diff --git a/artiq/management/scheduler.py b/artiq/management/scheduler.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..800b44f82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/management/scheduler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from artiq.management.worker import Worker
+
+
+class Scheduler:
+    def __init__(self, loop):
+        self.loop = loop
+        self.queue = asyncio.Queue()
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        self.worker = Worker(self.loop)
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
+        self.loop.run_until_complete(self.worker.end_process())
+        del self.worker
+
+    def add_run_once(self, item, timeout):
+        yield from self.queue.put((item, timeout))
+
+    def task(self):
+        while True:
+            item, timeout = yield from self.queue.get()
+            result = yield from self.worker.run(item, timeout)
+            print(result)
diff --git a/artiq/management/worker.py b/artiq/management/worker.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f914c45df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/management/worker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import sys
+import asyncio
+import subprocess
+import signal
+import json
+
+
+class WorkerFailed(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class Worker:
+    def __init__(self, loop, send_timeout=0.5, start_reply_timeout=1.0,
+                 term_timeout=1.0):
+        self.send_timeout = send_timeout
+        self.start_reply_timeout = start_reply_timeout
+        self.term_timeout = term_timeout
+        loop.run_until_complete(self.create_process())
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def create_process(self):
+        self.process = yield from asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+            sys.executable, "-m", "artiq.management.worker_impl",
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stdin=subprocess.PIPE)
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def _send(self, obj, timeout):
+        line = json.dumps(obj)
+        self.process.stdin.write(line.encode())
+        self.process.stdin.write("\n".encode())
+        try:
+            fut = self.process.stdin.drain()
+            if fut is not (): # FIXME: why does Python return this?
+                yield from asyncio.wait_for(fut, timeout=timeout)
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            raise WorkerFailed("Timeout sending data from worker")
+        except:
+            raise WorkerFailed("Failed to send data to worker")
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def _recv(self, timeout):
+        try:
+            line = yield from asyncio.wait_for(
+                self.process.stdout.readline(), timeout=timeout)
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            raise WorkerFailed("Timeout receiving data from worker")
+        if not line:
+            raise WorkerFailed(
+                "Worker ended unexpectedly while trying to receive data")
+        try:
+            obj = json.loads(line.decode())
+        except:
+            raise WorkerFailed("Worker sent invalid JSON data")
+        return obj
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def run(self, run_params, result_timeout):
+        yield from self._send(run_params, self.send_timeout)
+        obj = yield from self._recv(self.start_reply_timeout)
+        if obj != "ack":
+            raise WorkerFailed("Incorrect acknowledgement")
+        result = yield from self._recv(result_timeout)
+        return result
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def end_process(self):
+        if self.process.returncode is not None:
+            return
+        self.process.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
+        try:
+            yield from asyncio.wait_for(
+                self.process.wait(), timeout=self.term_timeout)
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            self.process.send_signal(signal.SIGKILL)
diff --git a/artiq/management/worker_impl.py b/artiq/management/worker_impl.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9a710ab4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/management/worker_impl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import json
+import sys
+import importlib
+
+
+def import_in_folder(path, name):
+    try:
+        del sys.modules[name]  # force path search
+    except KeyError:
+        pass
+    loader = importlib.find_loader(name, [path])
+    if loader is None:
+        raise ImportError("Could not find loader")
+    return loader.load_module()
+
+
+def run(path, name):
+    module = import_in_folder(path, name)
+    module.main()
+
+
+def put_object(obj):
+    ds = json.dumps(obj)
+    sys.__stdout__.write(ds)
+    sys.__stdout__.write("\n")
+    sys.__stdout__.flush()
+
+
+def main():
+    sys.stdout = sys.stderr
+
+    while True:
+        line = sys.__stdin__.readline()
+        obj = json.loads(line)
+        put_object("ack")
+
+        try:
+            run(**obj)
+        except Exception as e:
+            put_object({"status": "failed", "message": str(e)})
+        else:
+            put_object({"status": "ok"})
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/frontend/artiq b/frontend/artiq
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..dd726ee06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/artiq
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import socket
+import json
+
+
+def _get_args():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="ARTIQ client")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-o", "--run-once", default=[], nargs=3,
+        action="append",
+        help="run experiment once. arguments: <path> <name> <timeout>")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-q", "--quit-master", default=False,
+        action="store_true",
+        help="causes the master to quit")
+    return parser.parse_args()
+
+
+def _send_obj(sock, obj):
+    line = json.dumps(obj) + "\n"
+    sock.sendall(line.encode())
+
+
+def main():
+    args = _get_args()
+
+    with socket.create_connection(("::1", 8888)) as sock:
+        for path, name, timeout in args.run_once:
+            obj = {
+                "action": "run_once",
+                "run_params": {
+                    "path": path,
+                    "name": name
+                },
+                "timeout": timeout
+            }
+            _send_obj(sock, obj)
+        if args.quit_master:
+            obj = {"action": "quit"}
+            _send_obj(sock, obj)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/frontend/artiqd b/frontend/artiqd
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..62b889b32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/artiqd
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+
+from artiq.management.scheduler import Scheduler
+
+
+class Server:
+    def __init__(self, loop, scheduler):
+        self.scheduler = scheduler
+        self.terminate_notify = asyncio.Semaphore(0)
+        loop.run_until_complete(
+            asyncio.start_server(self.handle_connection, "::1", 8888))
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def handle_connection(self, reader, writer):
+        while True:
+            line = yield from reader.readline()
+            if not line:
+                writer.close()
+                return
+            obj = json.loads(line.decode())
+            action = obj["action"]
+            if action == "run_once":
+                yield from self.scheduler.add_run_once(obj["run_params"],
+                                                       float(obj["timeout"]))
+            elif action == "quit":
+                self.terminate_notify.release()
+            else:
+                print("warning: unknown action " + action)
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def task(self, scheduler_task):
+        yield from self.terminate_notify.acquire()
+        scheduler_task.cancel()
+
+
+def main():
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+    try:
+        with Scheduler(loop) as scheduler:
+            server = Server(loop, scheduler)
+            scheduler_task = asyncio.Task(scheduler.task())
+            server_task = asyncio.Task(server.task(scheduler_task))
+            loop.run_until_complete(asyncio.wait([
+                scheduler_task,
+                server_task
+            ]))
+    finally:
+        loop.close()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()