diff --git a/app/skybreak/deploy.js b/app/skybreak/deploy.js
index 07045201ca..2e792e4433 100644
--- a/app/skybreak/deploy.js
+++ b/app/skybreak/deploy.js
@@ -1,16 +1,192 @@
+// URL parsing and validation
+// RPC to server (endpoint, arguments)
+// see if RPC requires password
+// prompt for password
+// send RPC with or without password as required
+
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var tty = require('tty');
 var request = require('request');
+var qs = require('querystring');
+var path = require('path');
+var files = require('../lib/files.js');
+var _ = require('../lib/third/underscore.js');
 
+//
+// configuration
+//
 
-exports.HOSTNAME = 'deploy.skybreakplatform.com';
+var DEPLOY_HOSTNAME = 'deploy.skybreakplatform.com';
 
+// available RPCs are: deploy (with set-password), delete, logs,
+// mongo_cred.  each RPC might require a password, which we
+// interactively prompt for here.
+
+var sky_rpc = function (rpc_name, method, site, query_params, callback) {
+  var url = "http://" + DEPLOY_HOSTNAME + '/' + rpc_name + '/' + site;
+
+  if (!_.isEmpty(query_params))
+    url += '?' + qs.stringify(query_params);
+
+  var r = request({method: method, url: url}, function (error, response, body) {
+    if (error || ((response.statusCode !== 200)
+                  && (response.statusCode !== 201)))
+      // pass some non-falsy error back to callback
+      callback(error || response.statusCode, body);
+    else
+      callback(null, body);
+  });
+
+  return r;
+}
+
+var deploy_app = function (url, app_dir, opt_set_password) {
+  var parsed_url = parse_url(url);
+
+  // a bit contorted here to make sure we ask for the password before
+  // launching the slow bundle process.
+
+  with_password(parsed_url.hostname, function (password) {
+    if (opt_set_password)
+      get_new_password(function (set_password) {
+        bundle_and_deploy(parsed_url.hostname, app_dir, password, set_password);
+      });
+    else
+      bundle_and_deploy(parsed_url.hostname, app_dir, password);
+  });
+};
+
+var bundle_and_deploy = function (site, app_dir, password, set_password) {
+  var build_dir = path.join(app_dir, '.skybreak/local/build_tar');
+  var bundle_path = path.join(build_dir, 'bundle');
+  var bundle_opts = { skip_dev_bundle: true };
+
+  process.stdout.write('Deploying to ' + site + '.  Bundling ... ');
+  require('../lib/bundler.js').bundle(app_dir, bundle_path, bundle_opts);
+
+  process.stdout.write('uploading ... ');
+
+  var opts = {};
+  if (password) opts.password = password;
+  if (set_password) opts.set_password = set_password;
+
+  var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+  var tar = spawn('tar', ['czf', '-', 'bundle'], {cwd: build_dir});
+
+  var rpc = sky_rpc('deploy', 'POST', site, opts, function (err, body) {
+    // XXX this is gross. maybe some way to automate?
+    process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
+
+    if (err) {
+      process.stderr.write("\nError deploying application: " + body + "\n");
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
+
+    process.stdout.write('done.\n');
+    process.stdout.write('Now serving at ' + site + '\n');
+
+    files.rm_recursive(build_dir);
+
+    if (!site.match('skybreakplatform.com')) {
+      var dns = require('dns');
+      dns.resolve(site, 'CNAME', function (err, cnames) {
+        if (err || cnames[0] !== 'origin.skybreakplatform.com') {
+          dns.resolve(site, 'A', function (err, addresses) {
+            if (err || addresses[0] !== '107.22.210.133') {
+              process.stdout.write('-------------\n');
+              process.stdout.write("You've deployed to a custom domain.\n");
+              process.stdout.write("Please be sure to CNAME your hostname to origin.skybreakplatform.com,\n");
+              process.stdout.write("or set an A record to 107.22.210.133.\n");
+              process.stdout.write('-------------\n');
+            }
+          });
+        }
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
+  tar.stdout.pipe(rpc);
+};
+
+var delete_app = function (url) {
+  var parsed_url = parse_url(url);
+
+  with_password(parsed_url.hostname, function (password) {
+    var opts = {};
+    if (password) opts.password = password;
+
+    sky_rpc('deploy', 'DELETE', parsed_url.hostname, opts, function (err, body) {
+      process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after with_password
+
+      if (err) {
+        process.stderr.write("Error deleting application: " + body + "\n");
+        process.exit(1);
+      }
+
+      process.stdout.write("Deleted.\n");
+    });
+  });
+};
+
+// either print the mongo credential (just_credential is true) or open
+// a mongo shell.
+var mongo = function (url, just_credential) {
+  var parsed_url = parse_url(url);
+
+  with_password(parsed_url.hostname, function (password) {
+    var opts = {};
+    if (password) opts.password = password;
+
+    sky_rpc('mongo', 'GET', parsed_url.hostname, opts, function (err, body) {
+      if (err) {
+        process.stderr.write(body + "\n");
+        process.exit(1);
+      }
+
+      if (just_credential) {
+        // just print the URL
+        process.stdout.write(body + "\n");
+
+        // only do this if we're printing the URL. Don't do it if
+        // we're running the mongo shell, since that will close off
+        // stdin for the shell.
+        process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after with_password
+
+      } else {
+        // pause stdin so we don't try to read it while mongo is
+        // running.
+        process.stdin.pause();
+        run_mongo_shell(body);
+      }
+    });
+  });
+};
+
+var logs = function (url) {
+  var parsed_url = parse_url(url);
+
+  with_password(parsed_url.hostname, function (password) {
+    var opts = {};
+    if (password) opts.password = password;
+
+    sky_rpc('logs', 'GET', parsed_url.hostname, opts, function (err, body) {
+      process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after with_password
+
+      if (err) {
+        process.stderr.write(body + '\n');
+        process.exit(1);
+      }
+
+      process.stdout.write(body);
+    });
+  });
+};
 
