diff --git a/proxmox-protocol/Cargo.toml b/proxmox-protocol/Cargo.toml
index fe3d6ab8..7f67554f 100644
--- a/proxmox-protocol/Cargo.toml
+++ b/proxmox-protocol/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ crate-type = ['lib', 'cdylib']
 [dependencies]
 chrono = "0.4"
 endian_trait = "0.6"
+errno = "0.2"
 failure = "0.1"
 libc = "0.2"
 openssl = "0.10"
diff --git a/proxmox-protocol/src/c_connector.rs b/proxmox-protocol/src/c_connector.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb82d0f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxmox-protocol/src/c_connector.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+//! C API for the `Connector`.
+
+use std::ffi::CStr;
+use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_int};
+
+use crate::Connector;
+
+#[inline(always)]
+fn with_errno<T>(err: c_int, value: T) -> T {
+    errno::set_errno(errno::Errno(err));
+    value
+}
+
+#[inline]
+fn checkstr(ptr: *const c_char) -> Option<String> {
+    if ptr.is_null() {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    let cstr = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(ptr) };
+    match cstr.to_str() {
+        Ok(s) => Some(s.to_string()),
+        Err(_) => None,
+    }
+}
+
+#[inline(always)]
+fn wrap_buildcall<F>(me: *mut Connector, func: F)
+where
+    F: FnOnce(Connector) -> Connector,
+{
+    let me = unsafe { &mut *me };
+    let moved_me = std::mem::replace(me, unsafe { std::mem::uninitialized() });
+    std::mem::forget(std::mem::replace(me, func(moved_me)));
+}
+
+/// Create a connector object.
+///
+/// Returns a valid pointer or `NULL` on error, with `errno` set.
+///
+/// Errors:
+///   * `EINVAL`: a required parameter was `NULL` or contained invalid bytes.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_new(
+    user: *const c_char,
+    server: *const c_char,
+    store: *const c_char,
+) -> *mut Connector {
+    let (user, server, store) = match (checkstr(user), checkstr(server), checkstr(store)) {
+        (Some(user), Some(server), Some(store)) => (user, server, store),
+        _ => return with_errno(libc::EINVAL, std::ptr::null_mut()),
+    };
+
+    Box::leak(Box::new(Connector::new(user, server, store)))
+}
+
+/// If a connector is not required anymore and has not been used up via a call to
+/// `proxmox_connector_connect`, this can be used to free the associated resources.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_drop(me: *mut Connector) {
+    unsafe { Box::from_raw(me) };
+}
+
+/// Use a password
+///
+/// Returns `0` on success, a negative `errno` value on error.
+///
+/// Errors:
+///   * `EINVAL`: a required parameter was `NULL` or contained invalid bytes.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_set_password(
+    me: *mut Connector,
+    password: *const c_char,
+) -> c_int {
+    let password = match checkstr(password) {
+        Some(pw) =>  pw,
+        _ => return -libc::EINVAL,
+    };
+
+    wrap_buildcall(me, move |me| me.password(password));
+
+    0
+}
+
+/// Use an existing ticket.
+///
+/// Returns `0` on success, a negative `errno` value on error.
+///
+/// Errors:
+///   * `EINVAL`: a required parameter was `NULL` or contained invalid bytes.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_set_ticket(
+    me: *mut Connector,
+    ticket: *const c_char,
+    token: *const c_char,
+) -> c_int {
+    let (ticket, token) = match (checkstr(ticket), checkstr(token)) {
+        (Some(ticket), Some(token)) => (ticket, token),
+        _ => return -libc::EINVAL,
+    };
+
+    wrap_buildcall(me, move |me| me.ticket(ticket, token));
+
+    0
+}
+
+/// Change whether certificate validation should be used on the connector.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_set_certificate_validation(me: *mut Connector, on: bool) {
+    let me = unsafe { &mut *me };
+
+    wrap_buildcall(me, move |me| me.certificate_validation(on));
+}
+
+/// Initiate the connection. This consumes the Connector, invalidating the pointer to it!
+///
+/// Returns a `ProxmoxBackup*`, or `NULL` on error.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn proxmox_connector_connect(
+    me: *mut Connector,
+) -> *mut crate::c_client::CClient {
+    let boxed = unsafe { Box::from_raw(me) };
+    let me = *boxed;
+    match me.do_connect() {
+        Ok(stream) => {
+            let mut client = crate::c_client::make_c_compatible_client(stream);
+            match client.wait_for_handshake() {
+                Ok(true) => crate::c_client::make_c_client(client),
+                Ok(false) => {
+                    // This is a synchronous blocking connection, so this should be impossible:
+                    eprintln!("proxmox backup protocol error handshake did not complete?");
+                    std::ptr::null_mut()
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    eprintln!("error during handshake with backup server: {}", err);
+                    std::ptr::null_mut()
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Err(err) => {
+            eprintln!("error connecting to backup server: {}", err);
+            std::ptr::null_mut()
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/proxmox-protocol/src/lib.rs b/proxmox-protocol/src/lib.rs
index 4664a5ce..d08e94c9 100644
--- a/proxmox-protocol/src/lib.rs
+++ b/proxmox-protocol/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ pub use types::*;
 
 pub mod c_chunker;
 pub mod c_client;
+pub mod c_connector;