diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 54813b8..20a81a9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,3 +17,5 @@ wheels/
 # Testing artifacts
 config.yaml
 db.sqlite3
+prosody.cfg.lua
+prosody/
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/api/bot.py b/src/xmpp_api/api/bot.py
index f4d3306..2891a47 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/api/bot.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/api/bot.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
+from xmpp_api.db.bot import JIDType
+
 
 class BotInformation(BaseModel):
     # The bot's ID
@@ -8,6 +10,9 @@ class BotInformation(BaseModel):
     # The bot's name
     name: str
 
+    # The bot's localpart
+    localpart: str
+
     # The bot's description
     description: str | None
 
@@ -38,6 +43,9 @@ class CreateBotRequest(BaseModel):
     # List of constraints
     constraints: list[BotConstraint] = Field(default_factory=list)
 
+    # The localpart of the bot
+    localpart: str
+
 
 class BotCreationResponse(BotInformation):
     # The bot's token
@@ -45,8 +53,12 @@ class BotCreationResponse(BotInformation):
 
 
 class AddJidRequest(BaseModel):
+    # The JID that the message will be sent to
     jid: str
 
+    # The JID type. If set, then we will not discover it automatically
+    type: JIDType | None = Field(default=None)
+
 
 class AddJidResponse(BaseModel):
     token: str
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py b/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
index 6cfc0dd..abefefa 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
@@ -4,10 +4,24 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel
 from fastapi import Depends
 
 
+class _ComponentConfig(BaseModel):
+    # The JID of the component
+    jid: str
+
+    # Address of server's component port
+    server: str
+
+    # The component's secret.
+    secret: str
+
+
 class _Config(BaseModel):
     # DB URI for sqlmodel
     database: str
 
+    # Component configuration
+    component: _ComponentConfig
+
 
 def load_config() -> _Config:
     """
@@ -16,6 +30,11 @@ def load_config() -> _Config:
     # TODO: Actually load it
     return _Config(
         database="sqlite:///db.sqlite3",
+        component=_ComponentConfig(
+            jid="test.localhost",
+            server="localhost:5869",
+            secret="abc123",
+        ),
     )
 
 
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/db/bot.py b/src/xmpp_api/db/bot.py
index 8173ad3..6b094d2 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/db/bot.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/db/bot.py
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ class JIDType(Enum):
     """
 
     # JID points to an entity we can directly send messages to
-    DIRECT = 1
+    DIRECT = "DIRECT"
 
     # JID points to a MUC.
-    GC = 2
+    GC = "GC"
 
 
 class AllowedJid(SQLModel, table=True):
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ class Bot(SQLModel, table=True):
     # The bot's human readable name
     name: str = Field(unique=True)
 
+    # The bot JID's localpart
+    localpart: str = Field(unique=True)
+
     # The bot's description
     description: str | None
 
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/main.py b/src/xmpp_api/main.py
index abcb793..5c4c9f2 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/main.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/main.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import xmpp_api.db.bot as db_bot
 from xmpp_api.util.token import generate_token
 from xmpp_api.db import get_bot_by_id, get_jids_by_bot_id, get_jid_by_jid_token
 from xmpp_api.util.constraints import bot_constraint_to_db, bot_constraint_from_db
+from xmpp_api.xmpp.component import XmppApiComponent, XmppApiComponentDep
 
 
 app = FastAPI()
@@ -31,13 +32,16 @@ app = FastAPI()
 @app.on_event("startup")
 def startup():
     # TODO: This is kinda ugly
-    engine = app.dependency_overrides.get(get_engine, get_engine)(
-        load_config(),
-    )
+    config = load_config()
+    engine = app.dependency_overrides.get(get_engine, get_engine)(config)
     SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)
 
+    # App startup is done. Connect to the XMPP server
+    instance = XmppApiComponent.of(config)
+    instance.run()
 
-@app.post("/api/v1/bot/create")
+
+@app.post("/api/v1/bot")
 def post_create_bot(
     bot_request: CreateBotRequest, user: UserDep, session: SessionDep
 ) -> BotCreationResponse:
@@ -52,6 +56,7 @@ def post_create_bot(
     bot = Bot(
         name=bot_request.name,
         description=bot_request.description,
+        localpart=bot_request.localpart,
         token=generate_token(64),
         constraints=constraints,
         owner_id=user.id,
@@ -71,14 +76,19 @@ def post_create_bot(
         id=bot.id,
         name=bot.name,
         description=bot.description,
+        localpart=bot.localpart,
         token=bot.token,
         constraints=bot_request.constraints,
     )
 
 
 @app.post("/api/v1/bot/{bot_id}/jid")
-def post_create_bot_jid(
-    bot_id: str, creation_request: AddJidRequest, user: UserDep, session: SessionDep
+async def post_create_bot_jid(
+    bot_id: str,
+    creation_request: AddJidRequest,
+    user: UserDep,
+    session: SessionDep,
+    component: XmppApiComponentDep,
 ) -> AddJidResponse:
     # Check if the bot exists and we own it
     bot = get_bot_by_id(bot_id, user.id, session)
@@ -98,12 +108,36 @@ def post_create_bot_jid(
                     detail=f'Domain "{parsed_jid.domain}" is not allowed',
                 )
 
