diff --git a/agent/src/index.ts b/agent/src/index.ts
index 10386e1b1f1..d02bc2f8c78 100644
--- a/agent/src/index.ts
+++ b/agent/src/index.ts
@@ -573,6 +573,11 @@ const startAgents = async () => {
     } catch (error) {
         elizaLogger.error("Error starting agents:", error);
     }
+    // upload some agent functionality into directClient
+    directClient.startAgent = async character => {
+      // wrap it so we don't have to inject directClient later
+      return startAgent(character, directClient)
+    };
 
     function chat() {
         const agentId = characters[0].name ?? "Agent";
diff --git a/packages/client-direct/src/api.ts b/packages/client-direct/src/api.ts
index 3b3394dd210..fe26cee8f3c 100644
--- a/packages/client-direct/src/api.ts
+++ b/packages/client-direct/src/api.ts
@@ -2,17 +2,25 @@ import express from "express";
 import bodyParser from "body-parser";
 import cors from "cors";
 
-import { AgentRuntime } from "@ai16z/eliza";
+import {
+    AgentRuntime,
+    elizaLogger,
+    validateCharacterConfig,
+} from "@ai16z/eliza";
 
 import { REST, Routes } from "discord.js";
 
-export function createApiRouter(agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>) {
+export function createApiRouter(agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>, directClient) {
     const router = express.Router();
 
     router.use(cors());
     router.use(bodyParser.json());
     router.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
 
+    router.get("/", (req, res) => {
+        res.send("Welcome, this is the REST API!");
+    });
+
     router.get("/hello", (req, res) => {
         res.json({ message: "Hello World!" });
     });
@@ -21,6 +29,7 @@ export function createApiRouter(agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>) {
         const agentsList = Array.from(agents.values()).map((agent) => ({
             id: agent.agentId,
             name: agent.character.name,
+            clients: Object.keys(agent.clients),
         }));
         res.json({ agents: agentsList });
     });
@@ -40,6 +49,43 @@ export function createApiRouter(agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>) {
         });
     });
 
+    router.post("/agents/:agentId/set", async (req, res) => {
+        const agentId = req.params.agentId;
+        console.log('agentId', agentId)
+        let agent:AgentRuntime = agents.get(agentId);
+
+        // update character
+        if (agent) {
+            // stop agent
+            agent.stop()
+            directClient.unregisterAgent(agent)
+            // if it has a different name, the agentId will change
+        }
+
+        // load character from body
+        const character = req.body
+        try {
+          validateCharacterConfig(character)
+        } catch(e) {
+          elizaLogger.error(`Error parsing character: ${e}`);
+          res.status(400).json({
+            success: false,
+            message: e.message,
+          });
+          return;
+        }
+
+        // start it up (and register it)
+        agent = await directClient.startAgent(character)
+        elizaLogger.log(`${character.name} started`)
+
+        res.json({
+            id: character.id,
+            character: character,
+        });
+    });
+
+
     router.get("/agents/:agentId/channels", async (req, res) => {
         const agentId = req.params.agentId;
         const runtime = agents.get(agentId);
diff --git a/packages/client-direct/src/index.ts b/packages/client-direct/src/index.ts
index 08f75f595ba..1ec4275b89b 100644
--- a/packages/client-direct/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/client-direct/src/index.ts
@@ -51,17 +51,11 @@ Note that {{agentName}} is capable of reading/seeing/hearing various forms of me
 # Instructions: Write the next message for {{agentName}}.
 ` + messageCompletionFooter;
 
-export interface SimliClientConfig {
-    apiKey: string;
-    faceID: string;
-    handleSilence: boolean;
-    videoRef: any;
-    audioRef: any;
-}
 export class DirectClient {
     public app: express.Application;
-    private agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>;
+    private agents: Map<string, AgentRuntime>; // container management
     private server: any; // Store server instance
+    public startAgent: Function; // Store startAgent functor
 
     constructor() {
         elizaLogger.log("DirectClient constructor");
@@ -72,7 +66,7 @@ export class DirectClient {
         this.app.use(bodyParser.json());
         this.app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
 
-        const apiRouter = createApiRouter(this.agents);
+        const apiRouter = createApiRouter(this.agents, this);
         this.app.use(apiRouter);
 
         // Define an interface that extends the Express Request interface
@@ -338,7 +332,7 @@ export class DirectClient {
                         fileResponse.headers
                             .get("content-disposition")
                             ?.split("filename=")[1]
-                            ?.replace(/"/g, "") || "default_name.txt";
+                            ?.replace(/"/g, /* " */ "") || "default_name.txt";
 
                     console.log("Saving as:", fileName);
 
@@ -378,6 +372,7 @@ export class DirectClient {
         );
     }
 
+    // agent/src/index.ts:startAgent calls this
     public registerAgent(runtime: AgentRuntime) {
         this.agents.set(runtime.agentId, runtime);
     }
@@ -388,7 +383,7 @@ export class DirectClient {
 
     public start(port: number) {
         this.server = this.app.listen(port, () => {
-            elizaLogger.success(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}/`);
+            elizaLogger.success(`REST API bound to 0.0.0.0:${port}. If running locally, access it at http://localhost:${port}.`);
         });
 
         // Handle graceful shutdown
@@ -430,7 +425,7 @@ export const DirectClientInterface: Client = {
         client.start(serverPort);
         return client;
     },
-    stop: async (_runtime: IAgentRuntime, client?: any) => {
+    stop: async (_runtime: IAgentRuntime, client?: Client) => {
         if (client instanceof DirectClient) {
             client.stop();
         }