 // accepts www.host.com, defaults domain to skybreakplatform, defaults
-// protocol to http.
+// protocol to http.  on bad URL, prints error and exits the process.
 //
 // XXX shared w/ proxy.js
-exports.parse_url = function (url) {
+var parse_url = function (url) {
   if (!url.match(':\/\/'))
     url = 'http://' + url;
 
@@ -21,25 +197,41 @@ exports.parse_url = function (url) {
   if (parsed.hostname && !parsed.hostname.match(/\./))
     parsed.hostname += '.skybreakplatform.com';
 
-  return parsed;
-};
-
-exports.validate_url = function (url) {
-  if (!url.hostname) {
+  if (!parsed.hostname) {
     process.stdout.write(
 "Please specify a domain to connect to, such as www.example.com or\n" +
 "http://www.example.com/\n");
     process.exit(1);
   }
 
-  if (url.pathname != '/' || url.hash || url.query) {
+  if (parsed.pathname != '/' || parsed.hash || parsed.query) {
     process.stdout.write(
 "Sorry, Skybreak does not yet support specific path URLs, such as\n" +
 "http://www.example.com/blog .  Please specify the root of a domain.\n");
     process.exit(1);
   }
-}
 
+  return parsed;
+};
+
+var run_mongo_shell = function (url) {
+  var mongo_path = path.join(files.get_dev_bundle(), 'mongodb/bin/mongo');
+  var mongo_url = require('url').parse(url);
+  var auth = mongo_url.auth && mongo_url.auth.split(':');
+  var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+
+  var args = [];
+  if (auth) args.push('-u', auth[0]);
+  if (auth) args.push('-p', auth[1]);
+  args.push(mongo_url.hostname + ':' + mongo_url.port + mongo_url.pathname);
+
+  var proc = spawn(mongo_path,
+                   args,
+                   { customFds: [0, 1, 2] });
+  proc.on('exit', function () {
+    process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
+  });
+};
 
 // hash the password so we never send plaintext over the wire. Doesn't
 // actually make us more secure, but it means we won't leak a user's
@@ -96,41 +288,35 @@ var read_password = function (callback) {
 
 };
 
-
 // Check if a particular endpoint requires a password. If so, prompt for
 // it.
 //
-// takes an endpoint name and callback function(password). This is
-// always called exactly once. If no password is needed, password will
-// be undefined.
-exports.maybe_password = function (endpoint, callback) {
-  var check_url = "http://" + exports.HOSTNAME + "/has_password/" + endpoint;
+// takes an site name and callback function(password). This is always
+// called exactly once. Calls callback with the entered password, or
+// undefined if no password is required.
+var with_password = function (site, callback) {
+  var check_url = "http://" + DEPLOY_HOSTNAME + "/has_password/" + site;
 
   request(check_url, function (error, response, body) {
     if (error || response.statusCode !== 200) {
-      // XXX more fine grained error handling
       callback();
-      return;
-    }
 
