diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 94025c98..6adc5d6a 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -627,6 +627,7 @@ fn buildExamples(
         deps: []const Dependency = &.{},
         std_platform_only: bool = false,
         has_assets: bool = false,
+        use_module_api: bool = false,
     }{
         .{ .name = "sysaudio", .deps = &.{} },
         .{
@@ -634,6 +635,7 @@ fn buildExamples(
             .deps = &.{ .zigimg, .freetype, .assets },
             .std_platform_only = true,
         },
+        .{ .name = "core-custom-entrypoint", .deps = &.{}, .use_module_api = true },
         .{ .name = "custom-renderer", .deps = &.{} },
         .{
             .name = "sprite",
@@ -658,38 +660,61 @@ fn buildExamples(
             if (target.result.cpu.arch == .wasm32)
                 break;
 
-        var deps = std.ArrayList(std.Build.Module.Import).init(b.allocator);
-        for (example.deps) |d| try deps.append(d.dependency(b, target, optimize));
-        const app = try App.init(
-            b,
-            .{
+        if (example.use_module_api) {
+            const exe = b.addExecutable(.{
                 .name = example.name,
-                .src = "examples/" ++ example.name ++ "/main.zig",
+                .root_source_file = .{ .path = "examples/" ++ example.name ++ "/main.zig" },
                 .target = target,
                 .optimize = optimize,
-                .deps = deps.items,
-                .res_dirs = if (example.has_assets) &.{example.name ++ "/assets"} else null,
-                .watch_paths = &.{"examples/" ++ example.name},
-                .mach_builder = b,
-                .mach_mod = mach_mod,
-            },
-        );
+            });
+            exe.root_module.addImport("mach", mach_mod);
+            addPaths(&exe.root_module);
+            link(b, exe, &exe.root_module);
+            b.installArtifact(exe);
 
-        try app.link();
+            const compile_step = b.step(example.name, "Compile " ++ example.name);
+            compile_step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
 
-        for (example.deps) |dep| switch (dep) {
-            .model3d => app.compile.linkLibrary(b.dependency("mach_model3d", .{
-                .target = target,
-                .optimize = optimize,
-            }).artifact("mach-model3d")),
-            else => {},
-        };
+            const run_cmd = b.addRunArtifact(exe);
+            run_cmd.step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
+            if (b.args) |args| run_cmd.addArgs(args);
 
-        const compile_step = b.step(example.name, "Compile " ++ example.name);
-        compile_step.dependOn(&app.install.step);
+            const run_step = b.step("run-" ++ example.name, "Run " ++ example.name);
+            run_step.dependOn(&run_cmd.step);
+        } else {
+            var deps = std.ArrayList(std.Build.Module.Import).init(b.allocator);
+            for (example.deps) |d| try deps.append(d.dependency(b, target, optimize));
+            const app = try App.init(
+                b,
+                .{
+                    .name = example.name,
+                    .src = "examples/" ++ example.name ++ "/main.zig",
+                    .target = target,
+                    .optimize = optimize,
+                    .deps = deps.items,
+                    .res_dirs = if (example.has_assets) &.{example.name ++ "/assets"} else null,
+                    .watch_paths = &.{"examples/" ++ example.name},
+                    .mach_builder = b,
+                    .mach_mod = mach_mod,
+                },
+            );
 
