diff --git a/actor/deadletter.go b/actor/deadletter.go
index 0905eb9..068430c 100644
--- a/actor/deadletter.go
+++ b/actor/deadletter.go
@@ -2,41 +2,51 @@ package actor
 
 import (
 	"github.com/anthdm/hollywood/log"
-	"sync"
 )
 
-// TODO: The deadLetter is implemented as a plain Processer, but
-// can actually be implemented as a Receiver. This is a good first issue.
+//
 
 type deadLetter struct {
 	logger log.Logger
 	pid    *PID
-	msgs   []any
+	msgs   []*DeadLetterEvent
 }
 
-func newDeadLetter(logger log.Logger) Receiver {
+func newDeadLetter() Receiver {
+	pid := NewPID(LocalLookupAddr, "deadLetter")
+	msgs := make([]*DeadLetterEvent, 0)
 	return &deadLetter{
-		msgs:   make([]any, 0),
-		logger: logger.SubLogger("[deadLetter]"),
-		pid:    NewPID(LocalLookupAddr, "deadLetter"),
+		msgs: msgs,
+		pid:  pid,
 	}
 }
 
 func (d *deadLetter) Receive(ctx *Context) {
 	switch msg := ctx.Message().(type) {
-	case *DeadLetterEvent:
-		d.msgs = append(d.msgs, msg)
+	case Started:
+		// intialize logger on deadletter startup. this should be sanity checked
+		d.logger = ctx.Engine().logger.SubLogger("[deadletter]")
+		d.logger.Debugw("default deadletter actor started")
+	case Stopped:
+		d.logger.Debugw("default deadletter actor stopped")
+	case Initialized:
+		d.logger.Debugw("default deadletter actor initialized")
 	case *DeadLetterFlush:
-		d.msgs = make([]any, 0)
+		d.logger.Debugw("deadletter queue flushed", "msgs", len(d.msgs), "sender", ctx.Sender())
+		d.msgs = make([]*DeadLetterEvent, 0)
 	case *DeadLetterFetch:
-		ctx.Respond(d.msgs)
+		d.logger.Debugw("deadletter fetch", "msgs", len(d.msgs), "sender", ctx.Sender(), "flush", msg.Flush)
+		ctx.Respond(d.msgs) // this is a sync request.
 		if msg.Flush {
-			d.msgs = make([]any, 0)
+			d.msgs = d.msgs[:0]
 		}
+	default:
+		d.logger.Warnw("deadletter arrived", "msg", msg, "sender", ctx.Sender())
+		dl := DeadLetterEvent{
+			Target:  nil, // todo: how to get the target?
+			Message: msg,
+			Sender:  ctx.Sender(),
+		}
+		d.msgs = append(d.msgs, &dl)
 	}
 }
-
-func (d *deadLetter) PID() *PID                  { return d.pid }
-func (d *deadLetter) Shutdown(_ *sync.WaitGroup) {}
-func (d *deadLetter) Start()                     {}
-func (d *deadLetter) Invoke([]Envelope)          {}
diff --git a/actor/deadletter_test.go b/actor/deadletter_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cd20bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actor/deadletter_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package actor
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/anthdm/hollywood/log"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"log/slog"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type testActor struct {
+}
+type testMessage struct {
+	data string
+}
+
+func newTestActor() Receiver {
+	return testActor{}
+}
+func (t testActor) Receive(ctx *Context) {
+	// do nothing
+}
+
+func TestDeadLetterDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	lh := log.NewHandler(os.Stdout, log.TextFormat, slog.LevelDebug)
+	e := NewEngine(EngineOptLogger(log.NewLogger("[engine]", lh)))
+	a1 := e.Spawn(newTestActor, "a1")
+	assert.NotNil(t, a1)
+	dl := e.Registry.getByID("deadletter")
+	assert.NotNil(t, dl) // should be registered by default
+	// kill a1 actor.
+	e.Poison(a1).Wait() // poison the a1 actor
+	// should be in deadletter
+	fmt.Println("==== sending message via a1 to deadletter ====")
+	e.Send(a1, testMessage{"bar"})
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 50)
+	resp, err := e.Request(dl.PID(), &DeadLetterFetch{Flush: true}, time.Millisecond*1000).Result()
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, resp)
+	resp2, ok := resp.([]*DeadLetterEvent)
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(resp2))
+
+}
diff --git a/actor/engine.go b/actor/engine.go
index 534aa70..bb3481f 100644
--- a/actor/engine.go
+++ b/actor/engine.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type Engine struct {
 
 	address    string
 	remote     Remoter
-	deadLetter Receiver
+	deadLetter *PID
 	logger     log.Logger
 }
 
