diff --git a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
index a8567bd6b37ce60434ce8049071f179c88082d04..35b337b9ab642a23aeb3e0288a5298a172c9d675 100644
--- a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Read;
+
 use clap::{App, Arg};
 use reowolf_rs as rw;
 
@@ -14,19 +17,97 @@ fn main() {
                 .required(true)
                 .takes_value(true)
                 .multiple_occurrences(true)
+        )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("threads")
+                .long("threads")
+                .short('t')
+                .help("number of runtime threads")
+                .default_value("1")
+                .takes_value(true)
         );
 
+    // Retrieve arguments and convert
     let app = app.get_matches();
     let input_files = app.values_of("input");
     if input_files.is_none() {
-        println!("Expected at least one input file");
+        println!("ERROR: Expected at least one input file");
         return;
     }
 
+    let num_threads = app.value_of("threads").unwrap();
+    let num_threads = match num_threads.parse::<i32>() {
+        Ok(num_threads) => {
+            if num_threads < 0 || num_threads > 255 {
+                println!("ERROR: Number of threads must be a number between 0 and 256");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            num_threads as u32
+        },
+        Err(err) => {
+            println!("ERROR: Failed to parse number of threads\nbecause: {}", err);
+            return;
+        }
+    };
+
+    // Add input files to file buffer
     let input_files = input_files.unwrap();
+    assert!(input_files.len() > 0); // because arg is required
+
+    let mut builder = rw::ProtocolDescriptionBuilder::new();
+    let mut file_buffer = Vec::with_capacity(4096);
+
     for input_file in input_files {
-        println!("Got input: {}", input_file);
+        print!("Adding file: {} ... ", input_file);
+        let mut file = match File::open(input_file) {
+            Ok(file) => file,
+            Err(err) => {
+                println!("FAILED (to open file)\nbecause:\n{}", err);
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+
+        file_buffer.clear();
+        if let Err(err) = file.read_to_end(&mut file_buffer) {
+            println!("FAILED (to read file)\nbecause:\n{}", err);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if let Err(err) = builder.add(input_file.to_string(), file_buffer.clone()) {
+            println!("FAILED (to tokenize file)\nbecause:\n{}", err);
+        }
+
+        println!("Success");
+    }
+
+    // Compile the program
+    print!("Compiling program ... ");
+    let protocol_description = match builder.compile() {
+        Ok(pd) => pd,
+        Err(err) => {
+            println!("FAILED\nbecause:\n{}", err);
+            return;
+        }
+    };
+
+    println!("Success");
+
+    // Make sure there is a nameless module with a main component
+    print!("Creating main component ... ");
+    let runtime = rw::runtime2::Runtime::new(num_threads, protocol_description);
+    if let Err(err) = runtime.create_component(b"", b"main") {
+        use rw::ComponentCreationError as CCE;
+        let reason = match err {
+            CCE::ModuleDoesntExist => "Input files did not contain a nameless module (that should contain the 'main' component)",
+            CCE::DefinitionDoesntExist => "Input files did not contain a component called 'main'",
+            CCE::DefinitionNotComponent => "Input file contained a 'main' function, but not a 'main' component",
+            _ => "Unexpected error"
+        };
+        println!("FAILED\nbecause:\n{} (raw error: {:?})", reason, err);
+        return;
     }
 
-    println!("Done!");
+    println!("Success");
+    println!("Now running until all components have exited");
 }
\ No newline at end of file