diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@
       imports = [./nix/modules/spindle.nix];
 
       services.tangled.spindle.package = lib.mkDefault self.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.spindle;
+      services.tangled.spindle.tap-package = lib.mkDefault self.packages.${pkgs.system}.tap;
     };
   };
 }
diff --git a/nix/vm.nix b/nix/vm.nix
--- a/nix/vm.nix
+++ b/nix/vm.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
   plcUrl = envVarOr "TANGLED_VM_PLC_URL" "https://plc.directory";
   jetstream = envVarOr "TANGLED_VM_JETSTREAM_ENDPOINT" "wss://jetstream1.us-west.bsky.network/subscribe";
+  relayUrl = envVarOr "TANGLED_VM_RELAY_URL" "https://relay1.us-east.bsky.network";
 in
   nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
     inherit system;
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@
         };
         services.tangled.spindle = {
           enable = true;
+          atpRelayUrl = relayUrl;
           server = {
             owner = envVar "TANGLED_VM_SPINDLE_OWNER";
             hostname = envVarOr "TANGLED_VM_SPINDLE_HOST" "localhost:6555";
diff --git a/nix/modules/spindle.nix b/nix/modules/spindle.nix
--- a/nix/modules/spindle.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/spindle.nix
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@
           type = types.package;
           description = "Package to use for the spindle";
         };
+        tap-package = mkOption {
+          type = types.package;
+          description = "Package to use for the spindle";
+        };
+
+        atpRelayUrl = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          default = "https://relay1.us-east.bsky.network";
+          description = "atproto relay";
+        };
 
         server = {
           listenAddr = mkOption {
@@ -115,6 +125,29 @@
 
     config = mkIf cfg.enable {
       virtualisation.docker.enable = true;
+
+      systemd.services.spindle-tap = {
+        description = "spindle tap service";
+        after = ["network.target" "docker.service"];
+        wantedBy = ["multi-user.target"];
+        serviceConfig = {
+          LogsDirectory = "spindle-tap";
+          StateDirectory = "spindle-tap";
+          Environment = [
+            "TAP_BIND=:2480"
+            "TAP_PLC_URL=${cfg.server.plcUrl}"
+            "TAP_RELAY_URL=${cfg.atpRelayUrl}"
+            "TAP_DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///var/lib/spindle-tap/tap.db"
+            "TAP_RETRY_TIMEOUT=3s"
+            "TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=${concatStringsSep "," [
+              "sh.tangled.repo"
+              "sh.tangled.repo.collaborator"
+              "sh.tangled.spindle.member"
+            ]}"
+          ];
+          ExecStart = "${getExe cfg.tap-package} run";
+        };
+      };
 
       systemd.services.spindle = {
         description = "spindle service";