diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
index 257d94ee0..60dd7feb0 100644
--- a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.briarproject.briar.headless;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.MethodsNotNullByDefault;
 import org.briarproject.briar.headless.blogs.BlogController;
 import org.briarproject.briar.headless.forums.ForumController;
+import org.briarproject.briar.headless.messaging.MessagingController;
 
 import javax.annotation.ParametersAreNonnullByDefault;
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
@@ -25,13 +26,17 @@ import static java.lang.Runtime.getRuntime;
 public class Router {
 
 	private final BriarService briarService;
+	private final MessagingController messagingController;
 	private final ForumController forumController;
 	private final BlogController blogController;
 
 	@Inject
-	public Router(BriarService briarService, ForumController forumController,
+	public Router(BriarService briarService,
+			MessagingController messagingController,
+			ForumController forumController,
 			BlogController blogController) {
 		this.briarService = briarService;
+		this.messagingController = messagingController;
 		this.forumController = forumController;
 		this.blogController = blogController;
 	}
@@ -51,6 +56,10 @@ public class Router {
 				.start();
 
 		app.routes(() -> {
+			path("/messages/:contactId", () -> {
+				get(messagingController::list);
+				post(messagingController::write);
+			});
 			path("/forums", () -> {
 				get(forumController::list);
 				post(forumController::create);
diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/MessagingController.java b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/MessagingController.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7146bc8ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/MessagingController.java
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package org.briarproject.briar.headless.messaging;
+
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.FormatException;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.Contact;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactManager;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.db.DbException;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.db.NoSuchContactException;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.sync.Group;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.system.Clock;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.MessagingManager;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.PrivateMessage;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.PrivateMessageFactory;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.PrivateMessageHeader;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
+import javax.inject.Inject;
+import javax.inject.Singleton;
+
+import io.javalin.Context;
+
+import static org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.MessagingConstants.MAX_PRIVATE_MESSAGE_BODY_LENGTH;
+
+@Immutable
+@Singleton
+@NotNullByDefault
+public class MessagingController {
+
+	private final MessagingManager messagingManager;
+	private final PrivateMessageFactory privateMessageFactory;
+	private final ContactManager contactManager;
+	private final Clock clock;
+
+	@Inject
+	public MessagingController(MessagingManager messagingManager,
+			PrivateMessageFactory privateMessageFactory,
+			ContactManager contactManager,
+			Clock clock) {
+		this.messagingManager = messagingManager;
+		this.privateMessageFactory = privateMessageFactory;
+		this.contactManager = contactManager;
+		this.clock = clock;
+	}
+
+	public Context list(Context ctx) throws DbException {
+		Contact contact = getContact(ctx);
+		if (contact == null) return ctx.status(404);
+
+		Collection<PrivateMessageHeader> headers =
+				messagingManager.getMessageHeaders(contact.getId());
+		List<OutputPrivateMessage> messages = new ArrayList<>(headers.size());
+		for (PrivateMessageHeader header : headers) {
+			String body = messagingManager.getMessageBody(header.getId());
+			messages.add(new OutputPrivateMessage(header, body));
+		}
+		return ctx.json(messages);
+	}
+
+	public Context write(Context ctx) throws DbException, FormatException {
+		Contact contact = getContact(ctx);
+		if (contact == null) return ctx.status(404);
+
+		String message = ctx.formParam("message");
+		if (message == null || message.length() < 1)
+			return ctx.status(500).result("Expecting Message text");
+		if (message.length() > MAX_PRIVATE_MESSAGE_BODY_LENGTH)
+			return ctx.status(500).result("Message text too large");
+
+		Group group = messagingManager.getContactGroup(contact);
+		long now = clock.currentTimeMillis();
+		PrivateMessage m = privateMessageFactory
+				.createPrivateMessage(group.getId(), now, message);
+
+		messagingManager.addLocalMessage(m);
+		return ctx.json(new OutputPrivateMessage(m, message));
+	}
+
+	@Nullable
+	private Contact getContact(Context ctx) throws DbException {
+		String contactString = ctx.param("contactId");
+		if (contactString == null) return null;
+		int contactInt = Integer.parseInt(contactString);
+		ContactId contactId = new ContactId(contactInt);
+		try {
+			return contactManager.getContact(contactId);
+		} catch (NoSuchContactException e) {
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/OutputPrivateMessage.java b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/OutputPrivateMessage.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cf491d0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/messaging/OutputPrivateMessage.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.briarproject.briar.headless.messaging;
+
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.PrivateMessage;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.PrivateMessageHeader;
+
+import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
+
+@Immutable
+@NotNullByDefault
+@SuppressWarnings("WeakerAccess")
+public class OutputPrivateMessage {
+
+	public final String body;
+	public final long timestamp;
+	public final boolean read, seen, sent, local;
+	public final byte[] id, groupId;
+
+	OutputPrivateMessage(PrivateMessageHeader header, String body) {
+		this.body = body;
+		this.timestamp = header.getTimestamp();
+		this.read = header.isRead();
+		this.seen = header.isSeen();
+		this.sent = header.isSent();
+		this.local = header.isLocal();
+		this.id = header.getId().getBytes();
+		this.groupId = header.getGroupId().getBytes();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Only meant for own {@link PrivateMessage}s directly after creation.
+	 */
+	OutputPrivateMessage(PrivateMessage m, String body) {
+		this.body = body;
+		this.timestamp = m.getMessage().getTimestamp();
+		this.read = true;
+		this.seen = true;
+		this.sent = false;
+		this.local = true;
+		this.id = m.getMessage().getId().getBytes();
+		this.groupId = m.getMessage().getGroupId().getBytes();
+	}
+}