diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fe69dc5..7eba448 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ $ haggar -h
 Usage of haggar:
   -carbon="localhost:2003": address of carbon host
   -flush=10000: how often to flush metrics, in millis
-  -gen=10000: how often to gen new metrics, in millis
+  -gen=10000: how often to gen new agents, in millis
   -gen-size=10000: number of metrics to generate per batch
+  -jitter=10000: max amount of jitter to introduce in between agent launches
   -prefix="bench": prefix for metrics
 ```
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6ff4695..347ff8a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -12,45 +12,62 @@ import (
 
 // config vars, to be manipulated via command line flags
 var (
-	carbon  string
-	prefix  string
-	flush   int
-	gen     int
-	genSize int
+	carbon    string
+	prefix    string
+	flush     int
+	gen       int
+	agentSize int
+	jitter    int
 )
 
-// generate N metrics, prefixed with batchID for tracking
-func genMetrics(prefix string, batchID, n int) []string {
-	metrics := make([]string, n)
-	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
-		metrics[i] = fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d.%d", prefix, batchID, i)
-	}
+type Agent struct {
+	ID            int
+	FlushInterval time.Duration
+	Addr          string
+	MetricNames   []string
+}
 
-	return metrics
+func (a *Agent) Loop() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-time.NewTicker(a.FlushInterval).C:
+			err := a.Flush()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("agent %d: %s\n", a.ID, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 }
 
-// flush a collection of metrics to a carbon server located at addr
-// epoch is set to now
-// the value is randomly generated
-func flushMetrics(addr string, metrics []string) error {
-	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", addr)
+func (a *Agent) Flush() error {
+	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", a.Addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
 	epoch := time.Now().Unix()
-	for _, m := range metrics {
-		err := carbonate(conn, m, rand.Intn(1000), epoch)
+	for _, name := range a.MetricNames {
+		err := carbonate(conn, name, rand.Intn(1000), epoch)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	log.Printf("flushed %d metrics\n", len(metrics))
+	log.Printf("agent %d: flushed %d metrics\n", a.ID, len(a.MetricNames))
 	return nil
 }
 
+// generate N metric names, prefixed with batchID for tracking
+func genMetricNames(prefix string, id, n int) []string {
+	names := make([]string, n)
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		names[i] = fmt.Sprintf("%s.agent.%d.metrics.%d", prefix, id, i)
+	}
+
+	return names
+}
+
 // actually write the data in carbon line format
 func carbonate(w io.ReadWriteCloser, name string, value int, epoch int64) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s %d %d\n", name, value, epoch)
@@ -60,44 +77,40 @@ func carbonate(w io.ReadWriteCloser, name string, value int, epoch int64) error
 	return nil
 }
 
+func launchAgent(id, n int, flush time.Duration, addr, prefix string) {
+	metricNames := genMetricNames(prefix, id, n)
+
+	a := &Agent{ID: id, FlushInterval: time.Duration(flush), Addr: addr, MetricNames: metricNames}
+	a.Loop()
+}
+
 func init() {
 	flag.StringVar(&carbon, "carbon", "localhost:2003", "address of carbon host")
 	flag.StringVar(&prefix, "prefix", "bench", "prefix for metrics")
 	flag.IntVar(&flush, "flush", 10000, "how often to flush metrics, in millis")
-	flag.IntVar(&gen, "gen", 10000, "how often to gen new metrics, in millis")
-	flag.IntVar(&genSize, "gen-size", 10000, "number of metrics to generate per batch")
+	flag.IntVar(&gen, "gen", 10000, "how often to gen new agents, in millis")
+	flag.IntVar(&agentSize, "gen-size", 10000, "number of metrics to generate per batch")
+	flag.IntVar(&jitter, "jitter", 10000, "max amount of jitter to introduce in between agent launches")
 }
 
 func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	genTicker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(gen) * time.Millisecond).C
-	flushTicker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(flush) * time.Millisecond).C
-
-	metrics := make([]string, 0)
-	batchID := 0
+	curID := 0
 
-	// initial generation
-	metrics = append(metrics, genMetrics(prefix, batchID, genSize)...)
-	batchID++
+	go launchAgent(curID, agentSize, time.Duration(flush)*time.Millisecond, carbon, prefix)
+	log.Printf("agent %d: launched\n", curID)
+	curID++
 
-	// initial flush
-	err := flushMetrics(carbon, metrics)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// inner loop
 	for {
 		select {
-		case <-flushTicker:
-			err := flushMetrics(carbon, metrics)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
-			}
-		case <-genTicker:
-			metrics = append(metrics, genMetrics(prefix, batchID, genSize)...)
-			batchID++
+		case <-time.NewTicker(time.Duration(gen) * time.Millisecond).C:
+			// sleep for some jitter
+			time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Intn(jitter)) * time.Millisecond)
+
+			go launchAgent(curID, agentSize, time.Duration(flush)*time.Millisecond, carbon, prefix)
+			log.Printf("agent %d: launched\n", curID)
+			curID++
 		}
 	}
 }