diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 122ee05..a71422c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -23,20 +23,20 @@ m4/ltversion.m4
 
 SUBDIRS = lzma man doc
 
-AM_CFLAGS = -I lzma/C -DNDEBUG
+AM_CFLAGS = -I. -I lzma/C -DNDEBUG
+AM_CXXFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS)
 
 lrztardir = @bindir@
 lrztar_SCRIPTS = lrztar
 
-bin_PROGRAMS = lrzip
-lrzip_SOURCES = \
+noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libtmplrzip.la
+libtmplrzip_la_SOURCES = \
   zpipe.cpp \
   zpipe.h \
   lrzip_private.h \
   liblrzip.h \
   lrzip.c \
   lrzip.h \
-  main.c \
   rzip.h \
   rzip.c \
   runzip.c \
@@ -51,12 +51,29 @@ lrzip_SOURCES = \
   aes.h \
   sha4.c \
   sha4.h
+libtmplrzip_la_LIBADD = lzma/C/liblzma.la
 
-lrzip_LDADD = lzma/C/liblzma.la
+
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = liblrzip.la
+liblrzip_la_SOURCES = \
+  liblrzip.c
+nodist_EXTRA_liblrzip_la_SOURCES = dummy.cxx
+liblrzip_la_LIBADD = libtmplrzip.la
+
+bin_PROGRAMS = lrzip
+lrzip_SOURCES = \
+  main.c
+nodist_EXTRA_lrzip_SOURCES = dummyy.cxx
+
+lrzip_LDADD = libtmplrzip.la
 if STATIC
   lrzip_LDFLAGS = -all-static
 endif
 
