diff --git a/gui/src/components/settings_modem.vue b/gui/src/components/settings_modem.vue
index a2a3b6bf..c319ba21 100644
--- a/gui/src/components/settings_modem.vue
+++ b/gui/src/components/settings_modem.vue
@@ -14,21 +14,9 @@ const audio = useAudioStore(pinia);
 import { useStateStore } from "../store/stateStore.js";
 const state = useStateStore(pinia);
 
-import { startModem, stopModem } from "../js/daemon";
+import { startModem, stopModem } from "../js/api";
 
-function startStopModem() {
-  switch (state.modem_running_state) {
-    case "stopped":
-      startModem();
 
-      break;
-    case "running":
-      stopModem();
-
-      break;
-    default:
-  }
-}
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -41,7 +29,7 @@ function startStopModem() {
       data-bs-trigger="hover"
       data-bs-html="false"
       title="Start the Modem. Please set your audio and radio settings first!"
-      @click="startStopModem()"
+      @click="startModem"
       v-bind:class="{ disabled: state.modem_running_state === 'running' }"
     >
       <i class="bi bi-play-fill"></i>
@@ -55,7 +43,7 @@ function startStopModem() {
       data-bs-trigger="hover"
       data-bs-html="false"
       title="Stop the Modem."
-      @click="startStopModem()"
+      @click="stopModem"
       v-bind:class="{ disabled: state.modem_running_state === 'stopped' }"
     >
       <i class="bi bi-stop-fill"></i>
diff --git a/gui/src/js/api.js b/gui/src/js/api.js
index cfb7963d..8c4df93f 100644
--- a/gui/src/js/api.js
+++ b/gui/src/js/api.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { getModemConfigAsJSON } from "./settingsHandler.ts";
+import { getFromServer, postToServer } from "./rest.js";
 
 
 
@@ -17,12 +18,12 @@ export function saveModemConfig(){
 
 }
 
-export function fetchSettings() {
+export function startModem() {
+  postToServer("localhost", 5000, "modem/start", null);
 
 }
 
-export function saveSettings() {
-  // save settings via post
-  console.log("post settings");
+export function stopModem() {
+  postToServer("localhost", 5000, "modem/stop", null);
 
 }
diff --git a/modem/data_handler.py b/modem/data_handler.py
index cefc31dc..60e069c6 100644
--- a/modem/data_handler.py
+++ b/modem/data_handler.py
@@ -44,12 +44,10 @@ class DATA:
     def __init__(self, config, event_queue) -> None:
 
         self.stats = stats.stats()
-
         self.event_queue = event_queue
 
         self.mycallsign = config['STATION']['mycall']
         self.mygrid = config['STATION']['mygrid']
-        
         self.dxcallsign = Station.dxcallsign
 
         self.data_queue_transmit = DATA_QUEUE_TRANSMIT
diff --git a/modem/daemon.py b/modem/deprecated_daemon.py
similarity index 99%
rename from modem/daemon.py
rename to modem/deprecated_daemon.py
index c24769e5..b2a55c66 100755
--- a/modem/daemon.py
+++ b/modem/deprecated_daemon.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """
-daemon.py
+deprecated_daemon.py
 
 Author: DJ2LS, January 2022
 
diff --git a/modem/modem.py b/modem/modem.py
index 5cead100..71ba82bd 100644
--- a/modem/modem.py
+++ b/modem/modem.py
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ class RF:
 
     log = structlog.get_logger("RF")
 
-    def __init__(self, config, event_queue, fft_queue) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, config, event_queue, fft_queue, service_queue) -> None:
         self.config = config
+        self.service_queue = service_queue
 
         self.sampler_avg = 0
         self.buffer_avg = 0
@@ -157,20 +158,21 @@ class RF:
                 atexit.register(self.stream.stop)
                 self.log.info("[MDM] init: receiving audio from '%s'" % in_dev_name)
                 self.log.info("[MDM] init: transmiting audio on '%s'" % out_dev_name)
+
+                try:
+                    self.log.debug("[MDM] init: starting pyaudio callback")
+                    # self.audio_stream.start_stream(
+                    self.stream.start()
+                except Exception as audioerr:
+                    self.log.error("[MDM] init: starting pyaudio callback failed", e=audioerr)
+
             except Exception as err:
                 self.log.error("[MDM] init: can't open audio device. Exit", e=err)
-                # TODO Disabled sys.exit in case of wrong audio devices. We need to ensure flask server is running.
-                # This needs to be optimized when working on modem startup without daemon
-                # We also get problems with old configs, using ID instead of CRC as identifier, so
-                # we need some error handling here
-                #sys.exit(1)
-
-            try:
-                self.log.debug("[MDM] init: starting pyaudio callback")
-                # self.audio_stream.start_stream(
-                self.stream.start()
-            except Exception as err:
-                self.log.error("[MDM] init: starting pyaudio callback failed", e=err)
+                # let's stop the modem service
+                self.service_queue.put("stop")
+                # simulate audio class active state for reducing cli output
+                self.stream = lambda: None
+                self.stream.active = False
 
