diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index 3d31105..12043c1 100755
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
+  "type": "module",
   "dependencies": {
     "simple-node-logger": "^21.8.12",
     "base64-js": "^1.5.1",
diff --git a/app/src/config.js b/app/src/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6851852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// experimental
+//import config from './config.json' with { type: "json" };
+
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+import fs from 'fs';
+const config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(require.resolve('./config.json'), 'utf8'));
+
+export default config;
diff --git a/app/src/converter.js b/app/src/converter.js
index af7b4c3..15ea0e1 100644
--- a/app/src/converter.js
+++ b/app/src/converter.js
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import open from 'open';
+import os from "os";
+import path from "path";
+import fs from "node:fs";
 
-const os = require("os");
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require("node:fs");
-
-const logger = require('./logger');
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
+export default ({logger, rpc}) => {
 
 const exec_dir = path.dirname(process.execPath);
 
@@ -70,7 +68,10 @@ function spawn(arg0, argv) {
 }
 
 for (let e of ["exit", "SIGINT", "SIGTERM", "uncaughtException"]) {
-  process.on(e, () => {
+  process.on(e, (...args) => {
+    if (e == "uncaughtException") {
+      console.error(args[0]);
+    }
     for (let process of to_kill) {
       try {
         process.kill(9);
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ function ExecConverter(args) {
   });
 }
 
-exports.star_listening = () => {
+const start_listening = () => {
 
   const convertChildren = new Map();
 
@@ -334,7 +335,7 @@ exports.star_listening = () => {
   });
 };
 
-exports.info = () => {
+const info = () => {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     let convProcess = spawn(ffmpeg, ["-h"]);
     let done = false;
@@ -365,3 +366,10 @@ exports.info = () => {
     });
   });
 };
+
+return {
+  start_listening,
+  info,
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/app/src/downloads.js b/app/src/downloads.js
index 2ca6368..e0ba451 100644
--- a/app/src/downloads.js
+++ b/app/src/downloads.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('node:fs');
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
-const os = require("os");
-const got = require('got');
+import path from "path";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "os";
+import got from "got";
 
 let downloadFolder = path.join(os.homedir(), "dwhelper");
 
@@ -156,7 +155,7 @@ function cancel(downloadId) {
   }
 }
 
-rpc.listen({
+export default ({rpc}) => rpc.listen({
   "downloads.download": download,
   "downloads.search": search,
   "downloads.cancel": cancel
diff --git a/app/src/file.js b/app/src/file.js
index 8e0cf74..d46aff7 100644
--- a/app/src/file.js
+++ b/app/src/file.js
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
-const fs = require('node:fs');
-const path = require('path');
-const tmp = require('tmp');
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
-const { spawn } = require('child_process');
-const os = require('os');
-const base64 = require("base64-js");
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'path';
+import tmp from 'tmp';
+import { spawn } from 'child_process';
+import os from 'os';
+import base64 from "base64-js";
 
 const uniqueFileNames = {};
 const MAX_FILE_ENTRIES = 1000;
 
-rpc.listen({
+export default ({rpc}) => rpc.listen({
   // In test suite
   "listFiles": (directory) => {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
diff --git a/app/src/logger.js b/app/src/logger.js
index 56b2327..07285e0 100644
--- a/app/src/logger.js
+++ b/app/src/logger.js
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-let simplelogger = require("simple-node-logger");
+import simplelogger from "simple-node-logger";
 
-let logfile = process.env.WEH_NATIVE_LOGFILE;
+const logfile = process.env.WEH_NATIVE_LOGFILE;
+//const logfile = "/run/user/1000/vdhcoapp.log"; // debug
 
-if (!logfile) {
-  module.exports = {
+export default () => (!logfile) ? (
+  {
     info: () => {},
     error: () => {},
     warn: () => {},
     log: () => {},
-  };
-} else {
-  let logger = simplelogger.createSimpleFileLogger(logfile);
-  module.exports = logger;
-}
+  }
+) : (
+  simplelogger.createSimpleFileLogger(logfile)
+);
diff --git a/app/src/main.js b/app/src/main.js
index 47b92de..c10e6b7 100644
--- a/app/src/main.js
+++ b/app/src/main.js
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
-const config = require('config.json');
-const converter = require('./converter');
-const os = require("os");
+import config from './config.js';
+
+import os from 'os';
+
+const globalState = {
+  config,
+  logger: null,
+  rpc: null,
+  converter: null,
+};
 
 function info() {
   let result = {
@@ -13,7 +20,7 @@ function info() {
     target: config.target,
     home: os.homedir() || ""
   };
-  return converter.info().then((convInfo) => {
+  return globalState.converter.info().then((convInfo) => {
     return Object.assign(result, {
       converterBinary: convInfo.converterBinary,
       converterBase: convInfo.program,
@@ -27,9 +34,9 @@ function info() {
 }
 
 if (process.argv[2] == "install") {
-  require("./native-autoinstall").install();
+  (await import("./native-autoinstall.js")).install();
 } else if (process.argv[2] == "uninstall") {
-  require("./native-autoinstall").uninstall();
+  (await import("./native-autoinstall.js")).uninstall();
 } else if (process.argv[2] == "--version") {
   console.log(config.meta.version);
 } else if (process.argv[2] == "--info") {
@@ -54,19 +61,27 @@ Options:
   console.log(help);
 } else {
 