+noinst_PROGRAMS = decompress_demo
+decompress_demo_SOURCES = decompress_demo.c
+decompress_demo_LDADD = liblrzip.la
+
 dist_doc_DATA = \
   AUTHORS \
   BUGS \
diff --git a/compress_demo.c b/compress_demo.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f3bf4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compress_demo.c
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include "config.h"
+#endif
+#undef NDEBUG
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <liblrzip.h>
+
+static const char *suffix_me(const char *file)
+{
+	const char *p;
+	static char buf[4096];
+
+	p = strrchr(file, '.');
+	if (p && (strlen(p + 1) < 4))
+		strncat(buf, file, p - file);
+	else
+		strcat(buf, file);
+	return &buf[0];
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	Lrzip *lr;
+	if ((argc != 2) && (argc != 3)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s file [file [file [... [outfile]]]]\n", argv[0]);
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	lr = lrzip_new(LRZIP_MODE_DECOMPRESS);
+	assert(lr);
+	lrzip_config_env(lr);
+	assert(lrzip_file_add(lr, argv[1]));
+	if (argc == 2) {
+		lrzip_outfile_set(lr, suffix_me(argv[1]));
+	}
+	else
+		lrzip_outfile_set(lr, argv[2]);
+	assert(lrzip_run(lr));
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/decompress_demo.c b/decompress_demo.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e03626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decompress_demo.c
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include "config.h"
+#endif
+#undef NDEBUG
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <liblrzip.h>
+
+static const char *suffix_me(const char *file)
+{
+	const char *p;
+	static char buf[4096];
+
+	p = strrchr(file, '.');
+	if (p && (strlen(p + 1) < 4))
+		strncat(buf, file, p - file);
+	else
+		strcat(buf, file);
+	return &buf[0];
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	Lrzip *lr;
+	if ((argc != 2) && (argc != 3)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s file [outfile]\n", argv[0]);
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	lr = lrzip_new(LRZIP_MODE_DECOMPRESS);
+	assert(lr);
+	lrzip_config_env(lr);
+	assert(lrzip_file_add(lr, argv[1]));
+	if (argc == 2) {
+		lrzip_outfile_set(lr, suffix_me(argv[1]));
+	}
+	else
+		lrzip_outfile_set(lr, argv[2]);
+	assert(lrzip_run(lr));
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/liblrzip.c b/liblrzip.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac01c98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liblrzip.c
@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+#include <liblrzip_private.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TIME_H
+# include <sys/time.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_RESOURCE_H
+# include <sys/resource.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
+# include <sys/types.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_STAT_H
+# include <sys/stat.h>
+#endif
+
+/* needed for CRC routines */
+#include "lzma/C/7zCrc.h"
+#include "util.h"
+#include "lrzip.h"
+#include "rzip.h"
+
+bool lrzip_init(void)
+{
+	/* generate crc table */
+	CrcGenerateTable();
+	return true;
+}
+
+void lrzip_config_env(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	const char *eptr;
+	/* Get Preloaded Defaults from lrzip.conf
+	 * Look in ., $HOME/.lrzip/, /etc/lrzip.
+	 * If LRZIP=NOCONFIG is set, then ignore config
+	 */
+	eptr = getenv("LRZIP");
+	if (!eptr)
+		read_config(lr->control);
+	else if (!strstr(eptr,"NOCONFIG"))
+		read_config(lr->control);
+}
+
+void lrzip_free(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	if (!lr) return;
+	rzip_control_free(lr->control);
+	for (; lr->infiles && *lr->infiles; lr->infiles++)
+		free(*lr->infiles);
+	free(lr->infiles);
+	free(lr->outfile);
+	free(lr);
+}
+
+Lrzip *lrzip_new(Lrzip_Mode mode)
+{
+	Lrzip *lr;
+
+	lr = calloc(1, sizeof(Lrzip));
+	if (unlikely(!lr)) return NULL;
+	lr->control = calloc(1, sizeof(rzip_control));
+	if (unlikely(!lr->control)) goto error;
+	if (unlikely(!initialize_control(lr->control))) goto error;
+	lr->mode = mode;
+	lr->control->library_mode = 1;
+#define MODE_CHECK(X) \
+	case LRZIP_MODE_##X: \
+	lr->control->flags |= FLAG_##X; \
+	break
+
+	switch (mode) {
+	MODE_CHECK(DECOMPRESS);
+	MODE_CHECK(NO_COMPRESS);
+	MODE_CHECK(LZO_COMPRESS);
+	MODE_CHECK(BZIP2_COMPRESS);
+	MODE_CHECK(ZLIB_COMPRESS);
+	MODE_CHECK(ZPAQ_COMPRESS);
+#undef MODE_CHECK
+	default:
+		goto error;
+	}
+	setup_overhead(lr->control);
+	return lr;
+error:
+	lrzip_free(lr);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+Lrzip_Mode lrzip_mode_get(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	if (!lr) return LRZIP_MODE_NONE;
+	return lr->mode;
+}
+
