diff --git a/thermal.c b/thermal.c
index 308bc48..16a6f39 100644
--- a/thermal.c
+++ b/thermal.c
@@ -14,43 +14,342 @@
 
 cpumask_t thermal_banned_cpus;
 
+#define INVALID_NL_FD	-1
+#define MAX_RECV_ERRS	2
+
+#define THERMAL_GENL_FAMILY_NAME	"thermal"
+#define THERMAL_GENL_EVENT_GROUP_NAME	"event"
+#define NL_FAMILY_NAME			"nlctrl"
+
+struct family_data {
+	const char *group;
+	int id;
+};
+
+static struct nl_sock *sock;
+static struct nl_cb *callback;
+
+/*
+ * return value: TRUE with an error; otherwise, FALSE
+ */
 static gboolean prepare_netlink(void)
 {
-	gboolean error = TRUE;
+	int rc;
 
-	log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: not yet implement to alloc memory for netlink.\n");
-	return error;
+	sock = nl_socket_alloc();
+	if (!sock) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: socket allocation failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	rc = genl_connect(sock);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: socket bind failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	callback = nl_cb_alloc(NL_CB_DEFAULT);
+	if (!callback) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: callback allocation failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	return FALSE;
 }
 
-#define NL_FAMILY_NAME	"nlctrl"
+static int handle_groupid(struct nl_msg *msg, void *arg)
+{
+	struct nlattr *attrhdr, *mcgrp, *cur_mcgrp;
+	struct nlattr *attrs[CTRL_ATTR_MAX + 1];
+	struct nla_policy *policy = NULL;
+	struct genlmsghdr *gnlhdr = NULL;
+	struct family_data *data = NULL;
+	struct nlmsghdr *msghdr = NULL;
+	int attrlen, rc, i;
+
+	if (!arg) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: group id - failed to receive argument.\n");
+		return NL_SKIP;
+	}
+	data = arg;
+
+	/* get actual netlink message header */
+	msghdr = nlmsg_hdr(msg);
+
+	/* get the start of the message payload */
+	gnlhdr = nlmsg_data(msghdr);
+
+	/* get the start of the message attribute section */
+	attrhdr = genlmsg_attrdata(gnlhdr, 0);
+
+	/* get the length of the message attribute section */
+	attrlen = genlmsg_attrlen(gnlhdr, 0);
+
+	/* create attribute index based on a stream of attributes */
+	rc = nla_parse(
+		attrs,		/* index array to be filled */
+		CTRL_ATTR_MAX,	/* the maximum acceptable attribute type */
+		attrhdr,	/* head of attribute stream */
+		attrlen,	/* length of attribute stream */
+		policy);	/* validation policy */
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: group id - failed to create attributes.\n");
+		return NL_SKIP;
+	}
+
+	/* start of the multi-cast group attribute */
+	mcgrp = attrs[CTRL_ATTR_MCAST_GROUPS];
+	if (!mcgrp) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: group id - no multi-cast group attributes.\n");
+		return NL_SKIP;
+	}
+
+	/* iterate a stream of nested attributes to get the group id */
+	nla_for_each_nested(cur_mcgrp, mcgrp, i) {
+		struct nlattr *nested_attrs[CTRL_ATTR_MCAST_GRP_MAX + 1];
+		struct nlattr *name, *id;
+
+		/* get start and length of payload section */
+		attrhdr = nla_data(cur_mcgrp);
+		attrlen = nla_len(cur_mcgrp);
+
+		rc = nla_parse(nested_attrs, CTRL_ATTR_MCAST_GRP_MAX, attrhdr, attrlen, policy);
+		if (rc)
+			continue;
+
+		name = nested_attrs[CTRL_ATTR_MCAST_GRP_NAME];
+		id = nested_attrs[CTRL_ATTR_MCAST_GRP_ID];
+		if (!name || !id)
+			continue;
+
+		if (strncmp(nla_data(name), data->group, nla_len(name)) != 0)
+			continue;
+
+		data->id = nla_get_u32(id);
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_DEBUG, "thermal: received group id (%d).\n", data->id);
+		break;
+	}
+	return NL_OK;
+}
+
+static int handle_error(struct sockaddr_nl *sk_addr __attribute__((unused)),
+			struct nlmsgerr *err, void *arg)
+{
+	if (arg) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_INFO, "thermal: received a netlink error (%s).\n",
+		    nl_geterror(err->error));
+		*((int *)arg) = err->error;
+	}
+	return NL_SKIP;
+}
+
+static int handle_end(struct nl_msg *msg __attribute__((unused)), void *arg)
+{
+	if (arg)
+		*((int *)arg) = 0;
+	return NL_SKIP;
+}
+
+struct msgheader {
+	unsigned char cmd, version;
+	unsigned int port, seq;
+	int id, hdrlen, flags;
+};
 
 static gboolean establish_netlink(void)
 {
+	struct msgheader msghdr = { CTRL_CMD_GETFAMILY, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
+	struct family_data nldata = { THERMAL_GENL_EVENT_GROUP_NAME, -ENOENT };
+	struct nl_cb *cloned_callback = NULL;
+	int rc, group_id, callback_rc = 1;
+	struct nl_msg *msg = NULL;
 	gboolean error = TRUE;
+	void *hdr;
 
