diff --git a/src/image.zig b/src/image.zig
index 3e38903..1942f87 100644
--- a/src/image.zig
+++ b/src/image.zig
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ pub const Image = struct {
     /// Open a BMP image for later.
     pub fn open(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, path: []const u8) !*Image {
         var in_fmt = mkSfInfo();
-
         var sndfile = try sopen(allocator, path, c.SFM_READ, &in_fmt);
         var image = try allocator.create(Image);
 
@@ -149,6 +148,26 @@ pub const Image = struct {
         return image;
     }
 
+    pub fn clone(self: *Image) !*Image {
+        var in_fmt = mkSfInfo();
+        // clone sndfile
+        var sndfile = try sopen(self.allocator, self.path, c.SFM_READ, &in_fmt);
+        var image = try allocator.create(Image);
+
+        std.debug.assert(in_fmt.frames > i64(0));
+        std.debug.assert(in_fmt.seekable == i32(1));
+
+        image.* = Image{
+            .allocator = self.allocator,
+            .sndfile = sndfile,
+            .path = self.path,
+            .curpath = self.curpath,
+            .frames = @intCast(usize, in_fmt.frames),
+        };
+
+        return image;
+    }
+
     pub fn close(self: *Image) void {
         //self.allocator.free(self.path);
         //self.allocator.free(self.curpath);
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 671ed3f..be83ad6 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ test "scritcher" {
     _ = @import("runner.zig");
 }
 
+fn wrapInCmdList(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, cmd: langs.Command) !langs.CommandList {
+    var cmds = try langs.CommandList.init(allocator);
+    try cmds.append(cmd);
+
+    return cmds;
+}
+
 pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
     var stdout_file = try std.io.getStdOut();
     const stdout = &stdout_file.outStream().stream;
@@ -24,30 +31,38 @@ pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
     // now have a 'repl' argument right before it. to counteract that, the
     // initial repl buffer contains 'load :1' instead.
 
-    var cmds = langs.CommandList.init(allocator);
-    defer cmds.deinit();
-
     var loadargs = langs.ArgList.init(allocator);
     defer loadargs.deinit();
 
     try loadargs.append(":1");
 
-    try cmds.append(langs.Command{
+    var cmds = try wrapInCmdList(allocator, langs.Command{
         .command = .Load,
         .args = loadargs,
     });
 
-    // TODO start a runner and keep it hot
+    defer cmds.deinit();
 
     // we keep
     //  - a CommandList with the full commands we have right now
     //  - a Command with the current last typed successful command
 
+    //  - one runner that contains the current full state of the image
+    //     as if the current cmds was ran over it (TODO better wording)
+    //  - one runner that gets copied from the original on every new
+    //    command the user issues
+
     var lang = langs.Lang.init(allocator);
     defer lang.deinit();
 
     var current: langs.Command = undefined;
 
+    var runner = runners.Runner.init(allocator);
+    defer runner.deinit();
+
+    // run the load command
+    try runner.runCommands(cmds, true);
+
     while (true) {
         lang.reset();
         try stdout.print("> ");
@@ -60,6 +75,10 @@ pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
 
         if (std.mem.eql(u8, line, "push")) {
             try cmds.append(current);
+            var cmds_wrapped = try wrapInCmdList(allocator, current);
+            defer cmds_wrapped.deinit();
+
+            try runner.runCommands(cmds_wrapped, true);
             continue;
         } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, line, "list")) {
             try printer.printList(cmds, stdout);
@@ -75,6 +94,11 @@ pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
             continue;
         };
         current = cmds_parsed.at(0);
+
+        var runner_clone = try runner.clone();
+        defer runner_clone.deinit();
+
+        try runner_clone.runCommands(cmds_parsed, true);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runner.zig b/src/runner.zig
index a348f22..909a9b2 100644
--- a/src/runner.zig
+++ b/src/runner.zig
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ pub const Runner = struct {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn clone(self: *Runner) *Runner {
+        return Runner{ .allocator = allocator, .image = try image.clone() };
+    }
+
     fn resolveArg(self: *Runner, load_path: []const u8) ![]const u8 {
         if (load_path[0] == ':') {
             // parse the index from 1 to end