diff --git a/add_process.go b/add_process.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85573be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/add_process.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package containerd
+
+type AddProcessEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *AddProcessEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	container, ok := h.s.containers[e.ID]
+	if !ok {
+		return ErrContainerNotFound
+	}
+	p, err := h.s.runtime.StartProcess(container, *e.Process, e.Stdio)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if e.Pid, err = p.Pid(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	h.s.processes[e.Pid] = container
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/delete.go b/delete.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9312549
--- /dev/null
+++ b/delete.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package containerd
+
+import "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+
+type DeleteEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *DeleteEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	if container, ok := h.s.containers[e.ID]; ok {
+		if err := h.deleteContainer(container); err != nil {
+			logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: deleting container")
+		}
+		ContainersCounter.Dec(1)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (h *DeleteEvent) deleteContainer(container Container) error {
+	delete(h.s.containers, container.ID())
+	return container.Delete()
+}
diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
index 65bbaf5..d1cf2d0 100644
--- a/errors.go
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var (
 	ErrContainerExists        = errors.New("containerd: container already exists")
 	ErrProcessNotFound        = errors.New("containerd: processs not found for container")
 	ErrUnknownContainerStatus = errors.New("containerd: unknown container status ")
+	ErrUnknownEvent           = errors.New("containerd: unknown event type")
 
 	// Internal errors
 	errShutdown             = errors.New("containerd: supervisor is shutdown")
@@ -17,4 +18,9 @@ var (
 	errNoContainerForPid    = errors.New("containerd: pid not registered for any container")
 	errInvalidContainerType = errors.New("containerd: invalid container type for runtime")
 	errNotChildProcess      = errors.New("containerd: not a child process for container")
+	// internal error where the handler will defer to another for the final response
+	//
+	// TODO: we could probably do a typed error with another error channel for this to make it
+	// less like magic
+	errDeferedResponse = errors.New("containerd: defered response")
 )
diff --git a/event.go b/event.go
index af1949f..93a2484 100644
--- a/event.go
+++ b/event.go
@@ -46,3 +46,7 @@ type Event struct {
 	Containers []Container    `json:"-"`
 	Err        chan error     `json:"-"`
 }
+
+type Handler interface {
+	Handle(*Event) error
+}
diff --git a/exit.go b/exit.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0a2a7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package containerd
+
+import "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+
+type ExitEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *ExitEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{"pid": e.Pid, "status": e.Status}).
+		Debug("containerd: process exited")
+	// is it the child process of a container
+	if container, ok := h.s.processes[e.Pid]; ok {
+		if err := container.RemoveProcess(e.Pid); err != nil {
+			logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: find container for pid")
+		}
+		delete(h.s.processes, e.Pid)
+		return nil
+	}
+	// is it the main container's process
+	container, err := h.s.getContainerForPid(e.Pid)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err != errNoContainerForPid {
+			logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: find container for pid")
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	container.SetExited(e.Status)
+	ne := NewEvent(DeleteEventType)
+	ne.ID = container.ID()
+	h.s.SendEvent(ne)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/get_containers.go b/get_containers.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23bd449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/get_containers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package containerd
+
+type GetContainersEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *GetContainersEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	for _, c := range h.s.containers {
+		e.Containers = append(e.Containers, c)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/signal.go b/signal.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cdd1c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/signal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package containerd
+
+type SignalEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *SignalEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	container, ok := h.s.containers[e.ID]
+	if !ok {
+		return ErrContainerNotFound
+	}
+	processes, err := container.Processes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, p := range processes {
+		if pid, err := p.Pid(); err == nil && pid == e.Pid {
+			return p.Signal(e.Signal)
+		}
+	}
+	return ErrProcessNotFound
+}
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..894927b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/start.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package containerd
+
+type StartEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *StartEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	container, err := h.s.runtime.Create(e.ID, e.BundlePath, e.Stdio)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	h.s.containers[e.ID] = container
+	ContainersCounter.Inc(1)
+	h.s.tasks <- &startTask{
+		err:       e.Err,
+		container: container,
+	}
+	return errDeferedResponse
+}
diff --git a/stats.go b/stats.go
index 249fab2..41ae893 100644
--- a/stats.go
+++ b/stats.go
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import "github.com/rcrowley/go-metrics"
 var (
 	ContainerStartTimer = metrics.NewTimer()
 	ContainersCounter   = metrics.NewCounter()
+	EventsCounter       = metrics.NewCounter()
 )
 
 func Metrics() map[string]interface{} {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"container-start-time": ContainerStartTimer,
 		"containers":           ContainersCounter,
+		"events":               EventsCounter,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/supervisor.go b/supervisor.go
index 5771712..4599792 100644
--- a/supervisor.go
+++ b/supervisor.go
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ func NewSupervisor(stateDir string, concurrency int) (*Supervisor, error) {
 		tasks:      make(chan *startTask, concurrency*100),
 		journal:    j,
 	}
+	// register default event handlers
+	s.handlers = map[EventType]Handler{
+		ExitEventType:            &ExitEvent{s},
+		StartContainerEventType:  &StartEvent{s},
+		DeleteEventType:          &DeleteEvent{s},
+		GetContainerEventType:    &GetContainersEvent{s},
+		SignalEventType:          &SignalEvent{s},
+		AddProcessEventType:      &AddProcessEvent{s},
+		UpdateContainerEventType: &UpdateEvent{s},
+	}
+	// start the container workers for concurrent container starts
 	for i := 0; i < concurrency; i++ {
 		s.workerGroup.Add(1)
 		go s.startContainerWorker(s.tasks)
@@ -42,16 +53,12 @@ func NewSupervisor(stateDir string, concurrency int) (*Supervisor, error) {
 