+char **lrzip_files_get(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	if (!lr) return NULL;
+	return lr->infiles;
+}
+
+bool lrzip_file_add(Lrzip *lr, const char *file)
+{
+	if ((!lr) || (!file) || (!file[0])) return false;
+
+	if (!lr->infile_buckets) {
+		/* no files added */
+		lr->infiles = calloc(INFILE_BUCKET_SIZE + 1, sizeof(char*));
+		lr->infile_buckets++;
+	} else if (lr->infile_idx == INFILE_BUCKET_SIZE * lr->infile_buckets + 1) {
+		/* all buckets full, create new bucket */
+		char **tmp;
+
+		tmp = realloc(lr->infiles, ++lr->infile_buckets * INFILE_BUCKET_SIZE + 1);
+		if (!tmp) return false;
+		lr->infiles = tmp;
+	}
+
+	lr->infiles[lr->infile_idx++] = strdup(file);
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool lrzip_file_del(Lrzip *lr, const char *file)
+{
+	size_t x;
+	
+	if ((!lr) || (!file) || (!file[0])) return false;
+	if (!lr->infile_buckets) return true;
+
+	for (x = 0; x <= lr->infile_idx + 1; x++) {
+		if (!lr->infiles[x]) return true; /* not found */
+		if (strcmp(lr->infiles[x], file)) continue; /* not a match */
+		free(lr->infiles[x]);
+		break;
+	}
+	/* update index */
+	for (; x < lr->infile_idx; x++)
+		lr->infiles[x] = lr->infiles[x] + 1;
+	lr->infile_idx--;
+	return true;
+}
+
+void lrzip_outfile_set(Lrzip *lr, const char *file)
+{
+	if ((!lr) || (!file) || (!file[0])) return;
+	if (lr->outfile && (!strcmp(lr->outfile, file))) return;
+	free(lr->outfile);
+	lr->outfile = strdup(file);
+	lr->control->outname = lr->outfile;
+}
+
+const char *lrzip_outfile_get(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	if (!lr) return NULL;
+	return lr->outfile;
+}
+
+bool lrzip_run(Lrzip *lr)
+{
+	struct timeval start_time, end_time;
+	rzip_control *control;
+	double seconds,total_time; // for timers
+	size_t i;
+	int hours,minutes;
+
+	if (!lr) return false;
+	control = lr->control;
+	/* One extra iteration for the case of no parameters means we will default to stdin/out */
+	for (i = 0; i < lr->infile_idx; i++) {
+		lr->control->infile = lr->infiles[i];
+		if (lr->control->infile) {
+			if ((strcmp(lr->control->infile, "-") == 0))
+				lr->control->flags |= FLAG_STDIN;
+			else {
+				struct stat infile_stat;
+
+				stat(lr->control->infile, &infile_stat);
+				if (unlikely(S_ISDIR(infile_stat.st_mode))) {
+					print_err("lrzip only works directly on FILES.\n"
+					"Use lrztar or pipe through tar for compressing directories.\n");
+					return false;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (lr->control->outname && (strcmp(lr->control->outname, "-") == 0)) {
+			lr->control->flags |= FLAG_STDOUT;
+			lr->control->msgout = stderr;
+			register_outputfile(lr->control, lr->control->msgout);
+		}
+
+		/* If no output filename is specified, and we're using stdin,
+		 * use stdout */
+		if (!lr->control->outname && STDIN) {
+			lr->control->flags |= FLAG_STDOUT;
+			lr->control->msgout = stderr;
+			register_outputfile(lr->control, lr->control->msgout);
+		}
+
+		if (!STDOUT) {
+			lr->control->msgout = stdout;
+			register_outputfile(lr->control, lr->control->msgout);
+		}
+
+		if (CHECK_FILE) {
+			if (!DECOMPRESS) {
+				print_err("Can only check file written on decompression.\n");
+				lr->control->flags &= ~FLAG_CHECK;
+			} else if (STDOUT) {
+				print_err("Can't check file written when writing to stdout. Checking disabled.\n");
+				lr->control->flags &= ~FLAG_CHECK;
+			}
+		}
+
+		setup_ram(lr->control);
+
+		gettimeofday(&start_time, NULL);
+
+		if (unlikely(ENCRYPT && (!lr->control->pass_cb))) {
+			print_err("No password callback set!\n");
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		if (DECOMPRESS || TEST_ONLY)
+			decompress_file(lr->control);
+		else if (INFO)
+			get_fileinfo(lr->control);
+		else
+			compress_file(lr->control);
+
+		/* compute total time */
+		gettimeofday(&end_time, NULL);
+		total_time = (end_time.tv_sec + (double)end_time.tv_usec / 1000000) -
+			      (start_time.tv_sec + (double)start_time.tv_usec / 1000000);
+		hours = (int)total_time / 3600;
+		minutes = (int)(total_time / 60) % 60;
+		seconds = total_time - hours * 3600 - minutes * 60;
+		if (!INFO)
+			print_progress("Total time: %02d:%02d:%05.2f\n", hours, minutes, seconds);
+	}
+	return true;
+}
diff --git a/liblrzip_private.h b/liblrzip_private.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ba061d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liblrzip_private.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include "config.h"
+#endif
+#include <lrzip_private.h>
+#include <liblrzip.h>
+
+#define INFILE_BUCKET_SIZE 10
+
+struct Lrzip
+{
+	Lrzip_Mode mode;
+	rzip_control *control;
+
+	char *outfile;
+
+	/* bucket allocation is used here to avoid frequent calls to realloc */
+	char **infiles;
+	size_t infile_idx;
+	size_t infile_buckets;
+};