diff --git a/resources/ui/carla_add_jack.ui b/resources/ui/carla_add_jack.ui
index 9945ab187..6fd3a5a33 100644
--- a/resources/ui/carla_add_jack.ui
+++ b/resources/ui/carla_add_jack.ui
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>414</width>
+    <width>418</width>
     <height>306</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
@@ -314,9 +314,6 @@
       </item>
       <item row="0" column="6">
        <widget class="QLabel" name="label_7">
-        <property name="enabled">
-         <bool>false</bool>
-        </property>
         <property name="text">
          <string>MIDI inputs:</string>
         </property>
@@ -327,9 +324,6 @@
       </item>
       <item row="0" column="7">
        <widget class="QSpinBox" name="sb_midi_ins">
-        <property name="enabled">
-         <bool>false</bool>
-        </property>
         <property name="maximum">
          <number>1</number>
         </property>
diff --git a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
index 4e8cc63e2..c9a01e155 100644
--- a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
@@ -1094,6 +1094,7 @@ protected:
                     const uint8_t  size(fShmRtClientControl.readByte());
                     CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_BREAK(size > 0);
 
+                    // FIXME variable-size stack
                     uint8_t data[size];
 
                     for (uint8_t i=0; i<size; ++i)
diff --git a/source/libjack/libjack.cpp b/source/libjack/libjack.cpp
index 2e235ae75..d09d5d5bd 100644
--- a/source/libjack/libjack.cpp
+++ b/source/libjack/libjack.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ public:
         : fServer(this),
           fAudioPoolCopy(nullptr),
           fAudioTmpBuf(nullptr),
+          fMidiBufferIn(true),
+          fMidiBufferOut(false),
           fIsOffline(false),
           fLastPingTime(-1),
           fRealtimeThread(this),
@@ -198,6 +200,9 @@ private:
     float* fAudioPoolCopy;
     float* fAudioTmpBuf;
 
+    JackMidiPortBuffer fMidiBufferIn;
+    JackMidiPortBuffer fMidiBufferOut;
+
     char fBaseNameAudioPool[6+1];
     char fBaseNameRtClientControl[6+1];
     char fBaseNameNonRtClientControl[6+1];
@@ -448,9 +453,42 @@ bool CarlaJackAppClient::handleRtData()
         case kPluginBridgeRtClientControlEventMidiProgram:
         case kPluginBridgeRtClientControlEventAllSoundOff:
         case kPluginBridgeRtClientControlEventAllNotesOff:
-        case kPluginBridgeRtClientMidiEvent:
             break;
 
+        case kPluginBridgeRtClientMidiEvent: {
+            const uint32_t time(fShmRtClientControl.readUInt());
+            const uint8_t  port(fShmRtClientControl.readByte());
+            const uint8_t  size(fShmRtClientControl.readByte());
+            CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_BREAK(size > 0);
+
+            if (size > JackMidiPortBuffer::kMaxEventSize || ! fRealtimeThreadMutex.tryLock())
+            {
+                for (uint8_t i=0; i<size; ++i)
+                    fShmRtClientControl.readByte();
+                break;
+            }
+
+            if (fMidiBufferIn.count < JackMidiPortBuffer::kMaxEventCount &&
+                fMidiBufferIn.bufferPoolPos + size < JackMidiPortBuffer::kBufferPoolSize)
+            {
+                jack_midi_event_t& ev(fMidiBufferIn.events[fMidiBufferIn.count++]);
+
+                ev.time   = time;
+                ev.size   = size;
+                ev.buffer = fMidiBufferIn.bufferPool + fMidiBufferIn.bufferPoolPos;
+                fMidiBufferIn.bufferPoolPos += size;
+
+                for (uint8_t i=0; i<size; ++i)
+                    ev.buffer[i] = fShmRtClientControl.readByte();
+            }
+
+            fRealtimeThreadMutex.unlock(true);
+
+            // TODO multiple midi ports
+            (void)port;
+            break;
+        }
+
         case kPluginBridgeRtClientProcess: {
             // FIXME - lock if offline
             const CarlaMutexTryLocker cmtl(fRealtimeThreadMutex);
@@ -578,6 +616,19 @@ bool CarlaJackAppClient::handleRtData()
                             if (needsTmpBufClear)
                                 FloatVectorOperations::clear(fAudioTmpBuf, fServer.bufferSize);
 
+                            // set midi buffers
+                            if (jclient->midiIns.count() > 0)
+                            {
+                                if (JackPortState* const jport = jclient->midiIns.getFirst(nullptr))
+                                    jport->buffer = &fMidiBufferIn;
+                            }
+
+                            if (jclient->midiOuts.count() > 0)
+                            {
+                                if (JackPortState* const jport = jclient->midiOuts.getFirst(nullptr))
+                                    jport->buffer = &fMidiBufferOut;
+                            }
+
                             jclient->processCb(fServer.bufferSize, jclient->processCbPtr);
 
                             if (fNumPorts.audioOuts > 0)
@@ -612,6 +663,9 @@ bool CarlaJackAppClient::handleRtData()
                     FloatVectorOperations::clear(fdataRealOuts, fServer.bufferSize*fNumPorts.audioOuts);
                 }
 