-	log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: not yet implemented to establish netlink.\n");
+	msg = nlmsg_alloc();
+	if (!msg) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: message allocation failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	msghdr.id = genl_ctrl_resolve(sock, NL_FAMILY_NAME);
+	if (msghdr.id < 0) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: message id enumeration failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	hdr = genlmsg_put(msg, msghdr.port, msghdr.seq, msghdr.id, msghdr.hdrlen,
+			  msghdr.flags, msghdr.cmd, msghdr.version);
+	if (!hdr) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: netlink header setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nla_put_string(msg, CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_NAME, THERMAL_GENL_FAMILY_NAME);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: message setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	cloned_callback = nl_cb_clone(callback);
+	if (!cloned_callback) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: callback handle duplication failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_send_auto(sock, msg);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: failed to send the first message.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_cb_err(cloned_callback, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handle_error, &callback_rc);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: error callback setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_cb_set(cloned_callback, NL_CB_ACK, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handle_end, &callback_rc);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: ack callback setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_cb_set(cloned_callback, NL_CB_FINISH, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handle_end, &callback_rc);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: finish callback setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_cb_set(cloned_callback, NL_CB_VALID, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handle_groupid, &nldata);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: group id callback setup failed.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	while (callback_rc != 0) {
+		rc = nl_recvmsgs(sock, cloned_callback);
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: failed to receive messages.\n");
+			goto err_out;
+		}
+	}
+
+	group_id = nldata.id;
+	if (group_id < 0) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: invalid group_id was received.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	rc = nl_socket_add_membership(sock, group_id);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: failed to join the netlink group.\n");
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
+	error = FALSE;
+err_out:
+	nl_cb_put(cloned_callback);
+	nlmsg_free(msg);
 	return error;
 }
 
-static gboolean register_netlink_handler(nl_recvmsg_msg_cb_t handler __attribute__((unused)))
+static int handle_thermal_event(struct nl_msg *msg __attribute__((unused)),
+				void *arg __attribute__((unused)))
 {
-	gboolean error = TRUE;
-
-	log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: not yet implemented to register thermal handler.\n");
-	return error;
+	log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: not yet implemented to process thermal event.\n");
+	return NL_SKIP;
 }
 
+static int handler_for_debug(struct nl_msg *msg __attribute__((unused)),
+			     void *arg __attribute__((unused)))
+{
+	return NL_SKIP;
+}
+
+/*
+ * return value: TRUE with an error; otherwise, FALSE
+ */
+static gboolean register_netlink_handler(void)
+{
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = nl_cb_set(callback, NL_CB_SEQ_CHECK, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handler_for_debug, NULL);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: debug handler registration failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+
+	rc = nl_cb_set(callback, NL_CB_VALID, NL_CB_CUSTOM, handle_thermal_event, NULL);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: thermal handler registration failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+/*
+ * return value: TRUE to keep the source; FALSE to disconnect.
+ */
+gboolean receive_thermal_event(gint fd __attribute__((unused)),
+			       GIOCondition condition,
+			       gpointer user_data __attribute__((unused)))
+{
+	if (condition == G_IO_IN) {
+		static unsigned int retry = 0;
+		int err;
+
+		err = nl_recvmsgs(sock, callback);
+		if (err) {
+			log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: failed to receive messages (rc=%d).\n", err);
+			retry++;
+
+			/*
+			 * Pass a few failures then turn off if it keeps
+			 * failing down.
+			 */
+			if (retry <= MAX_RECV_ERRS) {
+				log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: but keep the connection.\n");
+			} else {
+				log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: disconnect now with %u failures.\n",
+				    retry);
+				return FALSE;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+/*
+ * return value: TRUE with an error; otherwise, FALSE
+ */
 static gboolean set_netlink_nonblocking(void)
 {
-	gboolean error = TRUE;
+	int rc, fd;
 
-	log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: not yet implemented to set nonblocking socket.\n");
-	return error;
+	rc = nl_socket_set_nonblocking(sock);
+	if (rc) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: non-blocking mode setup failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	fd = nl_socket_get_fd(sock);
+	if (fd == INVALID_NL_FD) {
+		log(TO_ALL, LOG_ERR, "thermal: file descriptor setup failed.\n");
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+
+	g_unix_fd_add(fd, G_IO_IN, receive_thermal_event, NULL);
+
+	return FALSE;
 }
 
 void deinit_thermal(void)
 {
-	return;
+	nl_cb_put(callback);
+	nl_socket_free(sock);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -68,7 +367,7 @@ gboolean init_thermal(void)
 	if (error)
 		goto err_out;
 
-	error = register_netlink_handler(NULL);
+	error = register_netlink_handler();
 	if (error)
 		goto err_out;