diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/http.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/http.go
index f688a912e..8d6fc5305 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/http.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/http.go
@@ -2,15 +2,55 @@ package http
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/controller"
 )
 
+// Solver is an implementation of the acme http-01 challenge solver protocol
+type Solver struct {
+	solver *httpSolver
+}
+
+func NewSolver() *Solver {
+	handler := &httpSolver{
+		ListenPort: 8080,
+	}
+
+	// todo: provide a way to stop this goroutine
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			err := handler.listen()
+
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("error listening for acme challenges: %s", err.Error())
+			}
+
+			time.Sleep(time.Second * 5)
+		}
+	}()
+	return &Solver{handler}
+}
+
+func (s *Solver) Present(ctx controller.Context, crt *v1alpha1.Certificate, domain, token, key string) error {
+	s.solver.addChallenge(challenge{domain, token, key})
+	return nil
+}
+
+// todo
+func (s *Solver) Cleanup(ctx controller.Context, crt *v1alpha1.Certificate, domain, token string) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Challenge is a Host/Token pair that is used for verify ownership of domains
 type challenge struct {
-	host, token string
+	host, token, key string
 }
 
 // httpSolver is an ACME HTTP-01 challenge solver. It will listen on a given
@@ -46,13 +86,16 @@ func (h *httpSolver) listen() error {
 		basePath := path.Dir(r.URL.EscapedPath())
 		token := path.Base(r.URL.EscapedPath())
 
+		log.Printf("got request for host %s, basePath %s, token %s", host, basePath, token)
 		// verify the base path is correct
 		if basePath != HTTPChallengePath {
+			log.Printf("invalid basePath - expected %s", HTTPChallengePath)
 			http.NotFound(w, r)
 			return
 		}
 
 		for i, c := range h.challenges {
+			log.Printf("comparing host %s against %s", host, c.host)
 			// if either the host or the token don't match what is expected,
 			// we should continue to the next loop iteration
 			if c.host != host || c.token != token {
@@ -61,6 +104,8 @@ func (h *httpSolver) listen() error {
 
 			// otherwise, this is a valid request and we're going to approve it
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+			fmt.Fprint(w, c.key)
+
 			// remove this challenge from the list so we don't store indefinitely
 			h.challenges = append(h.challenges[:i], h.challenges[i+1:]...)
 			return
diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/interface.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/interface.go
index 1b1a8f61f..ac8986263 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/interface.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/interface.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/controller"
+	http01 "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/issuer/acme/http"
 )
 
 type solver interface {
@@ -12,6 +13,12 @@ type solver interface {
 	Cleanup(ctx controller.Context, crt *v1alpha1.Certificate, domain, token string) error
 }
 
+var httpSolver = http01.NewSolver()
+
 func solverFor(challengeType string) (solver, error) {
+	switch challengeType {
+	case "http-01":
+		return httpSolver, nil
+	}
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("no solver implemented")
 }