diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8912464..5e0d957 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ fn main() {
     let mut vm = VM::new();
 
     vm.read_program(&"programs/hello-world.obj".to_string());
+    vm.execute();
 }
diff --git a/src/vm/instruction.rs b/src/vm/instruction.rs
index 5d36b3f..316dc5a 100644
--- a/src/vm/instruction.rs
+++ b/src/vm/instruction.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 ////// instruction execution
 //////////////////////////////
 
-enum OpCodes {
+use crate::vm::VM;
+
+enum OpCode {
     // branch
     BR = 0,
     // add
@@ -35,6 +37,56 @@ enum OpCodes {
     LEA,
     // trap
     TRAP,
+    // no-operation (not a real opcode)
+    NOOP,
 }
 
+fn get_opcode(instruction: u16) -> OpCode {
+    // the opcode is stored in the left 4 bits
+    match instruction >> 12 {
+         0 => OpCode::BR,
+         1 => OpCode::ADD,
+         2 => OpCode::LD,
+         3 => OpCode::ST,
+         4 => OpCode::JSR,
+         5 => OpCode::AND,
+         6 => OpCode::LDR,
+         7 => OpCode::STR,
+         8 => OpCode::RTI,
+         9 => OpCode::NOT,
+        10 => OpCode::LDI,
+        11 => OpCode::STI,
+        12 => OpCode::JMP,
+        13 => OpCode::RES,
+        14 => OpCode::LEA,
+        15 => OpCode::TRAP,
+         _ => OpCode::NOOP,
+    }
+}
 
+pub fn execute_instruction(vm: &mut VM) {
+    let instruction: u16 = vm.mem.get_mem(vm.registers.pc);
+    let opcode = get_opcode(instruction);
+
+    match opcode {
+        OpCode::BR   => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::ADD  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::LD   => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::ST   => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::JSR  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::AND  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::LDR  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::STR  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::RTI  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::NOT  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::LDI  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::STI  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::JMP  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::RES  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::LEA  => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::TRAP => no_op(vm),
+        OpCode::NOOP => no_op(vm),
+    }
+}
+
+fn no_op(vm: &mut VM) {}
diff --git a/src/vm/mod.rs b/src/vm/mod.rs
index d84aed8..f0a0c3a 100644
--- a/src/vm/mod.rs
+++ b/src/vm/mod.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 use byteorder::{BigEndian, ReadBytesExt};
 use std::{fs::File, io::BufReader};
+
 mod instruction;
 
 ////////////////
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ impl Registers {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Map an integer index to its register
     fn register_reference(&mut self, idx: u16) -> &mut u16 {
         match idx {
             0 => &mut self.r0,
@@ -75,11 +77,11 @@ impl Registers {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn set_reg(&mut self, idx: u16, val: u16) {
+    fn set_reg(&mut self, idx: u16, val: u16) {
         *self.register_reference(idx) = val;
     }
 
-    pub fn get_reg(&mut self, idx: u16) -> u16 {
+    fn get_reg(&mut self, idx: u16) -> u16 {
         let reg = &*self.register_reference(idx);
         *reg
     }
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ impl Registers {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn set_reg_with_cond(&mut self, idx: u16, val: u16) {
+    fn set_reg_with_cond(&mut self, idx: u16, val: u16) {
         self.set_reg(idx, val);
         self.set_cond(idx);
     }
@@ -120,11 +122,11 @@ impl Memory {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn set_mem(&mut self, addr: u16, val: u16) {
+    fn set_mem(&mut self, addr: u16, val: u16) {
         self.data[addr as usize] = val;
     }
 
-    pub fn get_mem(&self, addr: u16) -> u16 {
+    fn get_mem(&self, addr: u16) -> u16 {
         return self.data[addr as usize];
     }
 }
@@ -185,8 +187,17 @@ impl VM {
     }
 
     pub fn execute(&mut self) {
-        loop {
-            self.registers.pc += 1;
+        let mut running: bool = true;
+
+        while running {
+            instruction::execute_instruction(self);
+
+            // disallow reading past memory bounds
+            if self.registers.pc as usize == MEM_SIZE - 1 {
+                running = false
+            } else {
+                self.registers.pc += 1;
+            }
         }
     }
 }