diff --git a/command/payload_cmds.cpp b/command/payload_cmds.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02c854a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/payload_cmds.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#include <host-ipmid/ipmid-api.h>
+#include <phosphor-logging/log.hpp>
+#include "main.hpp"
+#include "payload_cmds.hpp"
+#include "sol/sol_manager.hpp"
+#include "sol_cmds.hpp"
+
+namespace sol
+{
+
+namespace command
+{
+
+using namespace phosphor::logging;
+
+std::vector<uint8_t> activatePayload(std::vector<uint8_t>& inPayload,
+                                     const message::Handler& handler)
+{
+    std::vector<uint8_t> outPayload(sizeof(ActivatePayloadResponse));
+    auto request = reinterpret_cast<ActivatePayloadRequest*>(inPayload.data());
+    auto response = reinterpret_cast<ActivatePayloadResponse*>
+                    (outPayload.data());
+
+    response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_OK;
+
+    // SOL is the payload currently supported for activation.
+    if (static_cast<uint8_t>(message::PayloadType::SOL) != request->payloadType)
+    {
+        response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_INVALID_FIELD_REQUEST;
+        return outPayload;
+    }
+
+    // Only one instance of SOL is currently supported.
+    if (request->payloadInstance != 1)
+    {
+        response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_INVALID_FIELD_REQUEST;
+        return outPayload;
+    }
+
+    auto session = (std::get<session::Manager&>(singletonPool).getSession(
+                       handler.sessionID)).lock();
+
+    if (!request->encryption && session->isCryptAlgoEnabled())
+    {
+        response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_PAYLOAD_WITHOUT_ENCRYPTION;
+        return outPayload;
+    }
+
+    auto status = std::get<sol::Manager&>(singletonPool).isPayloadActive(
+            request->payloadInstance);
+    if (status)
+    {
+        response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_PAYLOAD_ALREADY_ACTIVE;
+        return outPayload;
+    }
+
+    // Set the current command's socket channel to the session
+    handler.setChannelInSession();
+
+    // Start the SOL payload
+    try
+    {
+        std::get<sol::Manager&>(singletonPool).startPayloadInstance(
+                request->payloadInstance,
+                handler.sessionID);
+    }
+    catch (std::exception& e)
+    {
+        log<level::ERR>(e.what());
+        response->completionCode = IPMI_CC_UNSPECIFIED_ERROR;
+        return outPayload;
+    }
+
+    response->inPayloadSize = endian::to_ipmi<uint16_t>(MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE);
+    response->outPayloadSize = endian::to_ipmi<uint16_t>(MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE);
+    response->portNum = endian::to_ipmi<uint16_t>(IPMI_STD_PORT);
+
+    // VLAN addressing is not used
+    response->vlanNum = 0xFFFF;
+
+    return outPayload;
+}
+
+} // namespace command
+
+} // namespace sol