-        const run_step = b.step("run-" ++ example.name, "Run " ++ example.name);
-        run_step.dependOn(&app.run.step);
+            try app.link();
+
+            for (example.deps) |dep| switch (dep) {
+                .model3d => app.compile.linkLibrary(b.dependency("mach_model3d", .{
+                    .target = target,
+                    .optimize = optimize,
+                }).artifact("mach-model3d")),
+                else => {},
+            };
+
+            const compile_step = b.step(example.name, "Compile " ++ example.name);
+            compile_step.dependOn(&app.install.step);
+
+            const run_step = b.step("run-" ++ example.name, "Run " ++ example.name);
+            run_step.dependOn(&app.run.step);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/Game.zig b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/Game.zig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dcedc655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/Game.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const mach = @import("mach");
+const gpu = mach.gpu;
+
+pub const name = .game;
+pub const Mod = mach.Mod(@This());
+
+pub const global_events = .{
+    .init = .{ .handler = init },
+    .tick = .{ .handler = tick },
+};
+
+title_timer: mach.Timer,
+pipeline: *gpu.RenderPipeline,
+
+fn init(game: *Mod) !void {
+    const shader_module = mach.core.device.createShaderModuleWGSL("shader.wgsl", @embedFile("shader.wgsl"));
+    defer shader_module.release();
+
+    // Fragment state
+    const blend = gpu.BlendState{};
+    const color_target = gpu.ColorTargetState{
+        .format = mach.core.descriptor.format,
+        .blend = &blend,
+        .write_mask = gpu.ColorWriteMaskFlags.all,
+    };
+    const fragment = gpu.FragmentState.init(.{
+        .module = shader_module,
+        .entry_point = "frag_main",
+        .targets = &.{color_target},
+    });
+    const pipeline_descriptor = gpu.RenderPipeline.Descriptor{
+        .fragment = &fragment,
+        .vertex = gpu.VertexState{
+            .module = shader_module,
+            .entry_point = "vertex_main",
+        },
+    };
+    const pipeline = mach.core.device.createRenderPipeline(&pipeline_descriptor);
+
+    game.init(.{
+        .title_timer = try mach.Timer.start(),
+        .pipeline = pipeline,
+    });
+    try updateWindowTitle();
+}
+
+pub fn deinit(game: *Mod) void {
+    game.state().pipeline.release();
+}
+
+// TODO(important): remove need for returning an error here
+fn tick(
+    core: *mach.Core.Mod,
+    game: *Mod,
+) !void {
+    // TODO(important): event polling should occur in mach.Core module and get fired as ECS event.
+    var iter = mach.core.pollEvents();
+    while (iter.next()) |event| {
+        switch (event) {
+            .close => core.send(.exit, .{}), // Tell mach.Core to exit the app
+            else => {},
+        }
+    }
+
+    const queue = mach.core.queue;
+    const back_buffer_view = mach.core.swap_chain.getCurrentTextureView().?;
+    const color_attachment = gpu.RenderPassColorAttachment{
+        .view = back_buffer_view,
+        .clear_value = std.mem.zeroes(gpu.Color),
+        .load_op = .clear,
+        .store_op = .store,
+    };
+
+    const encoder = mach.core.device.createCommandEncoder(null);
+    const render_pass_info = gpu.RenderPassDescriptor.init(.{
+        .color_attachments = &.{color_attachment},
+    });
+    const pass = encoder.beginRenderPass(&render_pass_info);
+    pass.setPipeline(game.state().pipeline);
+    pass.draw(3, 1, 0, 0);
+    pass.end();
+    pass.release();
+
+    var command = encoder.finish(null);
+    encoder.release();
+
+    queue.submit(&[_]*gpu.CommandBuffer{command});
+    command.release();
+    mach.core.swap_chain.present();
+    back_buffer_view.release();
+
+    // update the window title every second
+    if (game.state().title_timer.read() >= 1.0) {
+        game.state().title_timer.reset();
+        try updateWindowTitle();
+    }
+}
+
+fn updateWindowTitle() !void {
+    try mach.core.printTitle("mach.Core - custom entrypoint [ {d}fps ] [ Input {d}hz ]", .{
+        mach.core.frameRate(),
+        mach.core.inputRate(),
+    });
+}
diff --git a/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/main.zig b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/main.zig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f795b772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/main.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+
+const mach = @import("mach");
+const Game = @import("Game.zig");
+
+// The global list of Mach modules registered for use in our application.
+pub const modules = .{
+    mach.Core,
+    Game,
+};
+
+pub const GPUInterface = mach.core.wgpu.dawn.Interface;
+
+pub fn main() !void {
+    // Initialize mach.Core
+    try mach.core.initModule();
+
+    // Main loop
+    while (try mach.core.tick()) {}
+}
diff --git a/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/shader.wgsl b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/shader.wgsl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..429d87e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/core-custom-entrypoint/shader.wgsl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+@vertex fn vertex_main(
+    @builtin(vertex_index) VertexIndex : u32
+) -> @builtin(position) vec4<f32> {
+    var pos = array<vec2<f32>, 3>(
+        vec2<f32>( 0.0,  0.5),
+        vec2<f32>(-0.5, -0.5),
+        vec2<f32>( 0.5, -0.5)
+    );
+    return vec4<f32>(pos[VertexIndex], 0.0, 1.0);
+}
+
+@fragment fn frag_main() -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
+    return vec4<f32>(1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+}
diff --git a/src/Core.zig b/src/Core.zig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..043f980e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Core.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const mach = @import("main.zig");
+
+pub const name = .mach_core;
+
+pub const Mod = mach.Mod(@This());
+
+pub const global_events = .{
+    .init = .{ .handler = fn () void },
+    .deinit = .{ .handler = fn () void },
+    .tick = .{ .handler = fn () void },
+};
+
+pub const local_events = .{
+    .init = .{ .handler = init },
+
+    // TODO(important): need some way to tie event execution to a specific thread once we have a
+    // multithreaded dispatch implementation
+    .main_thread_tick = .{ .handler = mainThreadTick },
+    .main_thread_tick_done = .{ .handler = fn () void },
+    .deinit = .{ .handler = deinit },
+    .exit = .{ .handler = exit },
+};
+
+var gpa = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
+
+device: *mach.gpu.Device,
+queue: *mach.gpu.Queue,
+should_exit: bool = false,
+
+fn init(core: *Mod) !void {
+    // Initialize GPU implementation
+    if (comptime mach.core.options.use_wgpu) try mach.core.wgpu.Impl.init(mach.core.allocator, .{});
+    if (comptime mach.core.options.use_sysgpu) try mach.core.sysgpu.Impl.init(mach.core.allocator, .{});
+
+    mach.core.allocator = gpa.allocator(); // TODO: banish this global allocator
+    try mach.core.init(.{});
+
+    core.init(.{
+        .device = mach.core.device,
+        .queue = mach.core.device.getQueue(),
+    });
+
+    core.sendGlobal(.init, .{});
+}
+
+fn deinit(core: *Mod) void {
+    core.state().queue.release();
+    // TODO: this triggers a device loss error, which we should handle correctly
+    // core.state().device.release();
+    mach.core.deinit();
+    _ = gpa.deinit();
+}
+
+fn mainThreadTick(core: *Mod) !void {
+    _ = try mach.core.update(null);
+
+    // Send .tick to anyone interested
+    core.sendGlobal(.tick, .{});
+
+    // Signal that mainThreadTick is done
+    core.send(.main_thread_tick_done, .{});
+}
+
+fn exit(core: *Mod) void {
+    core.state().should_exit = true;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/main.zig b/src/core/main.zig
index 043f1a6b..4d356e38 100644
--- a/src/core/main.zig
+++ b/src/core/main.zig
@@ -7,6 +7,30 @@ pub const Timer = @import("Timer.zig");
 const Frequency = @import("Frequency.zig");
 const platform = @import("platform.zig");
 
