diff --git a/src/gorilla_repl/core.clj b/src/gorilla_repl/core.clj
index 38057d3f6..98e307af7 100644
--- a/src/gorilla_repl/core.clj
+++ b/src/gorilla_repl/core.clj
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
            (POST "/save" [] (handle/wrap-api-handler handle/save))
            (GET "/gorilla-files" [] (handle/wrap-api-handler handle/gorilla-files))
            (GET "/config" [] (handle/wrap-api-handler handle/config))
-           (GET "/repl" [] ws-relay/ring-handler)
-           (route/resources "/" {:root "gorilla-repl-client"})
-           (route/files "/project-files" {:root "."}))
+           ;; (GET "/repl" [] (ws-relay/repl-ring-handler ws-relay/on-receive-mem))
+           (GET "/repl" [] (ws-relay/repl-ring-handler ws-relay/on-receive-net))
+           (route/resources "/")
+           (route/files "/project-files" [:root "."]))
 
 
 (defn run-gorilla-server
diff --git a/src/gorilla_repl/websocket_relay.clj b/src/gorilla_repl/websocket_relay.clj
index be06477d8..8466bf79e 100644
--- a/src/gorilla_repl/websocket_relay.clj
+++ b/src/gorilla_repl/websocket_relay.clj
@@ -6,7 +6,13 @@
 
 (ns gorilla-repl.websocket-relay
   (:require [org.httpkit.server :as server]
+            [clojure.tools.nrepl.server :as nrepl-server]
             [clojure.tools.nrepl :as nrepl]
+            [clojure.tools.nrepl [transport :as transport]]
+            [gorilla-repl.render-values-mw :as render-mw]   ;; it's essential this import comes after the previous one!
+            [cider.nrepl :as cider]
+            [ring.middleware.session :as session]
+            [ring.middleware.session.memory :as mem]
             [cheshire.core :as json]))
 
 ;; We will open a single connection to the nREPL server for the life of the application. It will be stored here.
@@ -20,26 +26,69 @@
   (let [new-conn (nrepl/connect :port port)]
     (swap! conn (fn [x] new-conn))))
 
-(defn- send-json-over-ws
-  [channel data]
-  (let [json-data (json/generate-string data)]
-    #_(println json-data)
-    (server/send! channel json-data)))
+(def ^:private nrepl-handler (apply nrepl-server/default-handler
+                                    (-> (map resolve cider/cider-middleware)
+                                        (conj #'render-mw/render-values))))
+
+(defn- process-replies
+  [reply-fn replies]
+  (doall (->> replies
+              (map reply-fn))))
 
-(defn- process-message
+(defn- process-message-net
   [channel data]
   (let [parsed-message (assoc (json/parse-string data true) :as-html 1)
         client (nrepl/client @conn Long/MAX_VALUE)
         replies (nrepl/message client parsed-message)]
     ;; send the messages out over the WS connection one-by-one.
-    (doall (map (partial send-json-over-ws channel) replies))))
-
-(defn ring-handler
-  "This ring handler expects the client to make a websocket connection to the endpoint. It relays messages back and
-  forth to an nREPL server. A connection to the nREPL server must have previously been made with 'connect-to-nrepl'.
-  Messages are mapped back and forth to JSON as they pass through the relay."
-  [request]
-  (server/with-channel
-    request
-    channel
-    (server/on-receive channel (partial process-message channel))))
\ No newline at end of file
+    (let [reply-fn (partial process-replies
+                            #(server/send!
+                              channel
+                              {:body (json/generate-string %)}))]
+      (reply-fn replies))))
+
+(defn- process-message-mem
+  [transport channel timeout data]
+  (let [msg (assoc (json/parse-string data true) :as-html 1)
+        [read write] transport
+        client (nrepl/client read timeout)]
+    ((partial process-replies #(server/send!
+                                channel
+                                {:body    (json/generate-string %)
+                                 :session {::tranport transport}}))
+      (do
+        (when (:op msg)
+          (future (nrepl-server/handle* msg nrepl-handler write)))
+        (client)))))
+
+(defn- memory-session
+  "Wraps the supplied handler in session middleware that uses a
+  private memory store."
+  [handler]
+  (let [store (mem/memory-store)]
+    (session/wrap-session handler {:store store :cookie-name "gorilla-session"})))
+
+
+(defn on-receive-net
+  "Relays messages back and forth to an nREPL server. A connection to the nREPL server must have
+   previously been made with 'connect-to-nrepl'."
+  [_ channel]
+  (partial process-message-net channel))
+
+(defn on-receive-mem
+  "Passes messages into nREPL (in memory)"
+  [request channel]
+  (let [session (:session request)
+        transport (or (::transport session)
+                      (transport/piped-transports))]
+    (partial process-message-mem transport channel 1000)))
+
+(defn repl-ring-handler
+  "Creates a websocket ring handler for nrepl messages. Messages are mapped back and forth to JSON."
+  [on-receive-fn]
+  (-> (fn [request]
+        (server/with-channel
+          request
+          channel
+          (server/on-receive channel (on-receive-fn request channel))))
+      (memory-session)))
\ No newline at end of file