diff --git a/src/PluginWritePolicy.h b/src/PluginEventSifter.h
similarity index 74%
rename from src/PluginWritePolicy.h
rename to src/PluginEventSifter.h
index 8696d2d..9ba7541 100644
--- a/src/PluginWritePolicy.h
+++ b/src/PluginEventSifter.h
@@ -16,28 +16,28 @@
 #include "golpe.h"
 
 
-enum class WritePolicyResult {
+enum class PluginEventSifterResult {
     Accept,
     Reject,
     ShadowReject,
 };
 
 
-struct PluginWritePolicy {
+struct PluginEventSifter {
     struct RunningPlugin {
         pid_t pid;
-        std::string currPluginPath;
+        std::string currPluginCmd;
         struct timespec lastModTime;
         FILE *r;
         FILE *w;
 
-        RunningPlugin(pid_t pid, int rfd, int wfd, std::string currPluginPath) : pid(pid), currPluginPath(currPluginPath) {
+        RunningPlugin(pid_t pid, int rfd, int wfd, std::string currPluginCmd) : pid(pid), currPluginCmd(currPluginCmd) {
             r = fdopen(rfd, "r");
             w = fdopen(wfd, "w");
             setlinebuf(w);
             {
                 struct stat statbuf;
-                if (stat(currPluginPath.c_str(), &statbuf)) throw herr("couldn't stat plugin: ", currPluginPath);
+                if (stat(currPluginCmd.c_str(), &statbuf)) throw herr("couldn't stat plugin: ", currPluginCmd);
                 lastModTime = statbuf.st_mtim;
             }
         }
@@ -52,21 +52,19 @@ struct PluginWritePolicy {
 
     std::unique_ptr<RunningPlugin> running; 
 
-    WritePolicyResult acceptEvent(const tao::json::value &evJson, uint64_t receivedAt, EventSourceType sourceType, std::string_view sourceInfo, std::string &okMsg) {
-        const auto &pluginPath = cfg().relay__writePolicy__plugin;
-
-        if (pluginPath.size() == 0) {
+    PluginEventSifterResult acceptEvent(const std::string &pluginCmd, const tao::json::value &evJson, uint64_t receivedAt, EventSourceType sourceType, std::string_view sourceInfo, std::string &okMsg) {
+        if (pluginCmd.size() == 0) {
             running.reset();
-            return WritePolicyResult::Accept;
+            return PluginEventSifterResult::Accept;
         }
 
         try {
             if (running) {
-                if (pluginPath != running->currPluginPath) {
+                if (pluginCmd != running->currPluginCmd) {
                     running.reset();
                 } else {
                     struct stat statbuf;
-                    if (stat(pluginPath.c_str(), &statbuf)) throw herr("couldn't stat plugin: ", pluginPath);
+                    if (stat(pluginCmd.c_str(), &statbuf)) throw herr("couldn't stat plugin: ", pluginCmd);
                     if (statbuf.st_mtim.tv_sec != running->lastModTime.tv_sec || statbuf.st_mtim.tv_nsec != running->lastModTime.tv_nsec) {
                         running.reset();
                     }
@@ -74,7 +72,7 @@ struct PluginWritePolicy {
             }
 
             if (!running) {
-                setupPlugin();
+                setupPlugin(pluginCmd);
             }
 
             auto request = tao::json::value({
@@ -111,15 +109,15 @@ struct PluginWritePolicy {
             okMsg = response.optional<std::string>("msg").value_or("");
 
             auto action = response.at("action").get_string();
-            if (action == "accept") return WritePolicyResult::Accept;
-            else if (action == "reject") return WritePolicyResult::Reject;
-            else if (action == "shadowReject") return WritePolicyResult::ShadowReject;
+            if (action == "accept") return PluginEventSifterResult::Accept;
+            else if (action == "reject") return PluginEventSifterResult::Reject;
+            else if (action == "shadowReject") return PluginEventSifterResult::ShadowReject;
             else throw herr("unknown action: ", action);
         } catch (std::exception &e) {
-            LE << "Couldn't setup PluginWritePolicy: " << e.what();
+            LE << "Couldn't setup plugin: " << e.what();
             running.reset();
             okMsg = "error: internal error";
-            return WritePolicyResult::Reject;
+            return PluginEventSifterResult::Reject;
         }
     }
 
@@ -149,9 +147,9 @@ struct PluginWritePolicy {
         }
     };
 
-    void setupPlugin() {
-        auto path = cfg().relay__writePolicy__plugin;
-        LI << "Setting up write policy plugin: " << path;
+  private:
+    void setupPlugin(const std::string &pluginCmd) {
+        LI << "Setting up write policy plugin: " << pluginCmd;
 
         Pipe outPipe;
         Pipe inPipe;
@@ -171,9 +169,9 @@ struct PluginWritePolicy {
             posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose(&file_actions, inPipe.fds[1])
         ) throw herr("posix_span_file_actions failed: ", strerror(errno));
 
-        auto ret = posix_spawn(&pid, path.c_str(), &file_actions, nullptr, argv, nullptr);
-        if (ret) throw herr("posix_spawn failed to invoke '", path, "': ", strerror(errno));
+        auto ret = posix_spawn(&pid, pluginCmd.c_str(), &file_actions, nullptr, argv, nullptr);
+        if (ret) throw herr("posix_spawn failed to invoke '", pluginCmd, "': ", strerror(errno));
 
