diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d594cb64d..4be2db4c9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -506,6 +506,19 @@ target_link_libraries(notcurses-input
     notcurses++
 )
 
+# ncls
+file(GLOB LSSRC CONFIGURE_DEPENDS src/ls/*.cpp)
+add_executable(ncls ${LSSRC})
+target_include_directories(ncls
+  PRIVATE
+    include
+    "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include"
+)
+target_link_libraries(ncls
+  PRIVATE
+    notcurses++
+)
+
 # notcurses-tetris
 file(GLOB TETRISSRC CONFIGURE_DEPENDS src/tetris/*.cpp)
 add_executable(notcurses-tetris ${TETRISSRC})
@@ -665,6 +678,7 @@ install(FILES ${MARKDOWN} DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR})
 
 install(TARGETS notcurses-demo DESTINATION bin)
 install(TARGETS notcurses-input DESTINATION bin)
+install(TARGETS ncls DESTINATION bin)
 install(TARGETS ncneofetch DESTINATION bin)
 install(TARGETS notcurses-tetris DESTINATION bin)
 if(${USE_FFMPEG} OR ${USE_OIIO})
diff --git a/src/ls/main.cpp b/src/ls/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc7e2561f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ls/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <ncpp/NotCurses.hh>
+
+static void
+usage(std::ostream& os, const char* name, int code){
+  os << "usage: " << name << " -h | paths...\n";
+  os << " -h: print usage information\n";
+  os << std::flush;
+  exit(code);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv){
+  int c;
+  while((c = getopt(argc, argv, "h")) != -1){
+    switch(c){
+      case 'h':
+        usage(std::cout, argv[0], EXIT_SUCCESS);
+        break;
+      default:
+        usage(std::cerr, argv[0], EXIT_FAILURE);
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+  while(argv[optind]){
+    std::cout << "arg: " << argv[optind] << std::endl;
+    ++optind;
+  }
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}