diff --git a/importer/exporter.c b/importer/exporter.c
index a8e8941..00fc683 100644
--- a/importer/exporter.c
+++ b/importer/exporter.c
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ int ipfs_exporter_to_console(const unsigned char* hash, const struct FSRepo* fs_
 	return 1;
 }
 
-
 /***
  * Called from the command line with ipfs object get [hash]. Retrieves the object pointed to by hash, and displays its block data (links and data elements)
  * @param argc number of arguments
@@ -138,3 +137,65 @@ int ipfs_exporter_object_get(int argc, char** argv) {
 	retVal = ipfs_exporter_to_console((unsigned char*)argv[3], fs_repo);
 	return retVal;
 }
+
+int ipfs_exporter_cat_node(struct Node* node, const struct FSRepo* fs_repo) {
+	// process this block, then move on to the links
+	for(size_t i = 0LU; i < node->data_size; i++) {
+		printf("%c", node->data[i]);
+	}
+	// process links
+	struct NodeLink* current = node->head_link;
+	while (current != NULL) {
+		// find the node
+		struct Node* child_node = NULL;
+		if (ipfs_merkledag_get(current->hash, current->hash_size, &child_node, fs_repo) == 0) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		ipfs_exporter_cat_node(child_node, fs_repo);
+		ipfs_node_free(child_node);
+		current = current->next;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+/***
+ * Called from the command line with ipfs cat [hash]. Retrieves the object pointed to by hash, and displays its block data (links and data elements)
+ * @param argc number of arguments
+ * @param argv arguments
+ * @returns true(1) on success
+ */
+int ipfs_exporter_object_cat(int argc, char** argv) {
+	struct FSRepo* fs_repo = NULL;
+
+	// open the repo
+	int retVal = ipfs_repo_fsrepo_new(NULL, NULL, &fs_repo);
+	if (retVal == 0) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	retVal = ipfs_repo_fsrepo_open(fs_repo);
+	if (retVal == 0) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	// find hash
+	// convert hash to cid
+	struct Cid* cid = NULL;
+	if ( ipfs_cid_decode_hash_from_base58((unsigned char*)argv[2], strlen(argv[2]), &cid) == 0) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	// find block
+	struct Node* read_node = NULL;
+	if (ipfs_merkledag_get(cid->hash, cid->hash_length, &read_node, fs_repo) == 0) {
+		ipfs_cid_free(cid);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	// no longer need the cid
+	ipfs_cid_free(cid);
+
+	ipfs_exporter_cat_node(read_node, fs_repo);
+	ipfs_node_free(read_node);
+
+	return retVal;
+
+}
diff --git a/importer/importer.c b/importer/importer.c
index e1564d9..04cc936 100644
--- a/importer/importer.c
+++ b/importer/importer.c
@@ -48,66 +48,71 @@ size_t ipfs_import_chunk(FILE* file, struct Node* parent_node, struct FSRepo* fs
 		ipfs_unixfs_free(new_unixfs);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	// create a new node
-	if (ipfs_node_new_from_data(protobuf, bytes_written, &new_node) == 0) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-	if (ipfs_node_set_hash(new_node, new_unixfs->hash, new_unixfs->hash_length) == 0) {
-		ipfs_node_free(new_node);
-		return 0;
-	}
 	// we're done with the UnixFS object
 	ipfs_unixfs_free(new_unixfs);
-	// persist
-	size_t size_of_node = 0;
-	if (ipfs_merkledag_add(new_node, fs_repo, &size_of_node) == 0) {
-		ipfs_node_free(new_node);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	// put link in parent node
-	if (ipfs_node_link_create("", new_node->hash, new_node->hash_size, &new_link) == 0) {
-		ipfs_node_free(new_node);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	new_link->t_size = size_of_node;
-	*total_size += new_link->t_size;
-	// NOTE: disposal of this link object happens when the parent is disposed
-	if (ipfs_node_add_link(parent_node, new_link) == 0) {
-		ipfs_node_free(new_node);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	ipfs_node_free(new_node);
-	if (bytes_read != MAX_DATA_SIZE) {
-		// We have read everything, now save the parent_node,
-		// which is a sort of "directory" entry
-		/*
-		// build UnixFS for the parent
-		struct UnixFS* unix_fs;
-		if (ipfs_unixfs_new(&unix_fs) == 0) {
+
+	// if there is more to read, create a new node.
+	if (bytes_read == MAX_DATA_SIZE) {
+		// create a new node
+		if (ipfs_node_new_from_data(protobuf, bytes_written, &new_node) == 0) {
 			return 0;
 		}
-		unix_fs->data_type = UNIXFS_FILE;
-		unix_fs->bytes_size = *total_size;
-		// now encode unixfs and put in parent_node->data
-		size_t temp_size = ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode_size(unix_fs);
-		unsigned char temp[temp_size];
-		size_t bytes_written;
-		if (ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(unix_fs, temp, temp_size, &bytes_written) == 0) {
-			ipfs_unixfs_free(unix_fs);
+		// persist
+		size_t size_of_node = 0;
+		if (ipfs_merkledag_add(new_node, fs_repo, &size_of_node) == 0) {
+			ipfs_node_free(new_node);
 			return 0;
 		}
-		parent_node->data_size = bytes_written;
-		parent_node->data = (unsigned char*)malloc(bytes_written);
-		if (parent_node->data == NULL) {
-			ipfs_unixfs_free(unix_fs);
+
+		// put link in parent node
+		if (ipfs_node_link_create("", new_node->hash, new_node->hash_size, &new_link) == 0) {
+			ipfs_node_free(new_node);
 			return 0;
 		}
-		memcpy(parent_node->data, temp, bytes_written);
-		ipfs_unixfs_free(unix_fs);
-		*/
+		new_link->t_size = size_of_node;
+		*total_size += new_link->t_size;
+		// NOTE: disposal of this link object happens when the parent is disposed
+		if (ipfs_node_add_link(parent_node, new_link) == 0) {
+			ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+	} else {
+		// if there are no existing links, put what we pulled from the file into parent_node
+		// otherwise, add it as a link
+		if (parent_node->head_link == NULL) {
+			ipfs_node_set_data(parent_node, protobuf, bytes_written);
+		} else {
+			// there are existing links. put the data in a new node, save it, then put the link in parent_node
+			// create a new node
+			if (ipfs_node_new_from_data(protobuf, bytes_written, &new_node) == 0) {
+				return 0;
+			}
+			// persist
+			size_t size_of_node = 0;
+			if (ipfs_merkledag_add(new_node, fs_repo, &size_of_node) == 0) {
+				ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+				return 0;
+			}
+
+			// put link in parent node
+			if (ipfs_node_link_create("", new_node->hash, new_node->hash_size, &new_link) == 0) {
+				ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+				return 0;
+			}
+			new_link->t_size = size_of_node;
+			*total_size += new_link->t_size;
+			// NOTE: disposal of this link object happens when the parent is disposed
+			if (ipfs_node_add_link(parent_node, new_link) == 0) {
+				ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+				return 0;
+			}
+			ipfs_node_free(new_node);
+		}
 		// persist the main node
 		ipfs_merkledag_add(parent_node, fs_repo, &bytes_written);
-	}
+	} // add to parent vs add as link
+
 	return bytes_read;
 }
 
