diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f7865fc..06441d2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-bin*
-.env
+bin/
+*.env*
 settings.go
 *.log
 *.sqlite
diff --git a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
index 1a4370c..a8ed15f 100644
--- a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
+++ b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/config"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/logging"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/server"
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/storage/sql"
 )
 
 func Config() lib.Config {
@@ -32,12 +33,29 @@ func Config() lib.Config {
 	return app_c
 }
 
+func ConfigDB() *sql.Cfg {
+	ovr := Overrides().Use
+	return &sql.Cfg{
+		Driver:  "postgres",
+		Connstr: ovr("user=cco password=dummy dbname=scps", PGSQL_CONNSTR),
+	}
+}
+
 // collect here the names of fields that may be overridden via
 // explicit Override() or SCOPES_* environment settings.
 const (
-	HOME        = "home"
-	LOGFILE     = "logfile"
-	LOGLEVEL    = "loglevel"
-	SERVER_PORT = "server_port"
-	DOCROOT     = "docroot"
+	HOME          = "home"
+	LOGFILE       = "logfile"
+	LOGLEVEL      = "loglevel"
+	SERVER_PORT   = "server_port"
+	DOCROOT       = "docroot"
+	PGSQL_CONNSTR = "pgsql_connstr"
 )
+
+// put something like this (without comment markup)
+// in separate (non-versioned) settings.go file:
+/*func Overrides() config.Settings {
+	return config.Settings{
+		SERVER_PORT: "8126",
+	}
+}*/
diff --git a/server/config.go b/server/config.go
index f2874d2..9cf41d6 100644
--- a/server/config.go
+++ b/server/config.go
@@ -64,5 +64,3 @@ func (spec *mhSpec) AddActionProc(
 func MsgHandler() *mhSpec {
 	return &mhSpec{config.Default("")}
 }
-
-type msgProc func(lib.Context, lib.Message) (int, lib.Data)
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index e3ff824..dcbeb52 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -89,6 +89,17 @@ func Async(ctx lib.Context, msg lib.Message) (int, lib.Data) {
 	return http.StatusOK, lib.Map{"status": "OK"}
 }
 
+func Call(clbl callable) msgProc {
+	return func(ctx lib.Context, msg lib.Message) (int, lib.Data) {
+		data, err := clbl(ctx, msg)
+		if err != nil {
+			data = lib.Map{"error": err.Error()}
+			return http.StatusInternalServerError, data
+		}
+		return http.StatusOK, data
+	}
+}
+
 func Sync(timeout int) msgProc {
 	return func(ctx lib.Context, msg lib.Message) (int, lib.Data) {
 		return sync(ctx, msg, timeout)
@@ -107,3 +118,7 @@ func sync(ctx lib.Context, msg lib.Message, to int) (int, lib.Data) {
 	}
 	return http.StatusNoContent, nil
 }
+
+// message processing function types
+type msgProc func(lib.Context, lib.Message) (int, lib.Data)
+type callable func(lib.Context, lib.Message) (lib.Data, error)
diff --git a/storage/msgstore/msgstore.go b/storage/msgstore/msgstore.go
index 0523723..ee0e6f6 100644
--- a/storage/msgstore/msgstore.go
+++ b/storage/msgstore/msgstore.go
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/storage/sql"
 )
 
-var Store = func(db *sql.Storage, msg lib.Message) {
+// var Store = func(db *sql.Storage, msg lib.Message) {
+func Store(db *sql.Storage, msg lib.Message) {
 	q := db.BuildQuery("insert_msg", "messages")
 	db.Exec(q, msg.Domain(), msg.Action(), msg.Class(), msg.Item(), msg.Payload())
 }