+const mach = @import("../main.zig");
+pub var mods: mach.Modules = undefined;
+
+pub fn initModule() !void {
+    // Initialize the global set of Mach modules used in the program.
+    try mods.init(std.heap.c_allocator);
+    mods.mod.mach_core.send(.init, .{});
+}
+
+/// Tick runs a single step of the main loop on the main OS thread.
+///
+/// Returns true if tick() should be called again, false if the application should exit.
+pub fn tick() !bool {
+    mods.mod.mach_core.send(.main_thread_tick, .{});
+
+    // Dispatch events until this .mach_core.main_thread_tick_done is sent
+    try mods.dispatch(.{ .until = .{
+        .module_name = mods.moduleNameToID(.mach_core),
+        .local_event = mods.localEventToID(.mach_core, .main_thread_tick_done),
+    } });
+
+    return !mods.mod.mach_core.state().should_exit;
+}
+
 /// Returns the error set that the function F returns.
 fn ErrorSet(comptime F: type) type {
     return @typeInfo(@typeInfo(F).Fn.return_type.?).ErrorUnion.error_set;
diff --git a/src/core/platform/glfw/Core.zig b/src/core/platform/glfw/Core.zig
index 8dbe9032..d45a56a8 100644
--- a/src/core/platform/glfw/Core.zig
+++ b/src/core/platform/glfw/Core.zig
@@ -581,13 +581,16 @@ pub fn appUpdateThreadTick(self: *Core, app: anytype) bool {
         });
     }
 
