diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9c94a64..bbb4a02 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "memdb": "^1.3.1",
     "mkdirp": "^1.0.4",
     "monotonic-timestamp": "0.0.9",
+    "paperslip": "^3.0.0",
     "pump": "^3.0.0",
     "qrcode": "^1.4.4",
     "random-access-memory": "^3.1.1",
diff --git a/src/client.js b/src/client.js
index 30d2640..45c9f45 100644
--- a/src/client.js
+++ b/src/client.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const path = require('path')
 const mkdirp = require('mkdirp')
 const os = require('os')
 const defaultCommands = require('./commands')
+const paperslip = require("paperslip")
 
 class Client {
   /**
@@ -104,17 +105,34 @@ class Client {
   /**
    * Resolve the DNS shortname `name`. If `name` is already a cabal key,  it will
    * be returned and the DNS lookup is aborted.
+   * If `name` is a whisper:// key, a DHT lookup for the passed-in key will occur. 
+   * Once a match is found, it is assumed to be a cabal key, which is returned.
    * Returns the cabal key in `cb`. If `cb` is null a Promise is returned.
-   * @param {string} name the DNS shortname
-   * @param {function(string)} [cb] The callback to be called when DNS lookup succeeds
+   * @param {string} name the DNS shortname, or whisper:// shortname
+   * @param {function(string)} [cb] The callback to be called when lookup succeeds
    */
   resolveName (name, cb) {
-    return this.cabalDns.resolveName(name).then((key) => {
-      if (key === null) return null
-      key = Client.scrubKey(key)
-      if (!cb) return key
-      else cb(key)
-    })
+    if (name.startsWith('whisper://') || 
+        // whisperlink heuristic: ends with -<hexhexhex>
+        name.slice(-4).toLowerCase().match(/-[0-9a-f]{3}/)) { 
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            let key = ''
+            const topic = name.startsWith('whisper://') ? name.slice(10) : name
+            const stream = paperslip.read(topic)
+            stream.on('data', (data) => {
+              if (data) { key += data.toString() }
+            })
+            stream.on('end', () => { resolve(key) })
+            stream.once('error', (err) => { reject(err) })
+        })
+    } else {
+        return this.cabalDns.resolveName(name).then((key) => {
+          if (key === null) return null
+          key = Client.scrubKey(key)
+          if (!cb) return key
+          else cb(key)
+        })
+      }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/commands.js b/src/commands.js
index c9f1d7c..a6764d7 100644
--- a/src/commands.js
+++ b/src/commands.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const qr = require('qrcode')
 const pump = require('pump')
 const to = require('to2')
 const strftime = require('strftime')
+const paperslip = require("paperslip")
 
 module.exports = {
   add: {
@@ -19,6 +20,23 @@ module.exports = {
       }
     }
   },
+  whisper: {
+    help: () => 'create a whisper link, a shortlived shortname alias for this cabal\'s key',
+    call: (cabal, res, arg) => {
+        if (arg === '') {
+            return res.error("you need to provide a shortname, e.g. 'workshop'")
+        }
+        const topic = `${arg}-${cabal.key.slice(0,3)}`
+        const whisperlink = `whisper://${topic}`
+        res.info("whispering on " + whisperlink + " for the next 5 minutes")
+        // currently this will logout ip addresses that join via the whisper key
+        const swarm = paperslip.write(topic, `cabal://${cabal.key}`, res.info) 
+        setTimeout(() => {
+            paperslip.stop(swarm)
+            res.info("stopped whispering " + topic)
+        }, 5 * 60 * 1000)
+    }
+  },
   new: {
     help: () => 'create a new cabal',
     call: (cabal, res, arg) => {