-        running = make_unique<RunningPlugin>(pid, inPipe.saveFd(0), outPipe.saveFd(1), path);
+        running = make_unique<RunningPlugin>(pid, inPipe.saveFd(0), outPipe.saveFd(1), pluginCmd);
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/apps/mesh/cmd_stream.cpp b/src/apps/mesh/cmd_stream.cpp
index 10ca745..cffb80e 100644
--- a/src/apps/mesh/cmd_stream.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mesh/cmd_stream.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "Subscription.h"
 #include "WSConnection.h"
 #include "events.h"
-#include "PluginWritePolicy.h"
+#include "PluginEventSifter.h"
 
 
 static const char USAGE[] =
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ void cmd_stream(const std::vector<std::string> &subArgs) {
     WriterPipeline writer;
     WSConnection ws(url);
     Decompressor decomp;
-
-    PluginWritePolicy writePolicy;
+    PluginEventSifter writePolicyPlugin;
 
 
     ws.onConnect = [&]{
@@ -68,8 +67,8 @@ void cmd_stream(const std::vector<std::string> &subArgs) {
                     auto &evJson = origJson.at(2);
 
                     std::string okMsg;
-                    auto res = writePolicy.acceptEvent(evJson, hoytech::curr_time_s(), EventSourceType::Stream, ws.remoteAddr, okMsg);
-                    if (res == WritePolicyResult::Accept) {
+                    auto res = writePolicyPlugin.acceptEvent(cfg().relay__writePolicy__plugin, evJson, hoytech::curr_time_s(), EventSourceType::Stream, ws.remoteAddr, okMsg);
+                    if (res == PluginEventSifterResult::Accept) {
                         downloadedIds.emplace(from_hex(evJson.at("id").get_string()));
                         writer.write({ std::move(evJson), EventSourceType::Stream, url });
                     } else {
diff --git a/src/apps/mesh/cmd_sync.cpp b/src/apps/mesh/cmd_sync.cpp
index 24ab415..3f9a228 100644
--- a/src/apps/mesh/cmd_sync.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mesh/cmd_sync.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include "DBQuery.h"
 #include "filters.h"
 #include "events.h"
-#include "PluginWritePolicy.h"
+#include "PluginEventSifter.h"
 
 
 static const char USAGE[] =
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void cmd_sync(const std::vector<std::string> &subArgs) {
 
     WriterPipeline writer;
     WSConnection ws(url);
-    PluginWritePolicy writePolicy;
+    PluginEventSifter writePolicyPlugin;
 
 
     ws.reconnect = false;
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ void cmd_sync(const std::vector<std::string> &subArgs) {
                 auto &evJson = msg.at(2);
 
                 std::string okMsg;
-                auto res = writePolicy.acceptEvent(evJson, hoytech::curr_time_s(), EventSourceType::Sync, ws.remoteAddr, okMsg);
-                if (res == WritePolicyResult::Accept) {
+                auto res = writePolicyPlugin.acceptEvent(cfg().relay__writePolicy__plugin, evJson, hoytech::curr_time_s(), EventSourceType::Sync, ws.remoteAddr, okMsg);
+                if (res == PluginEventSifterResult::Accept) {
                     writer.write({ std::move(evJson), EventSourceType::Sync, url });
                 } else {
                     LI << "[" << ws.remoteAddr << "] write policy blocked event " << evJson.at("id").get_string() << ": " << okMsg;
diff --git a/src/apps/relay/RelayWriter.cpp b/src/apps/relay/RelayWriter.cpp
index 9123d52..3460930 100644
--- a/src/apps/relay/RelayWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/relay/RelayWriter.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #include "RelayServer.h"
 
-#include "PluginWritePolicy.h"
+#include "PluginEventSifter.h"
 
 
 void RelayServer::runWriter(ThreadPool<MsgWriter>::Thread &thr) {
-    PluginWritePolicy writePolicy;
+    PluginEventSifter writePolicyPlugin;
 
     while(1) {
         auto newMsgs = thr.inbox.pop_all();
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ void RelayServer::runWriter(ThreadPool<MsgWriter>::Thread &thr) {
                 tao::json::value evJson = tao::json::from_string(msg->jsonStr);
                 EventSourceType sourceType = msg->ipAddr.size() == 4 ? EventSourceType::IP4 : EventSourceType::IP6;
                 std::string okMsg;
-                auto res = writePolicy.acceptEvent(evJson, msg->receivedAt, sourceType, msg->ipAddr, okMsg);
+                auto res = writePolicyPlugin.acceptEvent(cfg().relay__writePolicy__plugin, evJson, msg->receivedAt, sourceType, msg->ipAddr, okMsg);
 
-                if (res == WritePolicyResult::Accept) {
+                if (res == PluginEventSifterResult::Accept) {
                     newEvents.emplace_back(std::move(msg->flatStr), std::move(msg->jsonStr), msg->receivedAt, sourceType, std::move(msg->ipAddr), msg);
                 } else {
                     auto *flat = flatbuffers::GetRoot<NostrIndex::Event>(msg->flatStr.data());
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void RelayServer::runWriter(ThreadPool<MsgWriter>::Thread &thr) {
 
                     LI << "[" << msg->connId << "] write policy blocked event " << eventIdHex << ": " << okMsg;
 
-                    sendOKResponse(msg->connId, eventIdHex, res == WritePolicyResult::ShadowReject, okMsg);
+                    sendOKResponse(msg->connId, eventIdHex, res == PluginEventSifterResult::ShadowReject, okMsg);
                 }
             }
         }