diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 484c18a1..47006ec7 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ gem 'webpacker'
 gem 'rest-client'
 gem 'rubyzip'
 gem 'mnemosyne-ruby'
+gem 'proforma', path: '../proforma'
 gem 'whenever', require: false
 gem 'rails-timeago'
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index b0ee3759..7c80f248 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ GIT
       rack (>= 1.5.0)
       websocket (>= 1.1.0)
 
+PATH
+  remote: ../proforma
+  specs:
+    proforma (0.1.0)
+      activemodel (~> 5.2.3)
+      activesupport (~> 5.2.3)
+      nokogiri (~> 1.10.2)
+      rubyzip (~> 1.2.2)
+
 GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
   specs:
@@ -430,6 +439,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   nyan-cat-formatter
   pagedown-bootstrap-rails
   pg
+  proforma!
   pry-byebug
   puma
   pundit
diff --git a/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb b/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
index 5505ef56..b5bde4bc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
@@ -108,27 +108,34 @@ class ExercisesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def import_proforma_xml
-    begin
-      user = user_for_oauth2_request()
-      exercise = Exercise.new
-      request_body = request.body.read
-      exercise.from_proforma_xml(request_body)
-      exercise.user = user
-      saved = exercise.save
-      if saved
-        render :text => 'SUCCESS', :status => 200
-      else
-        logger.info(exercise.errors.full_messages)
-        render :text => 'Invalid exercise', :status => 400
-      end
-    rescue => error
-      if error.class == Hash
-        render :text => error.message, :status => error.status
-      else
-        raise error
-        render :text => '', :status => 500
-      end
+    # begin
+    # user = user_for_oauth2_request
+    # exercise = Exercise.new
+    # request_body = request.body.read # needs to be some kind of a zip file
+
+    tempfile = Tempfile.new('codeharbor_import.zip')
+    tempfile.write request.body.read.force_encoding('UTF-8')
+    tempfile.rewind
+
+    exercise = ProformaService::Import.call(zip: tempfile, user: user_for_oauth2_request)
+    # exercise.from_proforma_xml(request_body)
+    # exercise.user = user
+    # saved = exercise.save
+    if exercise.save
+      # render text: 'SUCCESS', status: 200
+      render json: {status: 201}
+    else
+      logger.info(exercise.errors.full_messages)
+      render json: {status: 400}
     end
+    # rescue => error
+    #   if error.class == Hash
+    #     render :text => error.message, :status => error.status
+    #   else
+    #     raise error
+    #     render :text => '', :status => 500
+    #   end
+    # end
   end
 
   def user_for_oauth2_request
@@ -142,7 +149,7 @@ class ExercisesController < ApplicationController
       raise ({status: 401, message: 'No token in Authorization header'})
     end
 
-    user = user_by_code_harbor_token(oauth2Token)
+    user = user_by_codeharbor_token(oauth2Token)
     if user == nil
       raise ({status: 401, message: 'Unknown OAuth2 token'})
     end
@@ -151,13 +158,11 @@ class ExercisesController < ApplicationController
   end
   private :user_for_oauth2_request
 
-  def user_by_code_harbor_token(oauth2Token)
-    link = CodeHarborLink.where(:oauth2token => oauth2Token)[0]
-    if link != nil
-      return link.user
-    end
+  def user_by_codeharbor_token(oauth2_token)
+    link = CodeharborLink.where(oauth2token: oauth2_token)[0]
+    link&.user
   end
-  private :user_by_code_harbor_token
+  private :user_by_codeharbor_token
 
