diff --git a/openbsc/src/gsm_subscriber.c b/openbsc/src/gsm_subscriber.c
index 297b8c8..84e14a0 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/gsm_subscriber.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/gsm_subscriber.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Dummy implementation of a subscriber database, roghly HLR/VLR functionality */
+/* The concept of a subscriber for the MSC, roughly HLR/VLR functionality */
 
 /* (C) 2008 by Harald Welte <laforge@gnumonks.org>
  * (C) 2009 by Holger Hans Peter Freyther <zecke@selfish.org>
@@ -27,101 +27,12 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
-#include <openbsc/talloc.h>
 #include <openbsc/gsm_subscriber.h>
-#include <openbsc/paging.h>
 #include <openbsc/debug.h>
-#include <openbsc/paging.h>
 #include <openbsc/signal.h>
 #include <openbsc/db.h>
 
-LLIST_HEAD(active_subscribers);
-void *tall_subscr_ctx;
-void *tall_sub_req_ctx;
-
-/*
- * Struct for pending channel requests. This is managed in the
- * llist_head requests of each subscriber. The reference counting
- * should work in such a way that a subscriber with a pending request
- * remains in memory.
- */
-struct subscr_request {
-	struct llist_head entry;
-
-	/* back reference */
-	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
-
-	/* the requested channel type */
-	int channel_type;
-
-	/* the bts we have decided to use */
-	struct gsm_network *network;
-
-	/* the callback data */
-	gsm_cbfn *cbfn;
-	void *param;
-};
-
-/*
- * We got the channel assigned and can now hand this channel
- * over to one of our callbacks.
- */
-static int subscr_paging_cb(unsigned int hooknum, unsigned int event,
-			     struct msgb *msg, void *data, void *param)
-{
-	struct subscr_request *request;
-	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr = (struct gsm_subscriber *)param;
-
-	assert(!llist_empty(&subscr->requests));
-
-	/*
-	 * FIXME: What to do with paging requests coming during
-	 * this callback? We must be sure to not start paging when
-	 * we have an active connection to a subscriber and to make
-	 * the subscr_put_channel work as required...
-	 */
-	request = (struct subscr_request *)subscr->requests.next;
-	llist_del(&request->entry);
-	subscr->in_callback = 1;
-	request->cbfn(hooknum, event, msg, data, request->param);
-	subscr->in_callback = 0;
-
-	talloc_free(request);
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static void subscr_send_paging_request(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr)
-{
-	struct subscr_request *request;
-	assert(!llist_empty(&subscr->requests));
-
-	request = (struct subscr_request *)subscr->requests.next;
-	paging_request(request->network, subscr, request->channel_type,
-		       subscr_paging_cb, subscr);
-}
-
-struct gsm_subscriber *subscr_alloc(void)
-{
-	struct gsm_subscriber *s;
-
-	s = talloc(tall_subscr_ctx, struct gsm_subscriber);
-	if (!s)
-		return NULL;
-
-	memset(s, 0, sizeof(*s));
-	llist_add_tail(&s->entry, &active_subscribers);
-	s->use_count = 1;
-
-	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&s->requests);
-
-	return s;
-}
-
-static void subscr_free(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr)
-{
-	llist_del(&subscr->entry);
-	talloc_free(subscr);
-}
+extern struct llist_head *subscr_bsc_active_subscriber(void);
 
 struct gsm_subscriber *subscr_get_by_tmsi(struct gsm_network *net,
 					  const char *tmsi)
@@ -129,7 +40,7 @@
 	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
 
 	/* we might have a record in memory already */
-	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, &active_subscribers, entry) {
+	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, subscr_bsc_active_subscriber(), entry) {
 		if (strcmp(subscr->tmsi, tmsi) == 0)
 			return subscr_get(subscr);
 	}
@@ -142,7 +53,7 @@
 {
 	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
 
-	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, &active_subscribers, entry) {
+	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, subscr_bsc_active_subscriber(), entry) {
 		if (strcmp(subscr->imsi, imsi) == 0)
 			return subscr_get(subscr);
 	}
@@ -155,7 +66,7 @@
 {
 	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
 
-	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, &active_subscribers, entry) {
+	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, subscr_bsc_active_subscriber(), entry) {
 		if (strcmp(subscr->extension, ext) == 0)
 			return subscr_get(subscr);
 	}
@@ -170,7 +81,7 @@
 	char buf[32];
 	sprintf(buf, "%llu", id);
 
-	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, &active_subscribers, entry) {
+	llist_for_each_entry(subscr, subscr_bsc_active_subscriber(), entry) {
 		if (subscr->id == id)
 			return subscr_get(subscr);
 	}
@@ -203,82 +114,4 @@
 	return db_sync_subscriber(s);
 }
 
-struct gsm_subscriber *subscr_get(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr)
-{
-	subscr->use_count++;
-	DEBUGP(DCC, "subscr %s usage increases usage to: %d\n",
-			subscr->extension, subscr->use_count);
-	return subscr;
-}
 
-struct gsm_subscriber *subscr_put(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr)
-{
-	subscr->use_count--;
-	DEBUGP(DCC, "subscr %s usage decreased usage to: %d\n",
-			subscr->extension, subscr->use_count);
-	if (subscr->use_count <= 0)
-		subscr_free(subscr);
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-void subscr_get_channel(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr,
-			struct gsm_network *network, int type,
-			gsm_cbfn *cbfn, void *param)
-{
-	struct subscr_request *request;
-
-	request = talloc(tall_sub_req_ctx, struct subscr_request);
-	if (!request) {
-		if (cbfn)
-			cbfn(GSM_HOOK_RR_PAGING, GSM_PAGING_OOM,
-				NULL, NULL, param);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	memset(request, 0, sizeof(*request));
-	request->network = network;
-	request->subscr = subscr;
-	request->channel_type = type;
-	request->cbfn = cbfn;
-	request->param = param;
-
-	/*
-	 * FIXME: We might be able to assign more than one
-	 * channel, e.g. voice and SMS submit at the same
-	 * time.
-	 */
-	if (!subscr->in_callback && llist_empty(&subscr->requests)) {
-		/* add to the list, send a request */
-		llist_add_tail(&request->entry, &subscr->requests);
-		subscr_send_paging_request(subscr);
-	} else {
-		/* this will be picked up later, from subscr_put_channel */
-		llist_add_tail(&request->entry, &subscr->requests);
-	}
-}
-
-void subscr_put_channel(struct gsm_lchan *lchan)
-{
-	/*
-	 * FIXME: Continue with other requests now... by checking
-	 * the gsm_subscriber inside the gsm_lchan. Drop the ref count
-	 * of the lchan after having asked the next requestee to handle
-	 * the channel.
-	 */
-	/*
-	 * FIXME: is the lchan is of a different type we could still
-	 * issue an immediate assignment for another channel and then
-	 * close this one.
-	 */
-	/*
-	 * Currently we will drop the last ref of the lchan which
-	 * will result in a channel release on RSL and we will start
-	 * the paging. This should work most of the time as the MS
-	 * will listen to the paging requests before we timeout
-	 */
-
-	put_lchan(lchan);
-
-	if (lchan->subscr && !llist_empty(&lchan->subscr->requests))
-		subscr_send_paging_request(lchan->subscr);
-}