diff --git a/web/data/templates/popup_create.tmpl b/web/data/templates/popup_create.tmpl
index 69085fb..e4821b0 100644
--- a/web/data/templates/popup_create.tmpl
+++ b/web/data/templates/popup_create.tmpl
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 {{ define "content" }}
-    <div id="layout" class="pure-g pure-u-1" x-data="popup_create()" x-init="">
+    <div id="layout" class="pure-g pure-u-1" x-data="popup_create()" >
+
         <h2>Download create</h2>
         <p>URL: <tt>{{ .url }}</tt></p>
+
+        <p class="error"  x-show="error_message"  x-transition.duration.500ms x-text="error_message"></p>
+
         <table class="pure-table" >
             <tr>
                 <th>profile</th>
                 <td>
-                    <select x-bind:disabled="profile_chosen" x-on:change="update_profile()" class="pure-input-1-2" x-model="profile_chosen">
+                    <select class="pure-input-1-2" x-model="profile_chosen">
                         <option value="">choose a profile</option>
                     {{ range $i := .config.DownloadProfiles }}
                         <option>{{ $i.Name }}</option>
@@ -17,8 +21,8 @@
             <tr>
                 <th>destination</th>
                 <td>
-                    <select  x-on:change="update_destination()" class="pure-input-1-2" x-model="destination_chosen">
-                        <option value="-">leave in {{ .config.Server.DownloadPath }}</option>
+                    <select  class="pure-input-1-2" x-model="destination_chosen">
+                        <option value="">leave in {{ .config.Server.DownloadPath }}</option>
                     {{ range $i := .config.Destinations }}
                         <option>{{ $i.Name }}</option>
                     {{ end }}
@@ -39,18 +43,28 @@
 <script>
     function popup_create() {
         return {
-            profile_chosen: null,
-            destination_chosen: null,
+            profile_chosen: "",
+            destination_chosen: "",
+            error_message: "",
             start() {
                 let op = {
                    method: 'POST',
-                   body: JSON.stringify({action: 'start'}),
+                   body: JSON.stringify({action: 'start', url: '{{ .url }}', profile: this.profile_chosen, destination: this.destination_chosen}),
                    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }
                 };
-                fetch('/rest/fetch', op)
+                fetch('/fetch', op)
                 .then(response => response.json())
-                .then(info => {
-                    console.log(info)
+                .then(response => {
+                    console.log(response)
+                     if (response.error) {
+                        this.error_message = response.error;
+                        this.success_message = '';
+                        document.body.scrollTop = document.documentElement.scrollTop = 0;
+                    } else {
+                        this.error_message = '';
+                        console.log(response.location)
+                        window.location = response.location
+                    }
                 })
             }
         }
diff --git a/web/web.go b/web/web.go
index 39268af..345dd9e 100644
--- a/web/web.go
+++ b/web/web.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ type successResponse struct {
 	Message string `json:"message"`
 }
 
+type queuedResponse struct {
+	Success  bool   `json:"success"`
+	Location string `json:"location"`
+}
+
 type errorResponse struct {
 	Success bool   `json:"success"`
 	Error   string `json:"error"`
@@ -314,8 +319,11 @@ func fetchInfoRESTHandler(dm *download.Manager) func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *h
 	}
 }
 
+// fetchHandler shows the popup, either the initial form (for create) or the form when in
+// progress (to be updated by REST) - this is determined by GET vs POST
 func fetchHandler(cs *config.ConfigService, vm *version.Manager, dm *download.Manager) func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		log.Printf("fetchHandler ")
 
 		method := r.Method
 
@@ -328,7 +336,7 @@ func fetchHandler(cs *config.ConfigService, vm *version.Manager, dm *download.Ma
 
 		if method == "GET" && idOK == nil && idInt > 0 {
 			// existing, load it up
-
+			log.Printf("loading popup for id %d", idInt)
 			dl, err := dm.GetDlById(int(idInt))
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Printf("not found")
@@ -350,40 +358,75 @@ func fetchHandler(cs *config.ConfigService, vm *version.Manager, dm *download.Ma
 			return
 		} else if method == "POST" {
 			// creating a new one
-			panic("should not get here")
+			type reqType struct {
+				URL               string `json:"url"`
+				ProfileChosen     string `json:"profile"`
+				DestinationChosen string `json:"destination"`
+			}
 
-			query := r.URL.Query()
-			url, present := query["url"]
+			req := reqType{}
+			json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&req)
 
-			if !present {
+			log.Printf("popup POST request: %#v", req)
+
+			if req.URL == "" {
 				w.WriteHeader(400)
-				fmt.Fprint(w, "No url supplied")
+				json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(errorResponse{
+					Success: false,
+					Error:   "No URL supplied",
+				})
 				return
 			} else {
-				log.Printf("popup for %s (POST)", url)
+
+				if req.ProfileChosen == "" {
+
+					w.WriteHeader(400)
+					json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(errorResponse{
+						Success: false,
+						Error:   "you must choose a profile",
+					})
+					return
+				}
+
+				profile := cs.Config.ProfileCalled(req.ProfileChosen)
+				if profile == nil {
+					w.WriteHeader(400)
+					json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(errorResponse{
+						Success: false,
+						Error:   fmt.Sprintf("no such profile: '%s'", req.ProfileChosen),
+					})
+					return
+				}
+
+				destination := cs.Config.DestinationCalled(req.DestinationChosen)
+				if req.DestinationChosen != "" && destination == nil {
+					w.WriteHeader(400)
+					json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(errorResponse{
+						Success: false,
+						Error:   fmt.Sprintf("no such destination: '%s'", req.DestinationChosen),
+					})
+					return
+				}
 
 				// create the new download
-				newDL := download.NewDownload(url[0], cs.Config)
+				newDL := download.NewDownload(req.URL, cs.Config)
+				id := newDL.Id
+				newDL.Destination = destination
+				newDL.DownloadProfile = *profile
 				dm.AddDownload(newDL)
+				dm.Queue(newDL)
 
-				t, err := template.ParseFS(webFS, "web/layout.tmpl", "web/popup.html")
-				if err != nil {
-					panic(err)
-				}
+				w.WriteHeader(200)
+				json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(queuedResponse{
+					Success:  true,
+					Location: fmt.Sprintf("/fetch/%d", id),
+				})
 
-				newDL.Lock.Lock()
-				defer newDL.Lock.Unlock()
-
-				templateData := map[string]interface{}{"Version": vm.GetInfo(), "dl": newDL, "config": cs.Config, "canStop": download.CanStopDownload}
-
-				err = t.ExecuteTemplate(w, "layout", templateData)
-				if err != nil {
-					panic(err)
-				}
 			}
 		} else {
 			// a GET, show the popup so they can start the download (or just close
 			// the popup if they didn't mean it)
+			log.Print("loading popup for a new download")
 			query := r.URL.Query()
 			url, present := query["url"]