diff --git a/tools/tuhi-kete.py b/tools/tuhi-kete.py
index 3ba0d03..589d6b9 100755
--- a/tools/tuhi-kete.py
+++ b/tools/tuhi-kete.py
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 from gi.repository import GObject, Gio, GLib
 import sys
 import argparse
+import cmd
 import os
 import json
 import logging
 import re
 import select
+import threading
 import time
 import svgwrite
 
@@ -189,7 +191,7 @@ class TuhiKeteManager(_DBusObject):
                            None,
                            self._on_name_vanished)
 
-        self.mainloop = GObject.MainLoop()
+        self.mainloop = None
         self._devices = {}
         self._pairable_devices = {}
         for objpath in self.property('Devices'):
@@ -213,6 +215,9 @@ class TuhiKeteManager(_DBusObject):
         self._pairable_devices = {}
 
     def run(self):
+        if self.mainloop is None:
+            self.mainloop = GObject.MainLoop()
+
         try:
             self.mainloop.run()
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
@@ -220,7 +225,8 @@ class TuhiKeteManager(_DBusObject):
             self.mainloop.quit()
 
     def quit(self):
-        self.mainloop.quit()
+        if self.mainloop is not None:
+            self.mainloop.quit()
 
     def _on_properties_changed(self, proxy, changed_props, invalidated_props):
         if changed_props is None:
@@ -265,6 +271,10 @@ class TuhiKeteManager(_DBusObject):
         pass
 
 
+class Args(object):
+    pass
+
+
 class Worker(GObject.Object):
     """Implements a command to be executed.
     Subclasses need to overwrite run() that will be executed
@@ -480,6 +490,118 @@ class Printer(Worker):
             print(d)
 
 
+class TuhiKeteShell(cmd.Cmd):
+    intro = 'Tuhi shell control'
+    prompt = 'tuhi> '
+
+    def __init__(self, manager, completekey='tab', stdin=None, stdout=None):
+        super(TuhiKeteShell, self).__init__(completekey, stdin, stdout)
+        self._manager = manager
+        self._workers = []
+
+    def emptyline(self):
+        # make sure we do not re-enter the last typed command
+        pass
+
+    def do_EOF(self, arg):
+        '''leave the shell'''
+        print('\n\r', end='')  # to remove the appended weird char
+        return self.do_exit(arg)
+
+    def do_exit(self, args):
+        '''leave the shell'''
+        for worker in self._workers:
+            worker.stop()
+        return True
+
+    def run(self, init=None):
+        try:
+            self.cmdloop(init)
+        except KeyboardInterrupt as e:
+            print("^C")
+            self.run('')
+
+    def start_worker(self, worker_class, args=None):
+        worker = worker_class(self._manager, args)
+        worker.run()
+        self._workers.append(worker)
+
+    def do_list(self, arg):
+        '''list known devices'''
+        self.start_worker(Printer)
+
+    _listen_usage = 'Usage: listen 12:34:56:AB:CD:EF [on|off]'
+    def do_listen(self, args):
+        '''Listen to a specific device:
+        Usage: listen 12:34:56:AB:CD:EF [on|off]'''
+
+        if args is '':
+            print(self._listen_usage)
+            return
+
+        args = args.split(' ')
+        address = args[0]
+        try:
+            mode = args[1]
+        except IndexError:
+            mode = 'on'
+
+        if mode != 'on' and mode != 'off':
+            print(self._listen_usage)
+            return
+
+        for d in self._manager.devices:
+            if d.address == address:
+                if mode == 'on' and d.listening:
+                    print(f'Already listening on {address}')
+                    return
+                elif mode == 'off' and not d.listening:
+                    print(f'Not listening on {address}')
+                    return
+                break
+        else:
+            print(f'Device {address} not found')
+            return
+
+        if mode == 'off':
+            for worker in [w for w in self._workers if isinstance(w, Listener)]:
+                if worker.device.address == address:
+                    worker.stop()
+                    self._workers.remove(worker)
+                    break
+            return
+
+        wargs = Args()
+        wargs.address = address
+        self.start_worker(Listener, wargs)
+
+
+class TuhiKeteShellWorker(Worker):
+    def __init__(self, manager, args):
+        super(TuhiKeteShellWorker, self).__init__(manager)
+
+    def start_mainloop(self):
+        # we can not call GLib.MainLoop() here or it will install a unix signal
+        # handler for SIGINT, and we will not be able to catch
+        # KeyboardInterrupt in cmdloop()
+        mainloop = GLib.MainLoop.new(None, False)
+
+        mainloop.run()
+
+    def start(self):
+        self._glib_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.start_mainloop)
+        self._glib_thread.daemon = True
+        self._glib_thread.start()
+
+        self.run()
+
+        self.stop()
+
+    def run(self):
+        self._shell = TuhiKeteShell(self.manager)
+        self._shell.run()
+
+
 def parse_list(parser):
     sub = parser.add_parser('list', help='list known devices')
     sub.set_defaults(worker=Printer)
@@ -515,6 +637,11 @@ def parse_fetch(parser):
     sub.set_defaults(worker=Fetcher)
 
 
+def parse_shell(parser):
+    sub = parser.add_parser('shell', help='run a bash-like shell')
+    sub.set_defaults(worker=TuhiKeteShellWorker)
+
+
 def parse(args):
     desc = 'Commandline client to the Tuhi DBus daemon'
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=desc)
@@ -528,6 +655,7 @@ def parse(args):
     parse_pair(subparser)
     parse_listen(subparser)
     parse_fetch(subparser)
+    parse_shell(subparser)
 
     return parser.parse_args(args[1:])
 
@@ -538,7 +666,7 @@ def main(args):
         logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
     if not hasattr(args, 'worker'):
-        args.worker = Printer
+        args.worker = TuhiKeteShellWorker
 
     try:
         with TuhiKeteManager() as mgr: