diff --git a/src/backends/default/open.c b/src/backends/default/open.c
index 04d2be2..59ae978 100644
--- a/src/backends/default/open.c
+++ b/src/backends/default/open.c
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ typedef struct
   Ecore_Exe   *exe;
   Ecore_Timer *busy_delay_timer;
 } Thumb;
-
 static Ecore_Event_Handler *thumb_exe_del_handler = NULL;
 static Eina_List           *thumb_queue           = NULL;
 static Eina_List           *thumb_busy_queue      = NULL;
@@ -79,6 +78,27 @@ static Eina_List *sub_queue = NULL;
 
 static Sub *_sub_open(const char *path, const char *backend);
 
+static Sub *
+_sub_find(const char *path)
+{
+  Eina_List *l;
+  Sub       *sub;
+
+  EINA_LIST_FOREACH(sub_queue, l, sub)
+  {
+    if (!strcmp(path, sub->path)) return sub;
+  }
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+static void
+_sub_timer_free(Sub_Timer *st)
+{
+  ecore_timer_del(st->timer);
+  eina_stringshare_del(st->name);
+  free(st);
+}
+
 static Eina_Bool
 _cb_sub_timer(void *data)
 {
@@ -89,18 +109,22 @@ _cb_sub_timer(void *data)
   cmd_strbuf_exe_consume(buf, st->sub->exe);
   if (st->repeat) return EINA_TRUE;
   st->sub->timers = eina_list_remove(st->sub->timers, st);
-  eina_stringshare_del(st->name);
-  free(st);
+  _sub_timer_free(st);
   return EINA_FALSE;
 }
 
 static void
 _sub_del(Sub *sub)
 {
+  Sub_Timer *st;
+  Eina_Strbuf *buf;
+
   sub_queue = eina_list_remove(sub_queue, sub);
   eina_stringshare_replace(&(sub->path), NULL);
   ecore_event_handler_del(sub->handler_exe_del);
   ecore_event_handler_del(sub->handler_exe_data);
+  EINA_LIST_FREE(sub->cmd_pending, buf) eina_strbuf_free(buf);
+  EINA_LIST_FREE(sub->timers, st) _sub_timer_free(st);
   ecore_exe_free(sub->exe);
   free(sub);  
 }
@@ -191,14 +215,12 @@ _sub_command(Sub *sub, const char *str)
             if (!strcmp(st->name, name))
               {
                 sub->timers = eina_list_remove_list(sub->timers, l);
-                eina_stringshare_del(st->name);
-                ecore_timer_del(st->timer);
-                free(st);
+                _sub_timer_free(st);
               }
           }
         }
     }
-  // XXX: handle: dir-request
+  // XXX: handle: dir-request ...
   cmd_free(c);
 }
 
@@ -229,6 +251,7 @@ _cb_sub_exe_data(void *data, int ev_type EINA_UNUSED, void *event)
 static Sub *
 _sub_open(const char *path, const char *backend)
 {
+  // XXX: this sub should exit on its own if its idle for some time
   Eina_Strbuf *buf;
   const char  *s;
   Sub         *sub = calloc(1, sizeof(Sub));
@@ -251,10 +274,15 @@ _sub_open(const char *path, const char *backend)
     {
       eina_strbuf_reset(buf);
 
-      eina_strbuf_append(buf, elm_app_lib_dir_get());
-      eina_strbuf_append(buf, "/efm/backends/");
-      eina_strbuf_append(buf, backend);
-      eina_strbuf_append(buf, "/open");
+      // XXX: this could be better!
+      s = getenv("EFM_BACKEND_DIR");
+      if (s)
+        {
+          eina_strbuf_append(buf, s);
+          eina_strbuf_append(buf, "/../");
+          eina_strbuf_append(buf, backend);
+          eina_strbuf_append(buf, "/open");
+        }
     }
   sub->handler_exe_del = ecore_event_handler_add(ECORE_EXE_EVENT_DEL,
                                                  _cb_sub_exe_del, sub);
@@ -265,6 +293,7 @@ _sub_open(const char *path, const char *backend)
                                              ECORE_EXE_PIPE_READ_LINE_BUFFERED |
                                              ECORE_EXE_PIPE_WRITE,
                                              sub);
+  fprintf(stderr, "SUB %s\n", eina_strbuf_string_get(buf));
   eina_strbuf_free(buf);
   buf = cmd_strbuf_new("dir-set");
   cmd_strbuf_append(buf, "path", path);
@@ -1068,10 +1097,20 @@ static void
 _dir_del(const char *path)
 {
   Eina_Strbuf *strbuf;
+  const char  *mondir;
+  char        *realpath;
 
-  strbuf = cmd_strbuf_new("dir-del");
-  cmd_strbuf_append(strbuf, "path", path);
-  cmd_strbuf_print_consume(strbuf);
+  if (!mon) return;
+  mondir = ecore_file_monitor_path_get(mon);
+  if (!mondir) return;
+  realpath = ecore_file_realpath(mondir);
+  if ((!strcmp(mondir, path)) ||
+      ((realpath) && (!strcmp(realpath, path))))
+    {
+      strbuf = cmd_strbuf_new("dir-del");
+      cmd_strbuf_print_consume(strbuf);
+    }
+  free(realpath);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1191,12 +1230,27 @@ _handle_drop_paste(const char *over, const char *action, const char *path)
   mondir = ecore_file_monitor_path_get(mon);
   if (!mondir) return;
   if (over)
-    fprintf(stderr, "DROP over=[%s] action=[%s]  >  [%s]\n", over, action, path);
-  else 
-    fprintf(stderr, "DROP action=[%s]  >  [%s]\n", action, path);
-  // XXX: decide what to do with file and tell frontend
-  // XXX: action = copy, move, ask, list, link, description
-  // XXX: if over, then spin up backedn for that over dir and hand work to that
+    { // if you are dropping over a dir then spint up a sub open and pass
+      // the dnd to it
+      Eina_Strbuf *strbuf;
+      Sub *sub;
+
+      sub = _sub_find(over);
+      if (!sub) sub = _sub_open(over, "default");
+      strbuf = cmd_strbuf_new("dnd-drop");
+      cmd_strbuf_append(strbuf, "action", action);
+      cmd_strbuf_append(strbuf, "path", path);
+      _sub_cmd_send(sub, strbuf);
+      fprintf(stderr, "DROP in [%s] over=[%s] action=[%s]  >  [%s]\n",
+              mondir, over, action, path);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "DROP in [%s] action=[%s]  >  [%s]\n", mondir, action,
+              path);
+      // XXX: do the real operation here
+      // XXX: action = copy, move, ask, list, link, description
+    }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/efm/efm_back_end.c b/src/efm/efm_back_end.c
index 31a26ed..20d6ef9 100644
--- a/src/efm/efm_back_end.c
+++ b/src/efm/efm_back_end.c
@@ -567,6 +567,12 @@ _cb_thread_notify(void *data, Ecore_Thread *th EINA_UNUSED, void *msg)
           }
         CMD_DONE;
       }
+    else if (!strcmp(c->command, "dir-del"))
+      {
+        // XXX: handle if the dir was deleted
+        printf("XXX: dir del...\n");
+        CMD_DONE;
+      }
 
     // below commands all send a path for a specific file
     path = file = cmd_key_find(c, "path");
diff --git a/src/shared/cmd.h b/src/shared/cmd.h
index e1a8883..fbe1939 100644
--- a/src/shared/cmd.h
+++ b/src/shared/cmd.h
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
 // viewmode-set           // force a specific view mode from backend
 // detail-header-set      // set detail header text, size
 // dir-request            // backend requests to show a new dir
+// backend-set            // swich to a new named backend
 // timer-add              // backend can ask for a timer to be added
 // timer-del              // backend can ask for a timer to be deleted
 // timer                  // event from front to backend that a timer ticked
+// file-detail            // update the file detail in custom detail mode
 // file-detail-change     // user interacted with detail - changed it
 // file-detail-clicked    // user interacted with detail - clicked it
 // file-detail-select     // user interacted with detail - selected sub item
@@ -36,11 +38,11 @@
 // dnd-hover
 //
 // file-run               // double-click file (or enter on kbd)
-// file-clicked
-// file-selected
-// file-unselected
-// file-delete
-// file-rename
+// file-clicked           // a single click
+// file-selected          // file became selected
+// file-unselected        // file became unselected
+// file-delete            // user requested to delete file
+// file-rename            // user provided a new name for file
 //
 ////////////////////