diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index aa5860b..382fa7e 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"unicode"
@@ -82,6 +83,8 @@ func (c *Client) handleMessage(m Envelope) error {
 	switch m.Kind {
 	case "meta":
 		return c.handleMeta(m.Body)
+	case "note":
+		return c.handleNote(m.Body)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("received message of unsupported type: %v", m.Kind)
 	}
@@ -97,6 +100,24 @@ func (c *Client) handleMeta(body json.RawMessage) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *Client) handleNote(body json.RawMessage) error {
+	var ctxt []byte
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &ctxt); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to read note response: %v", err)
+	}
+	ptxt, err := rsa.DecryptPKCS1v15(rand.Reader, c.key, ctxt)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to decrypt note response: %v", err)
+	}
+	var note NoteData
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(ptxt, &note); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to unmarshal note response: %v", err)
+	}
+	c.info("title: %s", note.Title)
+	c.info("body: %s", string(note.Body))
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *Client) handshake() error {
 	r := &Auth{Nick: c.nick, Key: c.key.PublicKey}
 	c.info("authenticating as %s", c.nick)
@@ -198,6 +219,8 @@ func (c *Client) exec(line string) {
 	switch parts[0] {
 	case "notes/create":
 		c.createNote(parts[1:])
+	case "notes/get":
+		c.getNote(parts[1:])
 	default:
 		c.err("unrecognized client command: %s", parts[0])
 	}
@@ -225,6 +248,22 @@ func (c *Client) createNote(args []string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *Client) getNote(args []string) {
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		c.err("ok notes/get takes exactly 1 argument")
+		return
+	}
+	id, err := strconv.Atoi(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		c.err("that doesn't look like an int: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := c.sendRequest(GetNoteRequest(id)); err != nil {
+		c.err("couldn't request note: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Client) encryptNote(title string, note []rune) (NoteRequest, error) {
 	obj := &NoteData{
 		Title: title,
diff --git a/note.go b/note.go
index d656ce6..60d7dd2 100644
--- a/note.go
+++ b/note.go
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ func (n NoteRequest) Kind() string {
 	return "note"
 }
 
+type GetNoteRequest int
+
+func (g GetNoteRequest) Kind() string {
+	return "get-note"
+}
+
 type NoteData struct {
 	Title string
 	Body  []byte
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 5650dd9..529f663 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ func (s *serverConnection) handleRequest(request Envelope) error {
 		return s.handleAuthRequest(request.Body)
 	case "note":
 		return s.handleNoteRequest(request.Body)
+	case "get-note":
+		return s.handleGetNoteRequest(request.Body)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("no such request type: %v", request.Kind)
 	}
@@ -78,6 +80,11 @@ func (s *serverConnection) handleNoteRequest(body json.RawMessage) error {
 	it := s.db.NewIterator(r, nil)
 	defer it.Release()
 
+	var ctxt []byte
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &ctxt); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to unmarshal ciphertext: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	id := 0
 	if it.Last() {
 		k := it.Key()
@@ -89,13 +96,29 @@ func (s *serverConnection) handleNoteRequest(body json.RawMessage) error {
 		id = lastId + 1
 	}
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("notes/%d", id)
-	if err := s.db.Put([]byte(key), body, nil); err != nil {
+	if err := s.db.Put([]byte(key), ctxt, nil); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to write note to db: %v", err)
 	}
 	info_log.Printf("stored new note at %s", key)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *serverConnection) handleGetNoteRequest(body json.RawMessage) error {
+	var req GetNoteRequest
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &req); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("bad getnote request: %v", err)
+	}
+	key := fmt.Sprintf("notes/%d", req)
+	b, err := s.db.Get([]byte(key), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't retrieve note: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := s.sendRequest(NoteRequest(b)); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't send note back to client: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *serverConnection) openDB() error {
 	path := fmt.Sprintf("./%s.db", s.nick)
 	db, err := leveldb.OpenFile(path, nil)