diff --git a/doPatchsets.go b/doPatchsets.go
index 55a1f0a..2d70440 100644
--- a/doPatchsets.go
+++ b/doPatchsets.go
@@ -166,17 +166,42 @@ func savePatchset(w http.ResponseWriter, msg []byte) {
 	regfile.Close()
 }
 
-func lookupRepos(w http.ResponseWriter, msg []byte) (*gitpb.Repos, error) {
+func lookupRepos(msg []byte) (*gitpb.Repos, error) {
 	log.Info("proto.Unmarshal() try message len", len(msg))
 	m := gitpb.NewRepos()
 	if err := m.Unmarshal(msg); err != nil {
 		log.Info("gitpb.Repos.Unmarshal() failed. len(msg) =", len(msg), err)
 		return m, err
 	}
+	newpb := gitpb.NewRepos()
 	log.Info("GOT repos:", len(msg))
 	for repo := range m.IterAll() {
 		log.Infof("repo:%s,%s\n", repo.Namespace, repo.FullPath)
+		if repo.Namespace == "" {
+			log.Info("todo: namespace empty for", repo.FullPath)
+			continue
+			// return nil, fmt.Errorf("todo: namespace empty for " + repo.FullPath)
+		}
 		// fmt.Fprintln(w, "repo:", repo.FullPath, repo.Namespace)
+		bytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("/home/forge", repo.Namespace, "git.pb"))
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("todo: git.pb non-existant:", repo.FullPath)
+			// return nil, err
+			continue
+		}
+		newr := new(gitpb.Repo)
+		if err := newr.Unmarshal(bytes); err != nil {
+			log.Info("todo: unmarshal failed for git.pb:", repo.FullPath)
+			// return nil, fmt.Errorf("todo: generate git.pb for " + repo.Namespace)
+			continue
+		}
+		// log.Infof("repo unmarshal worked:%s,%s\n", repo.Namespace, repo.FullPath)
+		newpb.Append(newr)
 	}
-	return m, nil
+
+	// print out found git.pb files
+	for repo := range newpb.IterAll() {
+		log.Infof("found repo:%-14s,%s\n", repo.GetMasterVersion(), repo.Namespace)
+	}
+	return newpb, nil
 }
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index 030983e..ffbc5e3 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -45,8 +45,18 @@ func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if route == "/lookup" {
-		// repos, err := lookupRepos(w, msg)
-		lookupRepos(w, msg)
+		found, err := lookupRepos(msg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		// marshal the protobuf to xfer over the socket
+		data, err := found.Marshal()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("repos.Marshal() to wire failed", err)
+			return
+		}
+
+		w.Write(data)
 		return
 	}