-  require('./native-messaging');
-  const logger = require('./logger');
-  const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
+  // note: this disables the exception handler
+  // so exceptions will silently fail
+  // fix: WEH_NATIVE_LOGFILE=/dev/stderr vdhcoapp
+
+  const logger = (await import('./logger.js')).default();
+  globalState.logger = logger;
 
+  const rpc = (await import('./weh-rpc.js')).default();
   rpc.setLogger(logger);
   rpc.setDebugLevel(2);
+  globalState.rpc = rpc;
 
-  require('./file');
-  require('./downloads');
-  require('./request');
-  require('./vm');
+  const converter = (await import('./converter.js')).default(globalState);
+  globalState.converter = converter;
 
-  converter.star_listening();
+  (await import('./file.js')).default(globalState);
+  (await import('./downloads.js')).default(globalState);
+  (await import('./request.js')).default(globalState);
+  (await import('./vm.js')).default(globalState);
+
+  converter.start_listening();
 
   rpc.listen({
     // In test suite
@@ -85,6 +100,9 @@ Options:
     info,
   });
 
+  // start listening for RPC requests from stdin
+  (await import('./native-messaging.js')).default(globalState);
+
   let m = `vdhcoapp is running successfully. `;
   m += `This is not intended to be used directly from the command line. `;
   m += `You should press Ctrl+C to exit. `;
diff --git a/app/src/native-autoinstall.js b/app/src/native-autoinstall.js
index 556a22b..f8a4089 100644
--- a/app/src/native-autoinstall.js
+++ b/app/src/native-autoinstall.js
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
-const os = require("os");
-const path = require("path");
-const { spawn, exec } = require('child_process');
-const config = require('config.json');
+import os from "os";
+import path from "path";
+import { spawn, exec } from "child_process";
+import config from "./config.js";
+
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 
 let fs;
 if (process.versions.node.startsWith("10")) {
-  fs = require('fs').promises;
+  fs = await require('fs').promises;
 } else {
-  fs = require('node:fs/promises');
+  fs = await require('node:fs/promises');
 }
 
 const STORES = Object.keys(config.store);
@@ -170,12 +173,12 @@ async function install_uninstall(uninstall = false) {
   }
 }
 
-exports.install = () => {
+export const install = async () => {
   console.log("Installing…");
-  install_uninstall();
+  await install_uninstall();
 };
 
-exports.uninstall = () => {
+export const uninstall = async () => {
   console.log("Uninstalling…");
-  install_uninstall(true);
+  await install_uninstall(true);
 };
diff --git a/app/src/native-messaging.js b/app/src/native-messaging.js
index fb082cd..4b2c0e0 100644
--- a/app/src/native-messaging.js
+++ b/app/src/native-messaging.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
-const logger = require('./logger');
+export default ({logger, rpc}) => {
 
 logger.info("\n\n\n\n=================== started ====================");
 
@@ -56,3 +55,5 @@ rpc.setPost(Send);
 process.stdin.on('data', (chunk) => {
   AppendInputString(chunk);
 });
+
+}
diff --git a/app/src/request.js b/app/src/request.js
index e8282e5..f329007 100644
--- a/app/src/request.js
+++ b/app/src/request.js
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
-const got = require('got');
-const logger = require('./logger');
+import got from 'got';
 
 let currentIndex = 0;
 
@@ -9,6 +7,8 @@ let requestStore = {};
 const MAX_SIZE = 50000;
 const EXPIRE_DATA_TIMEOUT = 30000;
 
+export default ({logger, rpc}) => {
+
 function GetData(id) {
   let reqInfo = requestStore[id];
   if (!reqInfo) {
@@ -184,3 +184,5 @@ rpc.listen({
     return GetData(id);
   }
 });
+
+}
diff --git a/app/src/vm.js b/app/src/vm.js
index d6e23bf..c7d4a77 100644
--- a/app/src/vm.js
+++ b/app/src/vm.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-const vm = require('vm');
-const rpc = require('./weh-rpc');
+import vm from 'vm';
 
-rpc.listen({
+export default ({rpc}) => rpc.listen({
   "vm.run": async (code) => {
     const sandbox = {};
     const script = new vm.Script(code);
diff --git a/app/src/weh-rpc.js b/app/src/weh-rpc.js
index 10efcec..bf46d29 100644
--- a/app/src/weh-rpc.js
+++ b/app/src/weh-rpc.js
@@ -194,4 +194,4 @@ class RPC {
 
 }
 
-module.exports = new RPC();
+export default () => new RPC();