diff --git a/core/actor-legacy.lisp b/core/actor-legacy.lisp
deleted file mode 100644
index 634c3f4..0000000
--- a/core/actor-legacy.lisp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,111 +0,0 @@
-;;;; cl-scopes/core/actor - basic actor definitions
-
-(defpackage :scopes/core/actor
-  (:use :common-lisp)
-  (:local-nicknames (:async :scopes/util/async)
-                    (:util :scopes/util))
-  (:export #:bg-actor #:fg-actor #:make-actor #:start #:stop
-           #:become #:create #:send
-           #:message #:content #:customer
-           #:*logger* #:*root*
-           #:echo #:inc #:lgi
-           #:calculator #:plus #:minus #:show #:send-value))
-
-(in-package :scopes/core/actor)
-
-;;;; basic message and actor implementations
-
-(defclass message ()
-  ((content :reader content :initarg :content :initform nil)
-   (customer :reader customer :initarg :customer :initform nil)))
-
-(defun message (content &optional customer)
-  (make-instance 'message :content content :customer customer))
-
-(defclass actor ()
-  ((behavior :accessor behavior :initarg :behavior :initform #'no-op)))
-
-(defclass bg-actor (actor)
-  ((task :accessor task :initform nil)))
-
-(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((ac bg-actor) &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (setf (task ac) (make-task ac)))
-
-(defclass fg-actor (bg-actor) ())
-
-(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((ac fg-actor) &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (setf (task ac) (make-task ac 'async:fg-task)))
-
-(defgeneric start (ac)
-  (:method ((ac actor)))
-  (:method ((ac bg-actor))
-    (async:start (task ac))))
-
-(defgeneric stop (ac)
-  (:method ((ac actor)))
-  (:method ((ac bg-actor)) 
-    (async:stop (task ac))))
-
-(defun make-actor (bhv &optional (cls 'bg-actor) &rest args &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (apply #'make-instance cls :behavior bhv args))
-
-(defun make-task (ac &optional (cls 'async:task))
-  (async:make-task :cls cls
-                   :handle-message 
-                      #'(lambda (ax msg) (funcall (behavior ac) ac msg))))
-
-;;;; the core (classical, i.e. Hewitt) actor API
-
-(defun become (ac bhv)
-  (setf (behavior ac) bhv))
-
-(defun create (bhv &optional (cls 'actor) &rest args &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (let ((ac (apply #'make-actor bhv cls args)))
-    (start ac)
-    ac))
-
-(defgeneric send (addr content &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (:method ((addr t) (content t) &key customer &allow-other-keys)
-    (let ((ac addr) (msg (message content customer))) 
-      (send ac msg)))
-  (:method ((ac actor) (msg message) &key &allow-other-keys) 
-    (funcall (behavior ac) ac msg))
-  (:method ((ac bg-actor) (msg message) &key &allow-other-keys)
-    (async:send (task ac) msg)))
-
-;;;; predefined behaviors
-
-(defun no-op (ac msg))
-
-(defun lgi (ac msg)
-  (util:lgi (content msg)))
-
-(defun echo (ac msg)
-  (send (customer msg) msg))
-
-;;;; predefined global actors
-
-(defvar *logger* (create #'lgi))
- 
-(defclass root (actor) ())
-
-(defun root-bhv (ac msg)
-  (send *logger* msg))
-
-(defvar *root* (create #'root-bhv 'root))
-
- ;;;; example behavior: calculator
-
-(defun calculator (&optional (val 0))
-  #'(lambda (ac msg)
-      (destructuring-bind (fn &optional param) (content msg)
-        (funcall fn ac msg val param))))
-
-(defun plus (ac msg val param)
-  (become ac (calculator (+ val param)))) 
-(defun minus (ac msg val param)
-  (become ac (calculator (- val param)))) 
-(defun show (ac msg val param)
-  (send (or (customer msg) *logger*) val))
-(defun send-value (ac msg val param)
-  (send (customer msg) val))
diff --git a/test/test-core.lisp b/test/test-core.lisp
index 80406d7..9771dcc 100644
--- a/test/test-core.lisp
+++ b/test/test-core.lisp
@@ -89,19 +89,11 @@
 
