diff --git a/cmd/signaldctl/cmd/subscribe.go b/cmd/signaldctl/cmd/subscribe.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dfa0638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/signaldctl/cmd/subscribe.go
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"gitlab.com/signald/signald-go/cmd/signaldctl/common"
+	"gitlab.com/signald/signald-go/cmd/signaldctl/config"
+	client_protocol "gitlab.com/signald/signald-go/signald/client-protocol"
+	v1 "gitlab.com/signald/signald-go/signald/client-protocol/v1"
+)
+
+var (
+	accountIdentifier string
+	subscribeCmd      = &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "subscribe",
+		Short: "subscribe to incoming messages from signald",
+		Long: `subscribe to incoming messages from signald.
+
+		if no default account is set, the -a/--account argument is required.
+
+		the default output format (-o default) is being worked on, subject to change and should not be relied upon. Thoughts? come by the #signald IRC/matrix room
+
+		if you want to future-proof your scripts, use json output (-o json) and parse it.`,
+		PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			if accountIdentifier == "" {
+				accountIdentifier = config.Config.DefaultAccount
+			}
+			if accountIdentifier == "" {
+				common.Must(cmd.Help())
+				log.Fatal("No account specified. Please specify with --account or set a default")
+			}
+		},
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			incoming := make(chan client_protocol.BasicResponse)
+			go common.Signald.Listen(incoming)
+
+			req := v1.SubscribeRequest{Account: accountIdentifier}
+			err := req.Submit(common.Signald)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+
+			for msg := range incoming {
+				switch common.OutputFormat {
+				case common.OutputFormatDefault:
+					if msg.Type != "IncomingMessage" {
+						continue
+					}
+					var data v1.IncomingMessage
+					err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &data)
+					if err != nil {
+						panic(err)
+					}
+
+					if data.DataMessage == nil {
+						continue
+					}
+
+					group := "-"
+					if data.DataMessage.GroupV2 != nil {
+						group = fmt.Sprintf("%s|%d", data.DataMessage.GroupV2.ID, data.DataMessage.GroupV2.Revision)
+					}
+
+					attachment := "-"
+					if len(data.DataMessage.Attachments) > 0 {
+						attachment = data.DataMessage.Attachments[0].StoredFilename
+					}
+
+					body := "-"
+					if data.DataMessage.Body != "" {
+						body = data.DataMessage.Body
+					}
+					fmt.Println(data.DataMessage.Timestamp, data.Account, data.Source.UUID, group, attachment, body)
+				case common.OutputFormatJSON:
+					err := json.NewEncoder(os.Stdout).Encode(msg)
+					if err != nil {
+						panic(err)
+					}
+				default:
+					log.Fatal("unsupported output format")
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	subscribeCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&accountIdentifier, "account", "a", "", "the signald account to use")
+	RootCmd.AddCommand(subscribeCmd)
+}
diff --git a/signald/client-protocol/protocol.go b/signald/client-protocol/protocol.go
index 1403b18..c0cb562 100644
--- a/signald/client-protocol/protocol.go
+++ b/signald/client-protocol/protocol.go
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 type BasicResponse struct {
-	ID        string
-	Type      string
-	ErrorType string
-	Error     json.RawMessage
-	Data      json.RawMessage
-	Account   string
+	ID        string          `json:"id,omitempty"`
+	Type      string          `json:"type,omitempty"`
+	ErrorType string          `json:"error_type,omitempty"`
+	Error     json.RawMessage `json:"error,omitempty"`
+	Data      json.RawMessage `json:"data,omitempty"`
+	Account   string          `json:"account,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/signald/signald.go b/signald/signald.go
index 0cfd740..9f646f0 100644
--- a/signald/signald.go
+++ b/signald/signald.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (s *Signald) Listen(c chan client_protocol.BasicResponse) {
 			subscribers <- msg
 		}
 
-		if c != nil && msg.ID == "" && msg.Type != "version" {
+		if c != nil && !(msg.ID == "" && msg.Type == "version") {
 			c <- msg
 		}
 	}