-    // XXX in theory we should JSON parse the result, and use that. But
-    // we happen to know we'll only ever get 'true' or 'false' if we got
-    // a 200, so don't bother.
-
-    if (body === "false") {
+    } else if (body === "false") {
+      // XXX in theory we should JSON parse the result, and use
+      // that. But we happen to know we'll only ever get 'true' or
+      // 'false' if we got a 200, so don't bother.
       callback();
-      return;
-    }
 
-    process.stdout.write("Password: ");
-    read_password(callback);
+    } else {
+      process.stdout.write("Password: ");
+      read_password(callback);
+    }
   });
 };
 
-
 // Prompts for a new password, asking you twice so you don't typo
 // it. Keeps prompting you until you have two that match.
-exports.get_new_password = function (callback) {
+var get_new_password = function (callback) {
   process.stdout.write("New Password: ");
   read_password(function (p1) {
     process.stdout.write("Confirm Password: ");
@@ -140,7 +326,12 @@ exports.get_new_password = function (callback) {
         return;
       }
       process.stdout.write("Passwords do not match! Try again.\n");
-      exports.get_new_password(callback);
+      get_new_password(callback);
     });
   });
 };
+
+exports.deploy_app = deploy_app;
+exports.delete_app = delete_app;
+exports.mongo = mongo;
+exports.logs = logs;
diff --git a/app/skybreak/skybreak.js b/app/skybreak/skybreak.js
index 21c21483d3..9a3148dc5d 100644
--- a/app/skybreak/skybreak.js
+++ b/app/skybreak/skybreak.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var files = require('../lib/files.js');
 var path = require('path');
 var _ = require('../lib/third/underscore.js');
+var deploy = require('./deploy');
 
 var usage = function() {
   process.stdout.write(
@@ -354,25 +355,6 @@ Commands.push({
   }
 });
 
-var run_mongo_shell = function (url) {
-  var mongo_path = path.join(files.get_dev_bundle(), 'mongodb/bin/mongo');
-  var mongo_url = require('url').parse(url);
-  var auth = mongo_url.auth && mongo_url.auth.split(':');
-  var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
-
-  var args = [];
-  if (auth) args.push('-u', auth[0]);
-  if (auth) args.push('-p', auth[1]);
-  args.push(mongo_url.hostname + ':' + mongo_url.port + mongo_url.pathname);
-
-  var proc = spawn(mongo_path,
-                   args,
-                   { customFds: [0, 1, 2] });
-  proc.on('exit', function () {
-    process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
-  });
-};
-
 Commands.push({
   name: "mongo",
   help: "Connect to the Mongo database for the specified site",
@@ -428,55 +410,7 @@ Commands.push({
 
     } else if (new_argv._.length === 2) {
       // remote mode
-      var deploy = require('./deploy');
-      var url = deploy.parse_url(new_argv._[1]);
-      deploy.validate_url(url);
-
-      deploy.maybe_password(url.hostname, function (password) {
-
-        var options = {
-          host: deploy.HOSTNAME,
-          port: 80,
-          path: '/mongo/' + url.hostname,
-        };
-        if (password) {
-          options.path += '?password=' + password;
-        }
-        var data = '';
-
-        var req = require('http').get(options, function(res) {
-          res.setEncoding('utf8');
-          res.on('data', function (chunk) { data += chunk; });
-          res.on('end', function () {
-            if (res.statusCode == 200) {
-              if (new_argv.url) {
-                console.log(data);
-
-                // only do this if we're printing the URL. Don't do it
-                // if we're running the mongo shell, since that will
-                // close off stdin for the shell.
-                process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
-              } else {
-                // pause stdin so we don't try to read it while mongo is
-                // running.
-                process.stdin.pause();
-                run_mongo_shell(data);
-              }
-
-            } else {
-              process.stderr.write(data);
-              process.stderr.write("\n");
-              process.exit(1);
-            }
-          });
-        });
-
-        req.on('error', function(e) {
-          console.log(e);
-          console.log("Error connecting to Skybreak: " + e.message);
-          process.exit(1);
-        });
-      });
+      deploy.mongo(new_argv._[1], new_argv.url);
 
     } else {
       // usage
@@ -494,6 +428,9 @@ Commands.push({
       .boolean('password')
       .alias('password', 'P')
       .describe('password', 'set a password for the deployment')
+      .boolean('delete')
+      .alias('delete', 'D')
+      .describe('delete', "permanently delete this project and its data from Skybreak")
       .usage(
 "Usage: skybreak deploy <site>\n" +
 "\n" +
@@ -508,95 +445,12 @@ Commands.push({
       process.exit(1);
     }
 
