diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 7c584b9..52b2c49 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ type args struct {
 	Hosts  []string `arg:"--hosts"                  help:"hosts to connect to"`
 	Uptime bool     `arg:"--uptime" default:"true"  help:"allow uptime checks for things like Kuma"`
 	Daemon bool     `arg:"--daemon"                 help:"run in daemon mode"`
+	Xml    []string `arg:"--add-xml"                 help:"add libvirt xml files"`
 }
 
 func (a args) Description() string {
diff --git a/configfiles.go b/configfiles.go
index e038f70..df56e83 100644
--- a/configfiles.go
+++ b/configfiles.go
@@ -12,16 +12,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 var ErrorNoFile error = errors.New("missing file")
-var ErrorParse error = errors.New("invalid json")
+var ErrorParseJSON error = errors.New("invalid json")
+var ErrorParseXML error = errors.New("invalid xml")
 
-// something is wrong somewhere and sometimes the 
+// something is wrong somewhere and sometimes the
 // protobuf json files get written out with garbage
 func cfgfile() {
 	err := readConfigFile("virtigo.json")
 	if err == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	if err == ErrorParse {
+	if err == ErrorParseJSON {
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
 	err = readConfigFile("virtigo.json.last")
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ func readConfigFile(filename string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("read json failed", err)
 		os.Exit(-1)
-		return ErrorParse
+		return ErrorParseJSON
 	}
 
 	// initialize each hypervisor
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f9aec8a..48ab2c6 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ func main() {
 
 	cfgfile()
 
+	for _, filename := range argv.Xml {
+		log.Info("add xml file", filename)
+	}
+
 	// initialize the grid as unstable
 	me.unstable = time.Now()
 
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 0cf0176..0b08b25 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	pb "go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/virtbuf"
+	"libvirt.org/go/libvirtxml"
 )
 
 var me virtigoT
@@ -39,9 +40,10 @@ type HyperT struct {
 
 // the stuff that is needed for a hypervisor
 type DropletT struct {
-	pb           *pb.Droplet // the Droplet protobuf
-	CurrentState string      // what the state of the droplet is ACTUALLY IS
-	h            *HyperT     // the hypervisor it's currently running on
-	lastpoll     time.Time   // the last time the droplet was seen running
-	starts       int         // how many times a start event has been attempted
+	pb           *pb.Droplet        // the Droplet protobuf
+	xml          *libvirtxml.Domain // a xml representation from libvirt
+	h            *HyperT            // the hypervisor it's currently running on
+	CurrentState string             // what the state of the droplet is ACTUALLY IS
+	lastpoll     time.Time          // the last time the droplet was seen running
+	starts       int                // how many times a start event has been attempted
 }
diff --git a/xml.go b/xml.go
index 04c3076..1f0da87 100644
--- a/xml.go
+++ b/xml.go
@@ -71,6 +71,23 @@ func addDefaults(d *libvirtxml.Domain, filename string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (d *DropletT) readXml(filename string) error {
+	log.Info("parse xml file:", filename)
+
+	pfile, err := os.ReadFile(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Println("ERROR:", err)
+		return ErrorNoFile
+	}
+
+	err = d.xml.Unmarshal(string(pfile))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("Marshal failed on file", filename)
+		return ErrorParseXML
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func setSimpleDisk(domcfg *libvirtxml.Domain, filename string) {
 	// Clear out the existing disks (if any)
 	domcfg.Devices.Disks = nil