diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4c18d1cd..bd234270 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ members = [
   "apis/rust/operator/macros",
   "binaries/*",
   "examples/rust-dataflow/*",
-  "examples/c++-dataflow/*",
+  "examples/c++-dataflow/*-rust-*",
   "libraries/core",
   "libraries/extensions/message",
   "libraries/extensions/telemetry/*",
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml b/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
index 151e3e74..8e4914bd 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@ communication:
     prefix: /example-cxx-dataflow
 
 nodes:
-  - id: cxx-node
+  - id: cxx-node-rust-api
     custom:
-      run: ../../target/release/cxx-dataflow-example-node
+      run: ../../target/release/cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api
+      inputs:
+        tick: dora/timer/millis/300
+      outputs:
+        - counter
+  - id: cxx-node-c-api
+    custom:
+      run: build/node_c_api
       inputs:
         tick: dora/timer/millis/300
       outputs:
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-c-api/main.cc b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-c-api/main.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4fb7cad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-c-api/main.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+extern "C"
+{
+#include "../../../apis/c/node/node_api.h"
+}
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <vector>
+
+int run(void *dora_context)
+{
+    unsigned char counter = 0;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
+    {
+
+        auto input = dora_next_input(dora_context);
+        if (input == NULL)
+        {
+            return 0; // end of input
+        }
+        counter += 1;
+
+        char *id_ptr;
+        size_t id_len;
+        read_dora_input_id(input, &id_ptr, &id_len);
+        std::string id(id_ptr, id_len);
+
+        char *data_ptr;
+        size_t data_len;
+        read_dora_input_data(input, &data_ptr, &data_len);
+        std::vector<unsigned char> data;
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < data_len; i++)
+        {
+            data.push_back(*(data_ptr + i));
+        }
+
+        std::cout
+            << "Received input "
+            << " (counter: " << (unsigned int)counter << ") data: [";
+        for (unsigned char &v : data)
+        {
+            std::cout << (unsigned int)v << ", ";
+        }
+        std::cout << "]" << std::endl;
+
+        free_dora_input(input);
+
+        std::vector<unsigned char> out_vec{counter};
+
+        std::string out_id = "counter";
+
+        int result = dora_send_output(dora_context, &out_id[0], out_id.length(), (char *)&counter, 1);
+        if (result != 0)
+        {
+            std::cerr << "failed to send output" << std::endl;
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << "HELLO FROM C++ (using C API)" << std::endl;
+
+    auto dora_context = init_dora_context_from_env();
+    auto ret = run(dora_context);
+    free_dora_context(dora_context);
+
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs b/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
index 004ebd1c..865ff54e 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,16 @@ async fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
     std::env::set_current_dir(root.join(file!()).parent().unwrap())
         .wrap_err("failed to set working dir")?;
 
+    tokio::fs::create_dir_all(root.join("build")).await?;
+
     build_package("cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api").await?;
+    build_package("dora-node-api-c").await?;
+    build_cxx_node(
+        root,
+        &Path::new("node-c-api").join("main.cc").canonicalize()?,
+        "node_c_api",
+    )
+    .await?;
     build_package("dora-runtime").await?;
 
     dora_coordinator::run(dora_coordinator::Command::Run {
@@ -29,3 +38,21 @@ async fn build_package(package: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     };
     Ok(())
 }
+
+async fn build_cxx_node(root: &Path, path: &Path, out_name: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+    let mut clang = tokio::process::Command::new("clang++");
+    clang.arg(path);
+    clang.arg("-l").arg("dora_node_api_c");
+    clang.arg("-L").arg(root.join("target").join("release"));
+    clang
+        .arg("--output")
+        .arg(Path::new("../build").join(out_name));
+    if let Some(parent) = path.parent() {
+        clang.current_dir(parent);
+    }
+
+    if !clang.status().await?.success() {
+        bail!("failed to compile c++ node");
+    };
+    Ok(())
+}