diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9be5db9..69f3b04 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5,3 +5,10 @@ version = 4
 [[package]]
 name = "aoc2024"
 version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "gendays",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "gendays"
+version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index beb0cdd..a76ff34 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 [workspace]
-members = [ "aoc2024" ]
+members = [ "aoc2024" , "gendays"]
 resolver = "3"
+
+[workspace.dependencies]
+gendays = { path = "gendays" }
+
diff --git a/aoc2024/Cargo.toml b/aoc2024/Cargo.toml
index abf13c6..086813d 100644
--- a/aoc2024/Cargo.toml
+++ b/aoc2024/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,3 +7,6 @@ edition = "2024"
 name = "aoc2024"
 path = "main.rs"
 
+[dependencies]
+gendays = { workspace = true }
+
diff --git a/aoc2024/main.rs b/aoc2024/main.rs
index 503f334..772392e 100644
--- a/aoc2024/main.rs
+++ b/aoc2024/main.rs
@@ -1,28 +1 @@
-mod day1;
-mod day2;
-
-fn main() {
-    // part 1 or 2
-    let day = std::env::args().nth(1).expect("needs to specify day for first argument");
-    let part = std::env::args().nth(2).expect("needs to specify 1 or 2 for second argument");
-
-    if day == "day1" {
-        if part == "1" {
-            println!("{}", day1::part1());
-        } else if part == "2" {
-            println!("{}", day1::part2());
-        } else {
-            panic!("expecting 1 or 2 for argument 2")
-        }
-    }
-
-    if day == "day2" {
-        if part == "1" {
-            println!("{}", day2::part1());
-        } else if part == "2" {
-            println!("{}", day2::part2());
-        } else {
-            panic!("expecting 1 or 2 for argument 2")
-        }
-    }
-}
+gendays::gen_days![aoc2024];
diff --git a/gendays/Cargo.toml b/gendays/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3107b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gendays/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[package]
+name = "gendays"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2024"
+
+[lib]
+proc-macro = true
+path = "lib.rs"
diff --git a/gendays/lib.rs b/gendays/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b935e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gendays/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+use std::fs;
+
+use proc_macro::TokenStream;
+
+#[proc_macro]
+pub fn gen_days(item: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
+    let path = format!("{item}");
+    let mut days_in_dir: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
+    for entry in fs::read_dir(&path).unwrap() {
+        let entry = entry.unwrap();
+        let path = entry.path();
+        if let Some(file_stem) = path.file_stem() {
+            let (day_prefix, day_number) = file_stem.to_str().unwrap().split_at(3);
+            if day_prefix == "day" {
+                // do template stuff for this day
+                days_in_dir.push(day_number.to_string());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    let mut module_imports = String::new();
+    let mut day_checks = String::new();
+    for day in days_in_dir {
+        module_imports += &format!("mod day{day};\n");
+        day_checks += &format!("
+            if day == \"day{day}\" {{
+                if part == \"1\" {{
+                    println!(\"{{}}\", day{day}::part1());
+                }} else if part == \"2\" {{
+                    println!(\"{{}}\", day{day}::part2());
+                }} else {{
+                    panic!(\"expecting 1 or 2 for argument 2\")
+                }}
+            }}
+        ");
+    }
+    format!("
+        {module_imports} 
+
+        fn main() {{
+            let day = std::env::args().nth(1).expect(\"needs to specify day for first argument\");
+            let part = std::env::args().nth(2).expect(\"needs to specify 1 or 2 for second argument\");
+
+            {day_checks}
+        }}
+        ").parse().unwrap()
+}