diff --git a/src/main/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow/specs.clj b/src/main/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow/specs.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0453c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow/specs.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+;;   Copyright (c) Rich Hickey and contributors. All rights reserved.
+;;   The use and distribution terms for this software are covered by the
+;;   Eclipse Public License 1.0 (http://opensource.org/licenses/eclipse-1.0.php)
+;;   which can be found in the file epl-v10.html at the root of this distribution.
+;;   By using this software in any fashion, you are agreeing to be bound by
+;;   the terms of this license.
+;;   You must not remove this notice, or any other, from this software.
+
+;;;; flow config
+
+(ns clojure.core.async.flow.specs
+  (:require
+    [clojure.spec.alpha :as s]))
+
+;; process identifier
+(s/def ::pid keyword?)
+
+;; proc in/out identifier
+(s/def ::ioid keyword?)
+
+;; channel end defined by tuple of pid and ioid
+(s/def ::port (s/tuple ::pid ::ioid))
+
+;; proc function - symbol resolving to a fn or a fn
+(s/def ::proc (s/or symbol? ifn?))
+
+;; proc arg map - arbitrary, keys defined by proc fn
+(s/def ::args map?)
+
+;; chan config - buffer symbol or fixed buffer size
+(s/def ::buf-or-n (s/or symbol? int?))
+
+;; chan definition - chan config + xform
+(s/def ::chan-def
+  (s/keys :opt-un [::buf-or-n ::xform]))
+
+;; channel opts for a proc, map of ioid to channel definition
+(s/def ::chan-opts
+  (s/map-of ::ioid ::chan-def))
+
+;; process definition
+(s/def ::proc-def
+  (s/keys :opt-un [::proc ::args ::chan-opts]))
+
+;; map of pid to proc def in flow
+(s/def ::procs
+  (s/map-of ::pid ::proc-def))
+
+;; connection is a tuple of from-port and to-port
+(s/def ::conn
+  (s/tuple ::port ::port))
+
+;; connections
+(s/def ::conns
+  (s/coll-of ::conn))
+
+;; flow config consists of procs and conns
+;; the exec options take something that resolves to an ExecutorService
+(s/def ::flow-config
+  (s/keys :opt-un [::procs ::conns
+                   ::mixed-exec ::io-exec ::compute-exec]))
+
+;;;; process description
+
+;; defines the parameters a proc takes, kw->docstring
+(s/def ::params
+  (s/map-of keyword? string?))
+
+;; defines the in channels a proc takes, kw->docstring
+(s/def ::ins
+  (s/map-of keyword? string?))
+
+;; defines the out channels a proc takes, kw->docstring
+(s/def ::outs
+  (s/map-of keyword? string?))
+
+;; proc workload type
+(s/def ::workload #{:mixed :io :compute})
+
+;; returned by the proc :describe function
+(s/def ::proc-description
+  (s/keys
+    :opt-un [::params ::ins ::outs ::workload]))
+
diff --git a/src/test/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow_test.clj b/src/test/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow_test.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65c8007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/clojure/clojure/core/async/flow_test.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+;;   Copyright (c) Rich Hickey and contributors. All rights reserved.
+;;   The use and distribution terms for this software are covered by the
+;;   Eclipse Public License 1.0 (http://opensource.org/licenses/eclipse-1.0.php)
+;;   which can be found in the file epl-v10.html at the root of this distribution.
+;;   By using this software in any fashion, you are agreeing to be bound by
+;;   the terms of this license.
+;;   You must not remove this notice, or any other, from this software.
+
+(ns clojure.core.async.flow-test
+  (:require [clojure.test :refer :all]
+            [clojure.core.async :as a]
+            [clojure.core.async.flow :as flow]
+            [clojure.core.async.flow.spi :as fspi]))
+
+(deftest test-step1)
+
+;; Test that a proc's describe returns the proc fn's description
+(deftest test-proc-description-from-lift
+  (let [step-fn (flow/lift1->step identity)
+        proc (flow/process step-fn)]
+    (is (some? (step-fn)))
+    (is (= (step-fn) (fspi/describe proc)))))
+
+(deftest test-proc-description-from-lift
+  (let [step-fn (flow/lift1->step identity)
+        proc (flow/process step-fn)]
+    (is (some? (step-fn)))
+    (is (= (step-fn) (fspi/describe proc)))))
+
+
+
+(comment
+  (def f (flow/lift1->step identity))
+  (f)
+  (fspi/describe (flow/process f))
+
+  (test-proc-description)
+  )
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