-    if (app.update() catch unreachable) {
-        self.done.set();
+    const use_app = @typeInfo(@TypeOf(app)) == .Pointer;
+    if (use_app) {
+        if (app.update() catch unreachable) {
+            self.done.set();
 
-        // Wake the main thread from any event handling, so there is not e.g. a one second delay
-        // in exiting the application.
-        glfw.postEmptyEvent();
-        return false;
+            // Wake the main thread from any event handling, so there is not e.g. a one second delay
+            // in exiting the application.
+            glfw.postEmptyEvent();
+            return false;
+        }
     }
     self.gpu_device.tick();
     self.gpu_device.machWaitForCommandsToBeScheduled();
@@ -605,10 +608,13 @@ pub fn appUpdateThread(self: *Core, app: anytype) void {
 // Called on the main thread
 pub fn update(self: *Core, app: anytype) !bool {
     if (self.done.isSet()) return true;
-    if (!self.app_update_thread_started) {
-        self.app_update_thread_started = true;
-        const thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, appUpdateThread, .{ self, app });
-        thread.detach();
+    const use_app = @typeInfo(@TypeOf(app)) == .Pointer;
+    if (use_app) {
+        if (!self.app_update_thread_started) {
+            self.app_update_thread_started = true;
+            const thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, appUpdateThread, .{ self, app });
+            thread.detach();
+        }
     }
 
     if (self.state_update.isSet()) {
@@ -748,14 +754,18 @@ pub fn update(self: *Core, app: anytype) !bool {
         }
     }
 
-    const frequency_delay = @as(f32, @floatFromInt(self.input.delay_ns)) / @as(f32, @floatFromInt(std.time.ns_per_s));
-    glfw.waitEventsTimeout(frequency_delay);
+    if (use_app) {
+        const frequency_delay = @as(f32, @floatFromInt(self.input.delay_ns)) / @as(f32, @floatFromInt(std.time.ns_per_s));
+        glfw.waitEventsTimeout(frequency_delay);
 
-    if (@hasDecl(std.meta.Child(@TypeOf(app)), "updateMainThread")) {
-        if (app.updateMainThread() catch unreachable) {
-            self.done.set();
-            return true;
+        if (@hasDecl(std.meta.Child(@TypeOf(app)), "updateMainThread")) {
+            if (app.updateMainThread() catch unreachable) {
+                self.done.set();
+                return true;
+            }
         }
+    } else {
+        glfw.pollEvents();
     }
 
     glfw.getErrorCode() catch |err| switch (err) {
@@ -764,6 +774,8 @@ pub fn update(self: *Core, app: anytype) !bool {
         else => unreachable,
     };
     self.input.tick();
+
+    if (!use_app) return !self.appUpdateThreadTick(app);
     return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 468c9a1d..6284629e 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub const core = if (build_options.want_core) @import("core/main.zig") else stru
 pub const Timer = if (build_options.want_core) core.Timer else struct {};
 pub const gpu = if (build_options.want_core) core.gpu else struct {};
 pub const sysjs = if (build_options.want_core) @import("mach-sysjs") else struct {};
+pub const Core = if (build_options.want_core) @import("Core.zig") else struct {};
 
 // Mach standard library
 // gamemode requires libc on linux