 type Supervisor struct {
 	// stateDir is the directory on the system to store container runtime state information.
-	stateDir string
-
-	containers map[string]Container
-
-	processes map[int]Container
-
-	runtime Runtime
-
-	journal *journal
-
+	stateDir    string
+	containers  map[string]Container
+	processes   map[int]Container
+	handlers    map[EventType]Handler
+	runtime     Runtime
+	journal     *journal
 	events      chan *Event
 	tasks       chan *startTask
 	workerGroup sync.WaitGroup
@@ -82,113 +89,17 @@ func (s *Supervisor) Start(events chan *Event) error {
 		runtime.LockOSThread()
 		for e := range events {
 			s.journal.write(e)
-			switch e.Type {
-			case ExitEventType:
-				logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{"pid": e.Pid, "status": e.Status}).
-					Debug("containerd: process exited")
-				// is it the child process of a container
-				if container, ok := s.processes[e.Pid]; ok {
-					if err := container.RemoveProcess(e.Pid); err != nil {
-						logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: find container for pid")
-					}
-					delete(s.processes, e.Pid)
+			h, ok := s.handlers[e.Type]
+			if !ok {
+				e.Err <- ErrUnknownEvent
+				continue
+			}
+			if err := h.Handle(e); err != nil {
+				if err != errDeferedResponse {
+					e.Err <- err
 					close(e.Err)
-					continue
-				}
-				// is it the main container's process
-				container, err := s.getContainerForPid(e.Pid)
-				if err != nil {
-					if err != errNoContainerForPid {
-						logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: find container for pid")
-					}
-					continue
-				}
-				container.SetExited(e.Status)
-				ne := NewEvent(DeleteEventType)
-				ne.ID = container.ID()
-				s.SendEvent(ne)
-			case StartContainerEventType:
-				container, err := s.runtime.Create(e.ID, e.BundlePath, e.Stdio)
-				if err != nil {
-					e.Err <- err
-					continue
-				}
-				s.containers[e.ID] = container
-				ContainersCounter.Inc(1)
-				s.tasks <- &startTask{
-					err:       e.Err,
-					container: container,
 				}
 				continue
-			case DeleteEventType:
-				if container, ok := s.containers[e.ID]; ok {
-					if err := s.deleteContainer(container); err != nil {
-						logrus.WithField("error", err).Error("containerd: deleting container")
-					}
-					ContainersCounter.Dec(1)
-				}
-			case GetContainerEventType:
-				for _, c := range s.containers {
-					e.Containers = append(e.Containers, c)
-				}
-			case SignalEventType:
-				container, ok := s.containers[e.ID]
-				if !ok {
-					e.Err <- ErrContainerNotFound
-					continue
-				}
-				processes, err := container.Processes()
-				if err != nil {
-					e.Err <- err
-					continue
-				}
-				for _, p := range processes {
-					if pid, err := p.Pid(); err == nil && pid == e.Pid {
-						e.Err <- p.Signal(e.Signal)
-						continue
-					}
-				}
-				e.Err <- ErrProcessNotFound
-				continue
-			case AddProcessEventType:
-				container, ok := s.containers[e.ID]
-				if !ok {
-					e.Err <- ErrContainerNotFound
-					continue
-				}
-				p, err := s.runtime.StartProcess(container, *e.Process, e.Stdio)
-				if err != nil {
-					e.Err <- err
-					continue
-				}
-				if e.Pid, err = p.Pid(); err != nil {
-					e.Err <- err
-					continue
-				}
-				s.processes[e.Pid] = container
-			case UpdateContainerEventType:
-				container, ok := s.containers[e.ID]
-				if !ok {
-					e.Err <- ErrContainerNotFound
-					continue
-				}
-				if e.State.Status != "" {
-					switch e.State.Status {
-					case Running:
-						if err := container.Resume(); err != nil {
-							e.Err <- ErrUnknownContainerStatus
-							continue
-						}
-					case Paused:
-						if err := container.Pause(); err != nil {
-							e.Err <- ErrUnknownContainerStatus
-							continue
-						}
-					default:
-						e.Err <- ErrUnknownContainerStatus
-						continue
-					}
-				}
 			}
 			close(e.Err)
 		}
@@ -196,11 +107,6 @@ func (s *Supervisor) Start(events chan *Event) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *Supervisor) deleteContainer(container Container) error {
-	delete(s.containers, container.ID())
-	return container.Delete()
-}
-
 func (s *Supervisor) getContainerForPid(pid int) (Container, error) {
 	for _, container := range s.containers {
 		cpid, err := container.Pid()
@@ -220,6 +126,7 @@ func (s *Supervisor) getContainerForPid(pid int) (Container, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *Supervisor) SendEvent(evt *Event) {
+	EventsCounter.Inc(1)
 	s.events <- evt
 }
 
diff --git a/update.go b/update.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f61bf91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/update.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package containerd
+
+type UpdateEvent struct {
+	s *Supervisor
+}
+
+func (h *UpdateEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
+	container, ok := h.s.containers[e.ID]
+	if !ok {
+		return ErrContainerNotFound
+	}
+	if e.State.Status != "" {
+		switch e.State.Status {
+		case Running:
+			if err := container.Resume(); err != nil {
+				return ErrUnknownContainerStatus
+			}
+		case Paused:
+			if err := container.Pause(); err != nil {
+				return ErrUnknownContainerStatus
+			}
+		default:
+			return ErrUnknownContainerStatus
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}