diff --git a/packet-manager.go b/packet-manager.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..385ee99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packet-manager.go
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+package sftp
+
+import (
+	"encoding"
+	"sort"
+)
+
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Process with 2 branch select, listening to each channel.
+// 0) start of loop
+
+// Branch A
+// 1) Wait for ids to come in and add them to id list.
+
+// Branch B
+// 1) Wait for a packet comes in.
+// 2) Add it to the packet list.
+// 3) The heads of each list are then compared and if they have the same ids
+//    the packet is sent out and the entries removed.
+// 4) Goto step 2 Until the lists are emptied or the ids don't match.
+// 5) Goto step 0.
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+type packetSender interface {
+	sendPacket(encoding.BinaryMarshaler) error
+}
+
+type packetManager struct {
+	requests  chan requestPacket
+	responses chan responsePacket
+	fini      chan struct{}
+	incoming  []uint32
+	outgoing  []responsePacket
+	sender    packetSender // connection object
+}
+
+func newPktMgr(sender packetSender) packetManager {
+	s := packetManager{
+		requests:  make(chan requestPacket, sftpServerWorkerCount),
+		responses: make(chan responsePacket, sftpServerWorkerCount),
+		fini:      make(chan struct{}),
+		incoming:  make([]uint32, 0, sftpServerWorkerCount),
+		outgoing:  make([]responsePacket, 0, sftpServerWorkerCount),
+		sender:    sender,
+	}
+	go s.worker()
+	return s
+}
+
+// register incoming packets to be handled
+// send id of 0 for packets without id
+func (s packetManager) incomingPacket(pkt requestPacket) {
+	s.requests <- pkt // buffer == sftpServerWorkerCount
+}
+
+// register outgoing packets as being ready
+func (s packetManager) readyPacket(pkt responsePacket) {
+	s.responses <- pkt
+}
+
+// shut down packetManager worker
+func (s packetManager) close() {
+	close(s.fini)
+}
+
+// process packets
+func (s *packetManager) worker() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case pkt := <-s.requests:
+			debug("incoming id: %v", pkt.id())
+			s.incoming = append(s.incoming, pkt.id())
+			if len(s.incoming) > 1 {
+				sort.Slice(s.incoming, func(i, j int) bool {
+					return s.incoming[i] < s.incoming[j]
+				})
+			}
+		case pkt := <-s.responses:
+			debug("outgoing pkt: %v", pkt.id())
+			s.outgoing = append(s.outgoing, pkt)
+			if len(s.outgoing) > 1 {
+				sort.Slice(s.outgoing, func(i, j int) bool {
+					return s.outgoing[i].id() < s.outgoing[j].id()
+				})
+			}
+		case <-s.fini:
+			return
+		}
+		s.maybeSendPackets()
+	}
+}
+
+// send as many packets as are ready
+func (s *packetManager) maybeSendPackets() {
+	for {
+		if len(s.outgoing) == 0 || len(s.incoming) == 0 {
+			debug("break! -- outgoing: %v; incoming: %v",
+				len(s.outgoing), len(s.incoming))
+			break
+		}
+		out := s.outgoing[0]
+		in := s.incoming[0]
+		debug("incoming: %v", s.incoming)
+		debug("outgoing: %v", outfilter(s.outgoing))
+		if in == out.id() {
+			s.sender.sendPacket(out)
+			// pop off heads
+			copy(s.incoming, s.incoming[1:])            // shift left
+			s.incoming = s.incoming[:len(s.incoming)-1] // remove last
+			copy(s.outgoing, s.outgoing[1:])            // shift left
+			s.outgoing = s.outgoing[:len(s.outgoing)-1] // remove last
+		} else {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func outfilter(o []responsePacket) []uint32 {
+	res := make([]uint32, 0, len(o))
+	for _, v := range o {
+		res = append(res, v.id())
+	}
+	return res
+}
diff --git a/packet-manager_test.go b/packet-manager_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8dc9b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packet-manager_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package sftp
+
+import (
+	"encoding"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+type _sender struct {
+	sent chan encoding.BinaryMarshaler
+}
+
+func newsender() *_sender {
+	return &_sender{make(chan encoding.BinaryMarshaler)}
+}
+
+func (s _sender) sendPacket(p encoding.BinaryMarshaler) error {
+	s.sent <- p
+	return nil
+}
+
+type fakepacket uint32
+
+func (fakepacket) MarshalBinary() ([]byte, error) {
+	return []byte{}, nil
+}
+
+func (fakepacket) UnmarshalBinary([]byte) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f fakepacket) id() uint32 {
+	return uint32(f)
+}
+
+type pair struct {
+	in  fakepacket
+	out fakepacket
+}
+
+var ttable1 = []pair{
+	pair{fakepacket(0), fakepacket(0)},
+	pair{fakepacket(1), fakepacket(1)},
+	pair{fakepacket(2), fakepacket(2)},
+	pair{fakepacket(3), fakepacket(3)},
+}
+
+var ttable2 = []pair{
+	pair{fakepacket(0), fakepacket(0)},
+	pair{fakepacket(1), fakepacket(4)},
+	pair{fakepacket(2), fakepacket(1)},
+	pair{fakepacket(3), fakepacket(3)},
+	pair{fakepacket(4), fakepacket(2)},
+}
+
+var tables = [][]pair{ttable1, ttable2}
+
+func TestPacketManager(t *testing.T) {
+	sender := newsender()
+	s := newPktMgr(sender)
+	// 	go func() {
+	// 		for _ = range s.workers {
+	// 		}
+	// 	}()
+	for i := range tables {
+		table := tables[i]
+		for _, p := range table {
+			s.incomingPacket(p.in)
+		}
+		for _, p := range table {
+			s.readyPacket(p.out)
+		}
+		for _, p := range table {
+			pkt := <-sender.sent
+			id := pkt.(fakepacket).id()
+			assert.Equal(t, id, p.in.id())
+		}
+	}
+	s.close()
+}