diff --git a/naledi.lisp b/naledi.lisp
index f631847..0a3bc4f 100644
--- a/naledi.lisp
+++ b/naledi.lisp
@@ -12,12 +12,11 @@
 
 (defun start-game ()
 	"Start the game logic and UI"
-	;;FIXME revamp for networking
-	(start-server)
 	(croatoan:with-screen (scr :input-blocking *framerate* :enable-colors t
 							  :input-echoing nil :cursor-visibility nil
 							  :input-reading :unbuffered)
 		(splash-screen scr)
+		(choose-local-or-remote scr)
 		(user-interface scr)))
 
 (defun splash-screen (scr)
@@ -39,6 +38,43 @@
 			((nil) nil)
 			(otherwise (return-from croatoan:event-case)))))
 
+(defun choose-local-or-remote (scr)
+	"Choose whether to start a local game or connect to a remote server"
+	(croatoan:clear scr)
+	(croatoan:refresh scr)
+	(let ((mw (make-instance 'croatoan:dialog-window
+				  :title "Welcome!"
+				  :center t
+				  :border t
+				  :width 50
+				  :max-item-length 42
+				  :input-blocking t
+				  :cyclic-selection t
+				  :current-item-mark "* "
+				  :items '("Start a local game"
+							  ;;TODO "Load a saved game"
+							  "Connect to a remote server"))))
+		;;XXX I have to effectively reimplement (select-item menu) because
+		;; the screen grabs all user input and none arrives at the window
+		(croatoan:draw-menu mw)
+		(croatoan:event-case (scr event)
+			((nil) nil)
+			((:up :down)
+				(croatoan:update-menu mw event)
+				(croatoan:draw-menu mw))
+			(#\newline
+				(cond ((equalp (croatoan:current-item mw) "Start a local game")
+						  (start-server)
+						  (sleep 0.5) ;;give the server time to start
+						  (connect-server))
+					((equalp (croatoan:current-item mw)
+						 "Connect to a remote server")
+						(connect-server (enter-server-address))))
+				(return-from croatoan:event-case)))))
+
+
+(defun enter-server-address ())
+
 (defun user-interface (scr)
 	"Create the screen on the ncurses interface and hand over to window functions"
 	(let* ((width (croatoan:.width scr)) (height (1- (croatoan:.height scr)))
@@ -66,7 +102,7 @@
 				(#\q (disconnect)
 					(terminate)
 					(return-from croatoan:event-case)) ;XXX
-				(#\n (draw-menu (message-window)))
+				(#\n (croatoan:draw-menu (message-window)))
 				(:up (decf (second me)) (update-ui mapwin playerwin
 											placewin newswin me))
 				(:down (incf (second me)) (update-ui mapwin playerwin
@@ -159,8 +195,7 @@
 	(defun message-window ()
 		"Return a dialog window with the last game messages."
 		;;TODO complete
-		;;FIXME causes an error somewhere in the croatoan library...
-		(make-instance 'dialog-window
+		(make-instance 'croatoan:dialog-window
 			:input-blocking t
 			:items (break-lines
 					   (mapcar #'(lambda (n) (string-from-list (list "*" n)))
@@ -172,7 +207,6 @@
 			:layout nil
 			:title "Game messages"
 			:max-item-length 50
-			:scrolled-layout '(10 1)
 			:message-height 2
 			:message-text "Press b to go back.")))
 			;;:event-handlers '((#\b #'exit-event-loop)))))