diff --git a/src/bin/ent/main.rs b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
index 952d178..cb8eb9d 100644
--- a/src/bin/ent/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ fn handle_command(args: &Args, issues_dir: &std::path::Path) -> anyhow::Result<(
                     if let Some(dependencies) = &issue.dependencies {
                         println!("dependencies: {:?}", dependencies);
                     }
+                    if let Some(assignee) = &issue.assignee {
+                        println!("assignee: {}", assignee);
+                    }
                     println!("");
                     println!("{}", issue.description);
                     for comment in &issue.comments {
diff --git a/src/issue.rs b/src/issue.rs
index 97aa8f1..096e497 100644
--- a/src/issue.rs
+++ b/src/issue.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ pub struct Issue {
     pub timestamp: chrono::DateTime<chrono::Local>,
     pub state: State,
     pub dependencies: Option<Vec<IssueHandle>>,
+    pub assignee: Option<String>,
     pub description: String,
     pub comments: Vec<crate::comment::Comment>,
 
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ impl Issue {
         let mut state = State::New; // default state, if not specified in the issue
         let mut dependencies: Option<Vec<String>> = None;
         let mut comments = Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new();
+        let mut assignee: Option<String> = None;
 
         for direntry in dir.read_dir()? {
             if let Ok(direntry) = direntry {
@@ -99,6 +101,10 @@ impl Issue {
                 } else if file_name == "state" {
                     let state_string = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
                     state = State::from_str(state_string.trim())?;
+                } else if file_name == "assignee" {
+                    assignee = Some(String::from(
+                        std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?.trim(),
+                    ));
                 } else if file_name == "dependencies" {
                     let dep_strings = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
                     let deps: Vec<IssueHandle> = dep_strings
@@ -129,6 +135,7 @@ impl Issue {
             timestamp,
             state: state,
             dependencies,
+            assignee,
             description: description.unwrap(),
             comments,
             dir: std::path::PathBuf::from(dir),
@@ -180,6 +187,7 @@ impl Issue {
             timestamp: chrono::Local::now(),
             state: State::New,
             dependencies: None,
+            assignee: None,
             description: String::from(""), // FIXME: kind of bogus to use the empty string as None
             comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
             dir: issue_dir,
@@ -260,6 +268,7 @@ mod tests {
                 .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
             state: State::New,
             dependencies: None,
+            assignee: None,
             description: String::from("this is the title of my issue\n\nThis is the description of my issue.\nIt is multiple lines.\n* Arbitrary contents\n* But let's use markdown by convention\n"),
             comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
             dir: std::path::PathBuf::from(issue_dir),
@@ -278,6 +287,7 @@ mod tests {
                 .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
             state: State::InProgress,
             dependencies: None,
+            assignee: Some(String::from("beep boop")),
             description: String::from("minimal"),
             comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
             dir: std::path::PathBuf::from(issue_dir),
diff --git a/src/issues.rs b/src/issues.rs
index ff6accb..16dab55 100644
--- a/src/issues.rs
+++ b/src/issues.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::InProgress,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: Some(String::from("beep boop")),
                 description: String::from("minimal"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::New,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("this is the title of my issue\n\nThis is the description of my issue.\nIt is multiple lines.\n* Arbitrary contents\n* But let's use markdown by convention\n"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::Done,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("oh yeah we got titles"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::WontDo,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("issues out the wazoo\n\nLots of words\nthat don't say much\nbecause this is just\na test\n"),
                 comments: expected_comments,
                 dir,
@@ -206,6 +210,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::Done,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("oh yeah we got titles\n"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
@@ -224,6 +229,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .with_timezone(&chrono::Local),
                 state: crate::issue::State::WontDo,
                 dependencies: None,
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("issues out the wazoo\n\nLots of words\nthat don't say much\nbecause this is just\na test\n"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
@@ -245,6 +251,7 @@ mod tests {
                     crate::issue::IssueHandle::from("3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f"),
                     crate::issue::IssueHandle::from("dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561"),
                 ]),
+                assignee: None,
                 description: String::from("issue with dependencies\n\na test has begun\nfor dependencies we seek\nintertwining life"),
                 comments: Vec::<crate::comment::Comment>::new(),
                 dir,
diff --git a/test/0000/7792b063eef6d33e7da5dc1856750c149ba678c6/assignee b/test/0000/7792b063eef6d33e7da5dc1856750c149ba678c6/assignee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fae06e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0000/7792b063eef6d33e7da5dc1856750c149ba678c6/assignee
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+beep boop