@@ -131,6 +136,7 @@ int ipfs_import_file(const char* fileName, struct Node** parent_node, struct FSR
 	while ( bytes_read == MAX_DATA_SIZE) {
 		bytes_read = ipfs_import_chunk(file, *parent_node, fs_repo, &total_size);
 	}
+
 	fclose(file);
 
 	return 1;
diff --git a/include/ipfs/importer/exporter.h b/include/ipfs/importer/exporter.h
index 395199c..da3f650 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/importer/exporter.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/importer/exporter.h
@@ -10,3 +10,10 @@ int ipfs_exporter_to_file(const unsigned char* hash, const char* file_name, cons
 
 int ipfs_exporter_object_get(int argc, char** argv);
 
+/***
+ * Called from the command line with ipfs cat [hash]. Retrieves the object pointed to by hash, and displays its block data (links and data elements)
+ * @param argc number of arguments
+ * @param argv arguments
+ * @returns true(1) on success
+ */
+int ipfs_exporter_object_cat(int argc, char** argv);
diff --git a/main/main.c b/main/main.c
index d8b9136..6b969f3 100644
--- a/main/main.c
+++ b/main/main.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ void strip_quotes(int argc, char** argv) {
 #define ADD 2
 #define OBJECT_GET 3
 #define DNS 4
+#define CAT 5
 
 /***
  * Basic parsing of command line arguments to figure out where the user wants to go
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ int parse_arguments(int argc, char** argv) {
 	if (strcmp("object", argv[1]) == 0 && argc > 2 && strcmp("get", argv[2]) == 0) {
 		return OBJECT_GET;
 	}
+	if (strcmp("cat", argv[1]) == 0) {
+		return CAT;
+	}
 	if (strcmp("dns", argv[1]) == 0) {
 		return DNS;
 	}
@@ -66,6 +70,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	case (OBJECT_GET):
 		ipfs_exporter_object_get(argc, argv);
 		break;
+	case (CAT):
+		ipfs_exporter_object_cat(argc, argv);
+		break;
 	case (DNS):
 		ipfs_dns(argc, argv);
 		break;
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/lmdb_datastore.c b/repo/fsrepo/lmdb_datastore.c
index 6af119e..1bcd5a9 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/lmdb_datastore.c
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/lmdb_datastore.c
@@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ int repo_fsrepo_lmdb_put(unsigned const char* key, size_t key_size, unsigned cha
 	db_key.mv_size = key_size;
 	db_key.mv_data = (char*)key;
 
-	// JMJ debugging
-	//printf("Saving key of %lu bytes that starts with %02x and ends with %02x\n", db_key.mv_size, ((char*)db_key.mv_data)[0], ((char*)db_key.mv_data)[db_key.mv_size-1]);
-
 	// write
 	db_value.mv_size = data_size;
 	db_value.mv_data = data;