diff --git a/plugins/restful/license_handle.c b/plugins/restful/license_handle.c
index bc9ec0ec..c6bffd63 100644
--- a/plugins/restful/license_handle.c
+++ b/plugins/restful/license_handle.c
@@ -17,17 +17,111 @@
  * Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
  **/
 
+#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
+#include <time.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "neu_errcodes.h"
+#include "neu_file.h"
 #include "neu_plugin.h"
 #include "json/neu_json_error.h"
 #include "json/neu_json_fn.h"
-#include "json/neu_json_node.h"
+#include "json/neu_json_license.h"
 
 #include "handle.h"
 #include "http.h"
-
+#include "license.h"
 #include "license_handle.h"
 
+#define LICENSE_PATH LICENSE_DIR "/" LICENSE_FNAME
+
+static int set_license(const char *lic_str);
+int        backup_license_file(const char *lic_fname);
+
 void handle_set_license(nng_aio *aio)
 {
-    VALIDATE_JWT(aio);
+    REST_PROCESS_HTTP_REQUEST_VALIDATE_JWT(
+        aio, neu_json_set_license_req_t, neu_json_decode_set_license_req, {
+            NEU_JSON_RESPONSE_ERROR(set_license(req->license), {
+                http_response(aio, error_code.error, result_error);
+            });
+        });
+}
+
+static int set_license(const char *lic_str)
+{
+    int         rv        = 0;
+    license_t   new_lic   = {};
+    const char *fname_tmp = LICENSE_PATH ".tmp";
+
+    int len = strlen(lic_str);
+    if (len > 15000) {
+        // the license file won't exceed 15KB
+        return NEU_ERR_LICENSE_INVALID;
+    }
+
+    FILE *fp = fopen(fname_tmp, "w");
+    if (NULL == fp) {
+        log_error("unable to create license tmp file `%s`", fname_tmp);
+        return NEU_ERR_EINTERNAL;
+    }
+
+    rv = fputs(lic_str, fp);
+
+    if (rv < 0) {
+        log_error("unable to write license to file `%s`", fname_tmp);
+        rv = NEU_ERR_EINTERNAL;
+        goto final;
+    }
+
+    fflush(fp);
+
+    license_init(&new_lic);
+    rv = license_read(&new_lic, fname_tmp);
+    license_fini(&new_lic);
+    if (0 != rv) {
+        log_error("bad license string");
+        goto final;
+    }
+
+    if (license_is_expired(&new_lic)) {
+        log_error("expired license string");
+        rv = NEU_ERR_LICENSE_EXPIRED;
+        goto final;
+    }
+
+    if (file_exists(LICENSE_PATH) && 0 > backup_license_file(LICENSE_PATH)) {
+        log_error("unable to backup license file `%s`", LICENSE_PATH);
+        rv = NEU_ERR_EINTERNAL;
+        goto final;
+    }
+
+    if (0 > rename(fname_tmp, LICENSE_PATH)) {
+        rv = NEU_ERR_EINTERNAL;
+    }
+
+final:
+    fclose(fp);
+    remove(fname_tmp);
+    return rv;
+}
+
+int backup_license_file(const char *lic_fname)
+{
+    struct tm tm             = { .tm_isdst = -1 };
+    time_t    now            = time(NULL);
+    char      fname_bak[128] = { 0 };
+
+    size_t n = snprintf(fname_bak, sizeof(fname_bak), "%s.bak", lic_fname);
+    if (sizeof(fname_bak) == n) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    gmtime_r(&now, &tm);
+    if (0 ==
+        strftime(fname_bak + n, sizeof(fname_bak) - n, ".%Y%m%d%H%M%S", &tm)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return link(lic_fname, fname_bak);
 }