diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
index 73e564f..6469e1c 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module Hash2Pub.DHTProtocol
     , sendQueryIdMessage
     , requestQueryID
     , requestJoin
+    , requestStabilise
     , queryIdLookupLoop
     , resolve
     , mkSendSocket
@@ -485,14 +486,14 @@ requestStabilise :: LocalNodeState      -- ^ sending node
                  -> RemoteNodeState     -- ^ neighbour node to send to
                  -> IO (Either String ([RemoteNodeState], [RemoteNodeState]))   -- ^ (predecessors, successors) of responding node
 requestStabilise ns neighbour = do
-    responses <- bracket (mkSendSocket (getDomain neighbour) (getDhtPort neighbour)) close (sendRequestTo 5000 3 (\rid ->
+    responses <- bracket (mkSendSocket (getDomain neighbour) (getDhtPort neighbour)) close (fmap Right . sendRequestTo 5000 3 (\rid ->
         Request {
             requestID = rid
           , sender = toRemoteNodeState ns
           , part = 1
           , isFinalPart = False
           , action = Stabilise
-          , payload = Just StabiliseRequestPaylod
+          , payload = Just StabiliseRequestPayload
                 }
                          )
                                                                                            ) `catch`  (\e -> pure . Left $ displayException (e :: IOException))
@@ -510,7 +511,7 @@ requestStabilise ns neighbour = do
                       then Left "no neighbours returned"
                       else Right (responsePreds, responseSuccs)
         ) responses
-             
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
index f66cafc..6a66220 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE DataKinds          #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DerivingStrategies #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts   #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings  #-}
 {- |
 Module      : FediChord
@@ -48,33 +49,33 @@ module Hash2Pub.FediChord (
                            ) where
 
 import           Control.Applicative           ((<|>))
-import           Control.Exception
-import           Data.Foldable                 (foldr')
-import qualified Data.Map.Strict               as Map
-import           Data.Maybe                    (fromJust, fromMaybe, isJust,
-                                                mapMaybe)
-import qualified Data.Set                      as Set
-import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
-import           Network.Socket                hiding (recv, recvFrom, send,
-                                                sendTo)
-import           Network.Socket.ByteString
-
--- for hashing and ID conversion
 import           Control.Concurrent
 import           Control.Concurrent.Async
 import           Control.Concurrent.STM
 import           Control.Concurrent.STM.TQueue
 import           Control.Concurrent.STM.TVar
+import           Control.Exception
 import           Control.Monad                 (forM_, forever)
+import           Control.Monad.Except
 import           Crypto.Hash
 import qualified Data.ByteArray                as BA
 import qualified Data.ByteString               as BS
 import qualified Data.ByteString.UTF8          as BSU
+import           Data.Foldable                 (foldr')
 import           Data.IP                       (IPv6, fromHostAddress6,
                                                 toHostAddress6)
+import qualified Data.Map.Strict               as Map
+import           Data.Maybe                    (fromJust, fromMaybe, isJust,
+                                                mapMaybe)
+import qualified Data.Set                      as Set
+import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
 import           Data.Typeable                 (Typeable (..), typeOf)
 import           Data.Word
 import qualified Network.ByteOrder             as NetworkBytes
+import           Network.Socket                hiding (recv, recvFrom, send,
+                                                sendTo)
+import           Network.Socket.ByteString
+import           Safe
 
 import           Hash2Pub.DHTProtocol
 import           Hash2Pub.FediChordTypes
@@ -179,6 +180,43 @@ cacheWriter nsSTM =
         cacheModifier <- readTQueue $ cacheWriteQueue ns
         modifyTVar' (nodeCacheSTM ns) cacheModifier
 
+stabiliseThread :: LocalNodeStateSTM -> IO ()
+stabiliseThread nsSTM = do
+    -- TODO: update successfully stabilised nodes in cache
+    -- placeholder
+    stabiliseNeighbour nsSTM successors setSuccessors 1
+    pure ()
+  where
+    stabiliseNeighbour :: LocalNodeStateSTM
+                       -> (LocalNodeState -> [RemoteNodeState])
+                       -> ([RemoteNodeState] -> LocalNodeState -> LocalNodeState)
+                       -> Int
+                       -> IO (Either String ())
+    stabiliseNeighbour nsSTM neighbourGetter neighbourSetter neighbourNum = do
+        nsSnap <- readTVarIO nsSTM
+        let chosenNode = maybe (Left "no such neighbour entry") Right $ atMay (neighbourGetter nsSnap) neighbourNum
+        -- returning @Left@ signifies the need to try again with next from list
+        runExceptT $ requestToNeighbour nsSnap chosenNode >>= parseNeighbourResponse
+    requestToNeighbour :: (MonadError String m, MonadIO m)
+                       => LocalNodeState
+                       -> Either String RemoteNodeState
+                       -> m (Either String ([RemoteNodeState],[RemoteNodeState]))
+    requestToNeighbour _ (Left err) = throwError err
+    requestToNeighbour ns (Right n) = liftIO $ requestStabilise ns n
+    parseNeighbourResponse :: (MonadError String m, MonadIO m)
+                           => Either String ([RemoteNodeState], [RemoteNodeState])
+                           -> m ()
+    parseNeighbourResponse (Left err) = throwError err
+    parseNeighbourResponse (Right (succs, preds)) = liftIO $ do
+        atomically $ do
+            newerNsSnap <- readTVar nsSTM
+            writeTVar nsSTM $ setPredecessors (predecessors newerNsSnap <> preds) . setSuccessors (successors newerNsSnap <> succs) $ newerNsSnap
+        pure ()
+
+-- periodically contact immediate successor and predecessor
+-- If they respond, see whether there is a closer neighbour in between
+-- If they don't respond, drop them and try the next one
+
 -- | Receives UDP packets and passes them to other threads via the given TQueue.
 -- Shall be used as the single receiving thread on the server socket, as multiple
 -- threads blocking on the same socket degrades performance.
@@ -233,7 +271,6 @@ requestMapPurge mapVar = forever $ do
     threadDelay $ fromEnum purgeAge * 2000
 
 
-
 -- | Wait for messages, deserialise them, manage parts and acknowledgement status,
 -- and pass them to their specific handling function.
 fediMessageHandler :: TQueue (BS.ByteString, SockAddr)  -- ^ send queue