   def exercise_params
     params[:exercise].permit(:description, :execution_environment_id, :file_id, :instructions, :public, :hide_file_tree, :allow_file_creation, :allow_auto_completion, :title, :expected_difficulty, files_attributes: file_attributes, :tag_ids => []).merge(user_id: current_user.id, user_type: current_user.class.name) if params[:exercise].present?
diff --git a/app/helpers/code_harbor_links_helper.rb b/app/helpers/code_harbor_links_helper.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index d8e92ddf..00000000
--- a/app/helpers/code_harbor_links_helper.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-module CodeHarborLinksHelper
-end
diff --git a/app/models/code_harbor_link.rb b/app/models/code_harbor_link.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 338461d1..00000000
--- a/app/models/code_harbor_link.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-class CodeHarborLink < ApplicationRecord
-  validates :oauth2token, presence: true
-  validates :user_id, presence: true
-
-  belongs_to :internal_user, foreign_key: :user_id
-  alias_method :user, :internal_user
-  alias_method :user=, :internal_user=
-
-  def to_s
-    oauth2token
-  end
-
-end
diff --git a/app/models/codeharbor_link.rb b/app/models/codeharbor_link.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5bb1fba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/codeharbor_link.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class CodeharborLink < ApplicationRecord
+  validates :oauth2token, presence: true
+  validates :user_id, presence: true
+
+  belongs_to :user, foreign_key: :user_id, class_name: 'InternalUser'
+
+  def to_s
+    oauth2token
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/exercise.rb b/app/models/exercise.rb
index 3f4414e8..37d60476 100644
--- a/app/models/exercise.rb
+++ b/app/models/exercise.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Exercise < ApplicationRecord
 
