diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b512c09d..ab05030f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-node_modules
\ No newline at end of file
+node_modules
+*.log
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/controller/suggest.js b/controller/suggest.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2a2230c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controller/suggest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+var logger = require('../src/logger'),
+    responder = require('../src/responder'),
+    query = require('../query/suggest'),
+    backend = require('../src/backend');
+
+module.exports = function( req, res, next ){
+
+  var reply = {
+    date: new Date().getTime(),
+    body: []
+  };
+
+  var cmd = {
+    index: 'pelias',
+    body: query( req.clean ) // generate query from clean params
+  };
+
+  // Proxy request to ES backend & map response to a valid FeatureCollection
+  backend().client.suggest( cmd, function( err, data ){
+
+    if( err ){ return responder.error( req, res, next, err ); }
+    if( data && data.pelias && data.pelias.length ){
+
+      // map options to reply body
+      reply.body = data['pelias'][0].options;
+    }
+
+    return responder.cors( req, res, reply );
+  });
+
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/express.js b/express.js
index 10621442..b48e0560 100644
--- a/express.js
+++ b/express.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 
-var express = require('express');
-var app = express();
+var express = require('express'),
+    app = express();
+
+// middleware modules
+// app.use( require('cookie-parser')() );
 
 // enable client-side caching of 60s by default
 app.use(function(req, res, next){
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9bfec708..15543369 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 var app = require('./express');
 
 // api root
-app.get( '/', require('./controller/index' ) );
+app.get( '/', require('./controller/index') );
+
+// suggest API
+app.get( '/suggest', require('./sanitiser/suggest'), require('./controller/suggest') );
 
 app.listen( process.env.PORT || 3100 );
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 34ca0fb2..c9fb2fc1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
     "elasticsearch": ">=1.2.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "express": "^4.8.8"
+    "express": "^4.8.8",
+    "geopipes-elasticsearch-backend": "0.0.7",
+    "pelias-esclient": "0.0.25"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "ciao": "^0.3.4",
diff --git a/query/indeces.js b/query/indeces.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dbeacf43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/query/indeces.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+// querable indeces
+
+module.exports = [
+  'geoname',
+  'osmnode',
+  'osmway',
+  'admin0',
+  'admin1',
+  'admin2',
+  'neighborhood'
+];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/query/suggest.js b/query/suggest.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b54e2518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/query/suggest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+
+var logger = require('../src/logger');
+
+// Build pelias suggest query
+function generate( params ){
+  
+  var cmd = {
+    'pelias' : {
+      'text' : params.input,
+      'completion' : {
+        'size' : params.size,
+        'field' : 'suggest',
+        'context': {
+          'dataset': params.layers,
+          'location': {
+            'value': [ params.lon, params.lat ],
+
+            // // commented out until they fix the precision bug in ES 1.3.3
+            'precision': 2 // params.zoom > 9 ? 3 : (params.zoom > 7 ? 2 : 1)
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  logger.log( 'cmd', JSON.stringify( cmd, null, 2 ) );
+  return cmd;
+
+}
+
+module.exports = generate;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sanitiser/suggest.js b/sanitiser/suggest.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea5296db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sanitiser/suggest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+
+var logger = require('../src/logger'),
+    indeces = require('../query/indeces');
+
+// validate inputs, convert types and apply defaults
+function sanitize( params, cb ){
+
+  var clean = {};
+
+  // ensure the input params are a valid object
+  if( Object.prototype.toString.call( params ) !== '[object Object]' ){
+    params = {};
+  }
+
+  // input text
+  if('string' !== typeof params.input || !params.input.length){
+    return cb( 'invalid input text length, must be >0' );
+  }
+  clean.input = params.input;
+
+  // total results
+  var size = parseInt( params.size, 10 );
+  if( !isNaN( size ) ){
+    clean.size = Math.min( size, 40 ); // max
+  } else {
+    clean.size = 10; // default
+  }
+
+  // which layers to query
+  if('string' === typeof params.layers && params.layers.length){
+    var layers = params.layers.split(',').map( function( layer ){
+      return layer.toLowerCase(); // lowercase inputs
+    });
+    for( var x=0; x<layers.length; x++ ){
+      if( -1 === indeces.indexOf( layers[x] ) ){
+        return cb( 'invalid layer, must be one or more of ' + layers.join(',') );
+      }
+    }
+    clean.layers = layers;
+  }
+  else {
+    clean.layers = indeces; // default (all layers)
+  }
+
+  // lat
+  var lat = parseFloat( params.lat, 10 );
+  if( isNaN( lat ) || lat < 0 || lat > 90 ){
+    return cb( 'invalid lat, must be >0 and <90' );
+  }
+  clean.lat = lat;
+
+  // lon
+  var lon = parseFloat( params.lon, 10 );
+  if( isNaN( lon ) || lon < -180 || lon > 180 ){
+    return cb( 'invalid lon, must be >-180 and <180' );
+  }
+  clean.lon = lon;
+
+  // zoom level
+  var zoom = parseInt( params.zoom, 10 );
+  if( !isNaN( zoom ) ){
+    clean.zoom = Math.min( zoom, 18 ); // max
+  } else {
+    clean.zoom = 10; // default
+  }
+
+  return cb( undefined, clean );
+
+}
+
+module.exports = function( req, res, next ){
+  sanitize( req.query, function( err, clean ){
+    if( err ){ next( err ); }
+    req.clean = clean;
+    next();
+  });
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/backend.js b/src/backend.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2a9d60ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+
+var Backend = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend'),
+    backends = {},
+    client;
+
+// set env specific client
+if( process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test' ){
+  client = require('./pelias-mockclient');
+} else {
+  client = require('pelias-esclient')();
+}
+
+function getBackend( index, type ){
+  var key = ( index + ':' + type );
+  if( !backends[key] ){
+    backends[key] = new Backend( client, index, type );
+  }
+  return backends[key];
+}
+
+module.exports = getBackend;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/logger.js b/src/logger.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..205313c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logger.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+  log: console.log.bind( console ),
+  warn: console.warn.bind( console ),
+  error: console.error.bind( console )
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/responder.js b/src/responder.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80f8d880
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/responder.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+
+// send a reply that is capable of JSON, CORS and JSONP
+function cors( req, res, obj ){
+  res.header('Charset','utf8');
+  res.header('Cache-Control','public,max-age=60');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'X-Requested-With,content-type');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Credentials', true);
+  res.header('X-Powered-By', 'pelias');
+
+  // jsonp
+  if( req.query && req.query.callback ){
+    res.header('Content-type','application/javascript');
+    return res.send( req.query.callback + '('+ JSON.stringify( obj ) + ');' );
+  }
+
+  // regular json
+  res.header('Content-type','application/json');
+  return res.json( obj );
+}
+
+// send an error
+function error( req, res, next, err ){
+  console.error( 'application error:', err );
+  // mask error from user (contains paths)
+  return cors( req, res, { error: 'application error' } );
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  cors: cors,
+  error: error
+};
\ No newline at end of file