+    # Query the JID for its type
+    allowed_jid_type: JIDType
+    if creation_request.type is None:
+        jid_type = await component.get_entity_type(parsed_jid)
+        if jid_type is None:
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=500,
+                detail=f"Failed to query entity at {creation_request.jid}",
+            )
+
+        match jid_type:
+            case "account":
+                allowed_jid_type = JIDType.DIRECT
+            case "groupchat":
+                allowed_jid_type = JIDType.GC
+    else:
+        allowed_jid_type = creation_request.type
+
+    # Deal with groupchat shenanigans
+    if allowed_jid_type == JIDType.GC:
+        # TODO: Join the groupchat
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=500,
+            detail="Groupchats are not yet handled",
+        )
+
     # Add the JID
-    # TODO: Query for the JID type
-    # TODO: If this is a groupchat, then join it
     jid = AllowedJid(
         jid=creation_request.jid,
-        type=JIDType.DIRECT,
+        type=allowed_jid_type,
         # This token is only for identification
         token=uuid.uuid4().hex,
         bot_id=bot.id,
@@ -143,6 +177,7 @@ def post_bot_message(
     request: Request,
     bot: BotDep,
     session: SessionDep,
+    component: XmppApiComponentDep,
 ):
     # Is the bot allowed to access this JID?
     jid = session.exec(
@@ -163,7 +198,17 @@ def post_bot_message(
             if parsed_jid.domain not in constraint.domains:
                 raise HTTPException(status_code=400)
 
-    # TODO: Send a message
+    match jid.type:
+        case JIDType.DIRECT:
+            component.send_direct_message(
+                body=message.body,
+                localpart=bot.localpart,
+                nick=bot.name,
+                recipient=jid.jid,
+            )
+        case _:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=500)
+
     return Response(status_code=200)
 
 
@@ -187,6 +232,7 @@ def get_bot_information(
         id=bot.id,
         name=bot.name,
         description=bot.description,
+        localpart=bot.localpart,
         jids=[
             AllowedJidInformation(
                 jid=jid.jid,
@@ -206,6 +252,7 @@ def get_bots(user: UserDep, session: SessionDep) -> list[BotInformation]:
             id=bot.id,
             name=bot.name,
             description=bot.description,
+            localpart=bot.localpart,
             constraints=[bot_constraint_from_db(c) for c in bot.constraints],
         )
         for bot in bots
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/xmpp/component.py b/src/xmpp_api/xmpp/component.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fd6f0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/xmpp/component.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+from typing import Annotated, Literal
+
+from fastapi import Depends
+from slixmpp.componentxmpp import ComponentXMPP
+from slixmpp.jid import JID
+from slixmpp.exceptions import IqError, IqTimeout
+
+from xmpp_api.config.config import ConfigDep
+
+
+class XmppApiComponent(ComponentXMPP):
+    """
+    The XMPP server component that sends the messages
+    """
+
+    # The component's bare JID
+    _jid: str
+
+    # Singleton instance
+    _instance = None
+
+    def __init__(self, jid: str, secret: str, host: str, port: int):
+        super().__init__(jid, secret, host, port)
+        self._jid = jid
+
+        # Register plugins
+        self.register_plugin("xep_0030")
+
+        # Event handlers
+        self.add_event_handler("disconnected", self.on_disconnected)
+        self.add_event_handler("connected", self.on_connected)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def of(config: ConfigDep) -> "XmppApiComponent":
+        if XmppApiComponent._instance is None:
+            host, port = config.component.server.split(":")
+            XmppApiComponent._instance = XmppApiComponent(
+                config.component.jid,
+                config.component.secret,
+                host,
+                int(port),
+            )
+        return XmppApiComponent._instance
+
+    def on_disconnected(self, event):
+        # Reconnect
+        self.connect()
+
+    def on_connected(self, event):
+        # TODO: Join all groupchats that we know of
+        pass
+
+    def run(self):
+        # NOTE: We do not have to deal with asyncio here because we get that
+        #       due to fastapi for free!
+        self.connect()
+
+    async def get_entity_type(
+        self, jid: JID
+    ) -> Literal["groupchat"] | Literal["account"] | None:
+        try:
+            info = await self.plugin["xep_0030"].get_info(jid=jid)
+            if "http://jabber.org/protocol/muc" in info["disco_info"]["features"]:
+                return "groupchat"
+            return "account"
+        except IqError:
+            return None
+        except IqTimeout:
+            return None
+
+    def send_direct_message(self, localpart: str, nick: str, recipient: str, body: str):
+        self.send_message(
+            mto=JID(recipient),
+            mfrom=JID(f"{localpart}@{self._jid}"),
+            mtype="chat",
+            mbody=body,
+            mnick=nick,
+        )
+
+
+def get_xmpp_component(config: ConfigDep) -> XmppApiComponent:
+    return XmppApiComponent.of(config)
+
+
+XmppApiComponentDep = Annotated[XmppApiComponent, Depends(get_xmpp_component)]