   validate :valid_main_file?
   validates :description, presence: true
-  validates :execution_environment_id, presence: true
+  # validates :execution_environment_id, presence: true # TODO make this conditional - but based on what?
   validates :public, boolean_presence: true
   validates :title, presence: true
   validates :token, presence: true, uniqueness: true
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Exercise < ApplicationRecord
       0
     end
   end
-  
+
   def finishers_percentage
     if users.distinct.count != 0
       (100.0 / users.distinct.count * finishers.count).round(2)
diff --git a/app/policies/code_harbor_link_policy.rb b/app/policies/code_harbor_link_policy.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 8726c22a..00000000
--- a/app/policies/code_harbor_link_policy.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-class CodeHarborLinkPolicy < AdminOnlyPolicy
-  
-end
diff --git a/app/policies/codeharbor_link_policy.rb b/app/policies/codeharbor_link_policy.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13c3676c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/policies/codeharbor_link_policy.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+class CodeharborLinkPolicy < AdminOnlyPolicy
+
+end
diff --git a/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb b/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2d26b45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module ProformaService
+  class ConvertTaskToExercise < ServiceBase
+    def initialize(task:, user:, exercise: nil)
+      @task = task
+      @user = user
+      @exercise = exercise || Exercise.new
+    end
+
+    def execute
+      import_exercise
+      @exercise
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def import_exercise
+      @exercise.assign_attributes(
+        user: @user,
+        title: @task.title,
+        description: @task.description,
+        instructions: @task.internal_description,
+        # exercise_files: task_files.values,
+        # execution_environment: execution_environment,
+        # tests: tests,
+        # state_list: @exercise.persisted? ? 'updated' : 'new'
+      )
+    end
+
+    def task_files
+      @task_files ||= Hash[
+        @task.all_files.reject { |file| file.id == 'ms-placeholder-file' }.map do |task_file|
+          [task_file.id, exercise_file_from_task_file(task_file)]
+        end
+      ]
+    end
+
+    def exercise_file_from_task_file(task_file)
+      ExerciseFile.new({
+        full_file_name: task_file.filename,
+        read_only: task_file.usage_by_lms.in?(%w[display download]),
+        hidden: task_file.visible == 'no',
+        role: task_file.internal_description
+      }.tap do |params|
+        if task_file.binary
+          params[:attachment] = file_base64(task_file)
+          params[:attachment_file_name] = task_file.filename
+          params[:attachment_content_type] = task_file.mimetype
+        else
+          params[:content] = task_file.content
+        end
+      end)
+    end
+
+    def file_base64(file)
+      "data:#{file.mimetype || 'image/jpeg'};base64,#{Base64.encode64(file.content)}"
+    end
+
+    def tests
+      @task.tests.map do |test_object|
+        Test.new(
+          feedback_message: test_object.meta_data['feedback-message'],
+          testing_framework: TestingFramework.where(
+            name: test_object.meta_data['testing-framework'],
+            version: test_object.meta_data['testing-framework-version']
+          ).first_or_initialize,
+          exercise_file: test_file(test_object)
+        )
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_file(test_object)
+      task_files.delete(test_object.files.first.id).tap { |file| file.purpose = 'test' }
+    end
+
+    def execution_environment
+      ExecutionEnvironment.last
+      # ExecutionEnvironment.where(language: @task.proglang[:name], version: @task.proglang[:version]).first_or_initialize
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/services/proforma_service/import.rb b/app/services/proforma_service/import.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4558870
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/proforma_service/import.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module ProformaService
+  class Import < ServiceBase
+    def initialize(zip:, user:)
+      @zip = zip
+      @user = user
+    end
+
+    def execute
+      if single_task?
+        importer = Proforma::Importer.new(@zip)
+        @task = importer.perform
+        exercise = ConvertTaskToExercise.call(task: @task, user: @user)
+        exercise.save!
+
+        exercise
+      else
+        import_multi
+      end
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def import_multi
+      Zip::File.open(@zip.path) do |zip_file|
+        zip_files = zip_file.filter { |entry| entry.name.match?(/\.zip$/) }
+        begin
+          zip_files.map! do |entry|
+            store_zip_entry_in_tempfile entry
+          end
+          zip_files.map do |proforma_file|
+            Import.call(zip: proforma_file, user: @user)
+          end
+        ensure
+          zip_files.each(&:unlink)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def store_zip_entry_in_tempfile(entry)
+      tempfile = Tempfile.new(entry.name)
+      tempfile.write entry.get_input_stream.read.force_encoding('UTF-8')
+      tempfile.rewind
+      tempfile
+    end
+
+    def single_task?
+      filenames = Zip::File.open(@zip.path) do |zip_file|
+        zip_file.map(&:name)
+      end
+
+      filenames.select { |f| f[/\.xml$/] }.any?
+    # rescue Zip::Error
+    # raise Proforma::InvalidZip
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/services/service_base.rb b/app/services/service_base.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..39010bb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/service_base.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class ServiceBase
+  def self.call(*args)
+    new(*args).execute
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/views/application/_navigation.html.slim b/app/views/application/_navigation.html.slim
index 31115189..738dfc9d 100644
--- a/app/views/application/_navigation.html.slim
+++ b/app/views/application/_navigation.html.slim
@@ -19,5 +19,5 @@
                 models: [ErrorTemplate, ErrorTemplateAttribute], cached: true)
         = render('navigation_submenu', title: t('navigation.sections.files'), models: [FileType, FileTemplate],
                 cached: true)
-        = render('navigation_submenu', title: t('navigation.sections.integrations'), models: [Consumer, CodeHarborLink],
+        = render('navigation_submenu', title: t('navigation.sections.integrations'), models: [Consumer],
                 cached: true)
diff --git a/config/environments/development.rb b/config/environments/development.rb
index b91a19b5..ba0880a5 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.rb
+++ b/config/environments/development.rb
@@ -3,15 +3,15 @@ Rails.application.configure do
   config.webpacker.check_yarn_integrity = true
   # Settings specified here will take precedence over those in config/application.rb.
 
-  config.web_console.whitelisted_ips = '192.168.0.0/16'  
-  
+  config.web_console.whitelisted_ips = '192.168.0.0/16'
+
   # In the development environment your application's code is reloaded on
   # every request. This slows down response time but is perfect for development
   # since you don't have to restart the web server when you make code changes.
   config.cache_classes = false
 
   # Do not eager load code on boot.
-  config.eager_load = false
+  config.eager_load = true
 
   # Show full error reports.
   config.consider_all_requests_local = true
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 42cee5a3..23ed0984 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
       get 'by_file_type/:file_type_id', as: :by_file_type, action: :by_file_type
     end
   end
-  resources :code_harbor_links
+  # resources :code_harbor_links
   resources :request_for_comments do
     member do
       get :mark_as_solved, defaults: { format: :json }