 (deftest test-util-async ()
   ;(async:init)
-  (let ((tsk (async:make-task :startup (lambda (&rest args) (sleep 0.01)))))
+  (let ((tsk (async:make-task (lambda (&rest args) (sleep 0.01)))))
     (== (async:status tsk) :new)
     (async:start tsk) 
     (== (async:status tsk) :running)
-    (async:stop tsk)
-    (== (async:status tsk) :done))
-  (let ((tsk (async:make-task :handle-message
-               #'(lambda (tsk msg) (push msg (async:data tsk))))))
-    (== (async:status tsk) :new)
-    (async:start tsk) 
-    (== (async:status tsk) :running)
-    (async:send tsk :hello)
-    (== (async:stop tsk) '(:hello))
+    (async:wait-receive tsk)
     (== (async:status tsk) :done))
   ;(async:finish)
   )
diff --git a/util/async.lisp b/util/async.lisp
index d127396..e7e82cd 100644
--- a/util/async.lisp
+++ b/util/async.lisp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
                     (:lp :lparallel)
                     (:lpq :lparallel.queue))
   (:export #:init #:finish #:make-ch #:make-mb #:rcv #:snd #:submit-task
-           #:fg-task #:task #:make-task #:start #:stop #:status #:data #:send))
+           #:task #:make-task #:start #:status #:wait-receive))
 
 (in-package :scopes/util/async)
 
@@ -41,91 +41,23 @@
 (defun receive-result 
   (lp:receive-result ch))
 
-;;;; job - probably obsolete
+;;;; task class and related functions
 
-(eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute)
-  (when (not (boundp '+quit-message+)) 
-    (defconstant +quit-message+ (gensym "QUIT"))))
-
-(defun noop (&rest params))
-
-(defun standard-job (tsk &key (startup #'noop) (teardown #'noop) handle-message)
-  (unwind-protect
-    (progn
-      (funcall startup tsk)
-      (when (mailbox tsk)
-        (do-listen tsk handle-message))
-      (data tsk))
-    (setf (status tsk) :done)
-    (funcall teardown tsk)))
-
-(defun do-listen (tsk handle-message)
-  (handler-case
-    (loop for msg = (lpq:pop-queue (mailbox tsk))
-          until (eq msg +quit-message+)
-          do (funcall handle-message tsk msg))
-    (sb-sys:interactive-interrupt (condition) 
-      (util:lgi condition))))
-
-;;;; task classes and related functions / methods
-
-(defclass fg-task ()
-  ((job :accessor job)
+(defclass task ()
+  ((job :reader job :initarg :job)
    (taskid :reader taskid :initform (gensym "TSK"))
-   (mailbox :accessor mailbox :initform nil)
    (status :accessor status :initform :new)
-   (data :accessor data :initform nil)))
+   (channel :reader channel :initform (make-ch))))
 
-(defclass task (fg-task)
-  ((channel :reader channel :initform (lp:make-channel))))
-
-(defun make-task (&key (startup #'noop) (teardown #'noop) handle-message
-                       (cls 'task))
-  (let ((tsk (make-instance cls)))
-    (setf (job tsk) 
-          (lambda () (standard-job tsk :startup startup :teardown teardown
-                                       :handle-message handle-message)))
-    (if handle-message
-      (setf (mailbox tsk) (make-mb)))
-    tsk))
+(defun make-task (job &key (cls 'task))
+  (make-instance cls :job job))
 
 (defun start (tsk)
   (when (eq (status tsk) :running)
     (util:lgw "task already running" (taskid tsk))
     (return-from start))
   (setf (status tsk) :running)
-  (submit tsk))
+  (submit-task (channel tsk) (job tsk)))
 
-(defgeneric submit (tsk)
-  (:method ((tsk fg-task))
-    (funcall (job tsk)))
-  (:method ((tsk task))
-    (submit-task (channel tsk) (job tsk))))
-
-(defun stop (tsk &key (wait t))
-  (when (mailbox tsk)
-    (send tsk +quit-message+))
-  (when wait
-    (wait-result tsk)))
-
-(defgeneric wait-result (tsk)
-  (:method ((tsk fg-task)))
-  (:method ((tsk task))
-    (lp:receive-result (channel tsk))))
-
-(defun send (tsk msg)
-  (if (mailbox tsk)
-    (lpq:push-queue msg (mailbox tsk))
-    (util:lgw "task has no mailbox" (taskid tsk))))
-
-;;; alternate implementation - may be removed
-(defun do-listen-hb (tsk handle-message)
-  (handler-bind 
-    ((sb-sys:interactive-interrupt
-      (lambda (condition) 
-        (util:lgi condition)
-        (return-from do-listen-hb))))
-    (loop for msg = (lpq:pop-queue (mailbox tsk))
-          until (eq msg +quit-message+)
-          do (funcall handle-message tsk msg))))
- 
+(defun wait-receive (tsk)
+  (lp:receive-result (channel tsk)))