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ func NewEngine(opts ...func(*Engine)) *Engine {
 	e.EventStream = NewEventStream(e.logger)
 	e.address = LocalLookupAddr
 	e.Registry = newRegistry(e)
-	e.deadLetter = newDeadLetter(e.logger)
+	// if no deadletter is registered, we will register the default deadletter from deadletter.go
+	if e.deadLetter == nil {
+		e.logger.Debugw("no deadletter receiver set, registering default")
+		e.deadLetter = e.Spawn(newDeadLetter, "deadletter")
+	}
 	return e
 }
 
@@ -59,6 +63,12 @@ func EngineOptPidSeparator(sep string) func(*Engine) {
 	}
 }
 
+func EngineOptDeadletter(deadletter *PID) func(*Engine) {
+	return func(e *Engine) {
+		e.deadLetter = deadletter
+	}
+}
+
 // WithRemote returns a new actor Engine with the given Remoter,
 // and will call its Start function
 func (e *Engine) WithRemote(r Remoter) {
@@ -199,11 +209,16 @@ func (e *Engine) Poison(pid *PID, wg ...*sync.WaitGroup) *sync.WaitGroup {
 	return _wg
 }
 
+// SendLocal will send the given message to the given PID. If the recipient is not found in the
+// registry, the message will be sent to the DeadLetter process instead. If there is no deadletter
+// process registered, the function will panic.
 func (e *Engine) SendLocal(pid *PID, msg any, sender *PID) {
 	proc := e.Registry.get(pid)
 	if proc != nil {
 		proc.Send(pid, msg, sender)
+		return
 	}
+	panic("no way to handle message (didn't find deadletter)")
 }
 
 func (e *Engine) isLocalMessage(pid *PID) bool {
diff --git a/actor/opts.go b/actor/opts.go
index 0249ebd..d604066 100644
--- a/actor/opts.go
+++ b/actor/opts.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package actor
 
-import "time"
+import (
+	"time"
+)
 
 const (
 	defaultInboxSize   = 1024
diff --git a/actor/pid.go b/actor/pid.go
index 143ad11..f1dc6e6 100644
--- a/actor/pid.go
+++ b/actor/pid.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func (pid *PID) Child(id string, tags ...string) *PID {
 }
 
 func (pid *PID) HasTag(tag string) bool {
-	panic("TODO")
+	return strings.Contains(pid.ID, pidSeparator+tag+pidSeparator)
 }
 
 func (pid *PID) LookupKey() uint64 {
diff --git a/actor/process.go b/actor/process.go
index e242926..8aeba20 100644
--- a/actor/process.go
+++ b/actor/process.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (p *process) Start() {
 	p.context.message = Started{}
 	applyMiddleware(recv.Receive, p.Opts.Middleware...)(p.context)
 	p.context.engine.EventStream.Publish(&ActivationEvent{PID: p.pid})
-	p.logger.Debugw("started", "pid", p.pid)
+	p.logger.Debugw("actor started", "pid", p.pid)
 	// If we have messages in our buffer, invoke them.
 	if len(p.mbuffer) > 0 {
 		p.Invoke(p.mbuffer)
diff --git a/actor/registry.go b/actor/registry.go
index 482f5cb..56a1c4a 100644
--- a/actor/registry.go
+++ b/actor/registry.go
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ func (r *Registry) get(pid *PID) Processer {
 	if proc, ok := r.lookup[pid.ID]; ok {
 		return proc
 	}
-
-	return r.engine.deadLetter
+	if proc, ok := r.lookup["deadletter"]; ok {
+		return proc
+	}
+	panic("no deadletter registered")
 }
 
 func (r *Registry) getByID(id string) Processer {
diff --git a/remote/remote.go b/remote/remote.go
index 37dc8d9..b2ef0b7 100644
--- a/remote/remote.go
+++ b/remote/remote.go
@@ -41,13 +41,19 @@ func (r *Remote) Start() {
 	}
 
 	mux := drpcmux.New()
-	DRPCRegisterRemote(mux, r.streamReader)
+	err = DRPCRegisterRemote(mux, r.streamReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		r.logger.Errorw("failed to register remote", "err", err)
+	}
 	s := drpcserver.New(mux)
 
 	r.streamRouterPID = r.engine.Spawn(newStreamRouter(r.engine, r.logger), "router", actor.WithInboxSize(1024*1024))
 	r.logger.Infow("server started", "listenAddr", r.config.ListenAddr)
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	go s.Serve(ctx, ln)
+	go func() {
+		err := s.Serve(ctx, ln)
+		r.logger.Errorw("drpcserver stopped", "err", err)
+	}()
 }
 
 // Send sends the given message to the process with the given pid over the network.