-    var deploy = require('./deploy');
-
-    var url = deploy.parse_url(new_argv._[1]);
-    deploy.validate_url(url);
-
-    var app_dir = path.resolve(require_project("bundle"));
-    var build_dir = path.join(app_dir, '.skybreak/local/build_tar');
-    var bundle_path = path.join(build_dir, 'bundle');
-    var bundle_opts = { skip_dev_bundle: true };
-
-    var do_deploy = function (password, set_password) {
-      process.stdout.write('Deploying to ' + url.hostname + '.  Bundling ... ');
-
-      require('../lib/bundler.js').bundle(app_dir, bundle_path, bundle_opts);
-
-      process.stdout.write('uploading ... ');
-
-      var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
-
-      var tar = spawn('tar', ['czf', '-', 'bundle'], {cwd: build_dir});
-
-      var deploy_req_opts = {
-        method: 'POST',
-        host: deploy.HOSTNAME,
-        path: '/deploy/' + url.hostname
-      };
-      var password_opts = {};
-      if (password) password_opts.password = password;
-      if (set_password) password_opts.set_password = set_password;
-      if (password || set_password)
-        deploy_req_opts.path += "?" + require('querystring').stringify(password_opts);
-
-      var http = require('http');
-      var deploy_data = '';
-      var deploy_req = http.request(deploy_req_opts, function (deploy_res) {
-        deploy_res.setEncoding('utf8');
-        deploy_res.on('data', function (chunk) { deploy_data += chunk; });
-        deploy_res.on('end', function () {
-          if (deploy_res.statusCode !== 200) {
-            console.log("failed!");
-            console.log(deploy_data);
-            process.exit(1);
-          }
-
-          process.stdout.write('done.\n');
-          process.stdout.write('Now serving at ' + url.hostname + '\n');
-
-          files.rm_recursive(build_dir);
-
-          if (!url.hostname.match('skybreakplatform.com')) {
-            var dns = require('dns');
-            dns.resolve(url.hostname, 'CNAME', function (err, cnames) {
-              if (err || cnames[0] !== 'origin.skybreakplatform.com') {
-                dns.resolve(url.hostname, 'A', function (err, addresses) {
-                  if (err || addresses[0] !== '107.22.210.133') {
-                    process.stdout.write('-------------\n');
-                    process.stdout.write("You've deployed to a custom domain.\n");
-                    process.stdout.write("Please be sure to CNAME your hostname to origin.skybreakplatform.com,\n");
-                    process.stdout.write("or set an A record to 107.22.210.133.\n");
-                    process.stdout.write('-------------\n');
-                  }
-                });
-              }
-            });
-          }
-        });
-      });
-
-      tar.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
-        deploy_req.write(data);
-      });
-
-      tar.on('exit', function (code) {
-        deploy_req.end();
-      });
-
-      // XXX this is gross. maybe some way to automate?
-      process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
-    };
-
-    deploy.maybe_password(url.hostname, function (password) {
-      if (new_argv.password) {
-        deploy.get_new_password(function (set_password) {
-          do_deploy(password, set_password);
-        });
-      } else {
-        do_deploy(password);
-      }
-    });
+    if (new_argv.delete) {
+      deploy.delete_app(new_argv._[1]);
+    } else {
+      var app_dir = path.resolve(require_project("bundle"));
+      deploy.deploy_app(new_argv._[1], app_dir, new_argv.password);
+    }
   }
 });
 
@@ -612,36 +466,7 @@ Commands.push({
       process.exit(1);
     }
 
-    var deploy = require('./deploy');
-    var url = deploy.parse_url(argv._[0]);
-    deploy.validate_url(url);
-
-    deploy.maybe_password(url.hostname, function (password) {
-      var http = require('http');
-      var options = {
-        host: deploy.HOSTNAME,
-        port: 80,
-        path: '/logs/' + url.hostname,
-      };
-      if (password) {
-        options.path += '?password=' + password;
-      }
-
-      var req = http.get(options, function(res) {
-        res.setEncoding('utf8');
-        res.on('data', function (chunk) {
-          process.stdout.write(chunk);
-        });
-      });
-
-      req.on('error', function(e) {
-        console.log("Error connecting to Skybreak: " + e.message);
-        process.exit(1);
-      });
-
-      // XXX this is gross. maybe some way to automate?
-      process.stdin.destroy(); // clean up after maybe_password
-    });
+    deploy.logs(argv._[0]);
   }
 });