diff --git a/includes/init.php b/includes/init.php
index 1bde597..f07b1ed 100644
--- a/includes/init.php
+++ b/includes/init.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace init;
 require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'server/api.php';
 require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'server/actors.php';
 require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'migrations.php';
+require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'server/webfinger.php';
 
 add_action( 'rest_api_init', function() {
     \api\register_routes();
@@ -21,4 +22,9 @@ add_action( 'pterotype_init', function() {
 add_action( 'pterotype_load', function() {
     \migrations\run_migrations();
 } );
+
+add_action( 'generate_rewrite_rules', '\webfinger\generate_rewrite_rules', 111 );
+add_action( 'parse_request', '\webfinger\parse_request', 111 );
+add_filter( 'query_vars', '\webfinger\query_vars' );
+add_action( 'well_known_webfinger', '\webfinger\handle' );
 ?>
diff --git a/includes/server/actors.php b/includes/server/actors.php
index 17558f7..0daed00 100644
--- a/includes/server/actors.php
+++ b/includes/server/actors.php
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ function get_blog_actor() {
             null, sprintf( '/pterotype/v1/actor/%s/outbox', PTEROTYPE_BLOG_ACTOR_SLUG )
         ),
         'name' => get_bloginfo( 'name' ),
+        // TODO in the future, make this configurable, both here and in the Webfinger handler
+        'preferredUsername' => 'blog',
         'summary' => get_bloginfo( 'description' ),
         'url' => network_site_url( '/' ),
     );
diff --git a/includes/server/webfinger.php b/includes/server/webfinger.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e411010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/server/webfinger.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+namespace webfinger;
+
+function generate_rewrite_rules( $wp_rewrite ) {
+    $dot_well_known = array(
+        '.well-known/webfinger' => 'index.php?well-known=webfinger'
+    );
+    $wp_rewrite->rules = $dot_well_known + $wp_rewrite->rules;
+}
+
+function parse_request( $req ) {
+    if ( ! array_key_exists( 'well-known', $req->query_vars ) ) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if ( $req->query_vars['well-known'] === 'webfinger' ) {
+        do_action( 'well_known_webfinger', $req->query_vars );
+    }
+}
+
+function query_vars( $query_vars ) {
+    $query_vars[] = 'well-known';
+    return $query_vars;
+}
+
+function handle( $query ) {
+    echo var_dump( $query );
+    exit;
+}
+?>
diff --git a/pterotype.php b/pterotype.php
index 86a8f08..1cb848a 100644
--- a/pterotype.php
+++ b/pterotype.php
@@ -8,9 +8,19 @@ define( 'PTEROTYPE_VERSION', '0.0.4' );
 
 function pterotype_init() {
     do_action( 'pterotype_init' );
+    flush_rewrite_rules();
 }
 
-do_action( 'pterotype_load' );
+function pterotype_deactive() {
+    do_action( 'pterotype_deactivate' );
+    flush_rewrite_rules();
+}
 
-register_activation_hook( __FILE__, 'pterotype_init');
+function pterotype_load() {
+    do_action( 'pterotype_load' );
+}
+
+add_action( 'plugins_loaded', 'pterotype_load' );
+register_activation_hook( __FILE__, 'pterotype_init' );
+register_deactivation_hook( __FILE__, 'pterotype_deactivate' );
 ?>