         elif not TESTMODE:
             # placeholder area for processing audio via TCI
@@ -242,7 +244,6 @@ class RF:
         """
 
         while True:
-            threading.Event().wait(0.01)
 
             x = self.audio_received_queue.get()
             x = np.frombuffer(x, dtype=np.int16)
diff --git a/modem/server.py b/modem/server.py
index 7a8efe3c..89fe4849 100644
--- a/modem/server.py
+++ b/modem/server.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import data_handler
 import modem
 import queue
 import server_commands
+import service_manager
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
 CORS(app)
@@ -30,18 +31,25 @@ def set_config():
 
     app.config_manager = CONFIG(config_file)
 
-# returns a standard API response
-def api_response(data):
-    return make_response(jsonify(data), 200)
 
 set_config()
 
 # start modem
-app.modem_events = queue.Queue()
-app.modem_fft = queue.Queue()
+app.modem_events = queue.Queue() # queue which holds latest events
+app.modem_fft = queue.Queue() # queue which holds lates fft data
+app.modem_service = queue.Queue() # start / stop modem service
+
+# start service manager
+service_manager.SM(app)
+
+# start modem service
+app.modem_service.put("start")
+
+
+# returns a standard API response
+def api_response(data):
+    return make_response(jsonify(data), 200)
 
-app.modem = modem.RF(app.config_manager.config, app.modem_events, app.modem_fft)
-data_handler.DATA(app.config_manager.config, app.modem_events)
 
 ## REST API
 @app.route('/', methods=['GET'])
@@ -57,7 +65,9 @@ def index():
 @app.route('/config', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
 def config():
     if request.method == 'POST':
+        app.modem_service.put("stop")
         set_config = app.config_manager.write(request.json)
+        app.modem_service.put("start")
         if not set_config:
             response = api_response(None, 'error writing config')
         else:
@@ -119,8 +129,24 @@ def post_ping():
 # @app.route('/mesh/routing_table', methods=['GET'])
 # @app.route('/modem/get_rx_buffer', methods=['GET'])
 # @app.route('/modem/del_rx_buffer', methods=['POST'])
-# @app.route('/modem/start', methods=['POST'])
-# @app.route('/modem/stop', methods=['POST'])
+@app.route('/modem/start', methods=['POST'])
+def post_modem_start():
+    if request.method in ['POST']:
+        print("start received...")
+        app.modem_service.put("start")
+        return api_response(request.json)
+    else:
+        return api_response({"info": "endpoint for STARTING modem via POST"})
+
+@app.route('/modem/stop', methods=['POST'])
+def post_modem_stop():
+    if request.method in ['POST']:
+        print("stop received...")
+
+        app.modem_service.put("stop")
+        return api_response(request.json)
+    else:
+        return api_response({"info": "endpoint for STOPPING modem via POST"})
 
 # @app.route('/rig/status', methods=['GET'])
 # @app.route('/rig/mode', methods=['POST'])
diff --git a/modem/server_commands.py b/modem/server_commands.py
index d1d9550c..b1d2e4ef 100644
--- a/modem/server_commands.py
+++ b/modem/server_commands.py
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ def beacon(data):
     log.info(
         "[CMD] Changing beacon state", state=beacon_state
     )
-    DATA_QUEUE_TRANSMIT.put(["BEACON", 300, beacon_state])
\ No newline at end of file
+    DATA_QUEUE_TRANSMIT.put(["BEACON", 300, beacon_state])
diff --git a/modem/service_manager.py b/modem/service_manager.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52273878
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modem/service_manager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import threading
+import data_handler
+import modem
+import structlog
+
+class SM:
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        self.log = structlog.get_logger("service")
+
+        self.modem = False
+        self.data_handler = False
+
+        self.config = app.config_manager.config
+        self.modem_events = app.modem_events
+        self.modem_fft = app.modem_fft
+        self.modem_service = app.modem_service
+
+        runner_thread = threading.Thread(
+            target=self.runner, name="runner thread", daemon=True
+        )
+        runner_thread.start()
+
+    def runner(self):
+        while True:
+            cmd = self.modem_service.get()
+            if cmd in ['start'] and not self.modem:
+                self.log.info("starting modem....")
+                self.modem = modem.RF(self.config, self.modem_events, self.modem_fft, self.modem_service)
+                self.data_handler = data_handler.DATA(self.config, self.modem_events)
+            else:
+                print("--------------------------------------")
+                self.log.info("stopping modem....")
+                del self.modem
+                del self.data_handler
+                self.modem = False
+                self.data_handler = False
diff --git a/tools/freedata_network_listener.py b/tools/freedata_network_listener.py
index 6a813038..a7474165 100755
--- a/tools/freedata_network_listener.py
+++ b/tools/freedata_network_listener.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """
-daemon.py
+deprecated_daemon.py
 
 Author: DJ2LS, January 2022