MessageStatus mostRecentUpdate;
+
+    public Bot(IConnection conn) {
+        this.connectionToBot = conn;
+        // TODO event loop to read messages non blockingly
+    }
+
     public int getCurrentQuantityInInventory(String item) {
+        // TODO get this information from the most recent update
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException("oppa");
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void handle(MessageStatus msg) {
+        mostRecentUpdate = msg;
+    }
 }