+                fMidiBufferIn.count = 0;
+                fMidiBufferIn.bufferPoolPos = 0;
+
                 if (fNumPorts.midiOuts > 0)
                     carla_zeroBytes(fShmRtClientControl.data->midiOut, kBridgeRtClientDataMidiOutSize);
             }
diff --git a/source/libjack/libjack.hpp b/source/libjack/libjack.hpp
index 07033279e..e707944f2 100644
--- a/source/libjack/libjack.hpp
+++ b/source/libjack/libjack.hpp
@@ -59,6 +59,32 @@ class CarlaJackAppClient;
 struct JackClientState;
 struct JackServerState;
 
+struct JackMidiPortBuffer {
+    static const size_t kMaxEventSize   = 128;
+    static const size_t kMaxEventCount  = 512;
+    static const size_t kBufferPoolSize = kMaxEventCount*8;
+
+    uint16_t count;
+    bool isInput;
+    jack_midi_event_t* events;
+
+    size_t bufferPoolPos;
+    jack_midi_data_t* bufferPool;
+
+    JackMidiPortBuffer(const bool input)
+        : count(0),
+          isInput(input),
+          events(new jack_midi_event_t[kMaxEventCount]),
+          bufferPoolPos(0),
+          bufferPool(new jack_midi_data_t[kBufferPoolSize]) {}
+
+    ~JackMidiPortBuffer()
+    {
+        delete[] events;
+        delete[] bufferPool;
+    }
+};
+
 struct JackPortState {
     char* name;
     char* fullname;
diff --git a/source/libjack/libjack_midi.cpp b/source/libjack/libjack_midi.cpp
index b79a7cd6d..fdfd8f6b6 100644
--- a/source/libjack/libjack_midi.cpp
+++ b/source/libjack/libjack_midi.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
  * For a full copy of the GNU General Public License see the doc/GPL.txt file.
  */
 
-// need to include this first
 #include "libjack.hpp"
 
 CARLA_BACKEND_USE_NAMESPACE
@@ -23,43 +22,90 @@ CARLA_BACKEND_USE_NAMESPACE
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-jack_nframes_t jack_midi_get_event_count(void*)
+jack_nframes_t jack_midi_get_event_count(void* buf)
 {
-    return 0;
+    JackMidiPortBuffer* const jmidibuf((JackMidiPortBuffer*)buf);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf != nullptr, 0);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf->isInput, 0);
+
+    return jmidibuf->count;
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-int jack_midi_event_get(jack_midi_event_t*, void*, uint32_t)
+int jack_midi_event_get(jack_midi_event_t* ev, void* buf, uint32_t index)
 {
-    return ENODATA;
+    JackMidiPortBuffer* const jmidibuf((JackMidiPortBuffer*)buf);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf != nullptr, EFAULT);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf->isInput, EFAULT);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < jmidibuf->count, ENODATA);
+
+    std::memcpy(ev, &jmidibuf->events[index], sizeof(jack_midi_event_t));
+    return 0;
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-void jack_midi_clear_buffer(void*)
+void jack_midi_clear_buffer(void* buf)
 {
+    JackMidiPortBuffer* const jmidibuf((JackMidiPortBuffer*)buf);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf != nullptr,);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(! jmidibuf->isInput,);
+
+    jmidibuf->count = 0;
+    jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos = 0;
+    std::memset(jmidibuf->bufferPool, 0, JackMidiPortBuffer::kBufferPoolSize);
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-void jack_midi_reset_buffer(void*)
+void jack_midi_reset_buffer(void* buf)
 {
+    jack_midi_clear_buffer(buf);
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
 size_t jack_midi_max_event_size(void*)
 {
-    return 0;
+    return JackMidiPortBuffer::kMaxEventSize;
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-jack_midi_data_t* jack_midi_event_reserve(void*, jack_nframes_t, size_t)
+jack_midi_data_t* jack_midi_event_reserve(void* buf, jack_nframes_t frame, size_t size)
 {
-    return nullptr;
+    JackMidiPortBuffer* const jmidibuf((JackMidiPortBuffer*)buf);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf != nullptr, nullptr);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(! jmidibuf->isInput, nullptr);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(size > 0, nullptr);
+
+    if (jmidibuf->count >= JackMidiPortBuffer::kMaxEventCount)
+        return nullptr;
+    if (jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos + size >= JackMidiPortBuffer::kBufferPoolSize)
+        return nullptr;
+
+    jack_midi_data_t* const jmdata = jmidibuf->bufferPool + jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos;
+    jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos += size;
+
+    jmidibuf->events[jmidibuf->count++] = { frame, size, jmdata };
+    std::memset(jmdata, 0, size);
+    return jmdata;
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT
-int jack_midi_event_write(void*, jack_nframes_t, const jack_midi_data_t*, size_t)
+int jack_midi_event_write(void* buf, jack_nframes_t frame, const jack_midi_data_t* data, size_t size)
 {
-    return ENOBUFS;
+    JackMidiPortBuffer* const jmidibuf((JackMidiPortBuffer*)buf);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(jmidibuf != nullptr, EFAULT);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(! jmidibuf->isInput, EFAULT);
+
+    if (jmidibuf->count >= JackMidiPortBuffer::kMaxEventCount)
+        return ENOBUFS;
+    if (jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos + size >= JackMidiPortBuffer::kBufferPoolSize)
+        return ENOBUFS;
+
+    jack_midi_data_t* const jmdata = jmidibuf->bufferPool + jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos;
+    jmidibuf->bufferPoolPos += size;
+
+    jmidibuf->events[jmidibuf->count++] = { frame, size, jmdata };
+    std::memcpy(jmdata, data, size);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 CARLA_EXPORT