diff --git a/artiq/management/scheduler.py b/artiq/management/scheduler.py
index 800b44f82..9372b563b 100644
--- a/artiq/management/scheduler.py
+++ b/artiq/management/scheduler.py
@@ -4,23 +4,28 @@ from artiq.management.worker import Worker
 
 
 class Scheduler:
-    def __init__(self, loop):
-        self.loop = loop
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.worker = Worker()
         self.queue = asyncio.Queue()
 
-    def __enter__(self):
-        self.worker = Worker(self.loop)
-        return self
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def start(self):
+        self.task = asyncio.Task(self._schedule())
+        yield from self.worker.create_process()
 
-    def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
-        self.loop.run_until_complete(self.worker.end_process())
-        del self.worker
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def stop(self):
+        self.task.cancel()
+        yield from asyncio.wait([self.task])
+        del self.task
+        yield from self.worker.end_process()
 
-    def add_run_once(self, item, timeout):
-        yield from self.queue.put((item, timeout))
+    def run_once(self, run_params, timeout):
+        self.queue.put_nowait((run_params, timeout))
 
-    def task(self):
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def _schedule(self):
         while True:
-            item, timeout = yield from self.queue.get()
-            result = yield from self.worker.run(item, timeout)
+            run_params, timeout = yield from self.queue.get()
+            result = yield from self.worker.run(run_params, timeout)
             print(result)
diff --git a/artiq/management/worker.py b/artiq/management/worker.py
index f914c45df..b23503e0a 100644
--- a/artiq/management/worker.py
+++ b/artiq/management/worker.py
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@ class WorkerFailed(Exception):
 
 
 class Worker:
-    def __init__(self, loop, send_timeout=0.5, start_reply_timeout=1.0,
+    def __init__(self, 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):
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ class Worker:
         self.process.stdin.write("\n".encode())
         try:
             fut = self.process.stdin.drain()
-            if fut is not (): # FIXME: why does Python return this?
+            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")
diff --git a/frontend/artiq b/frontend/artiq
index dd726ee06..4f1caf32c 100755
--- a/frontend/artiq
+++ b/frontend/artiq
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 import argparse
-import socket
-import json
+
+from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Client
 
 
 def _get_args():
@@ -18,28 +18,20 @@ def _get_args():
     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:
+    remote = Client("::1", 8888)
+    try:
         for path, name, timeout in args.run_once:
-            obj = {
-                "action": "run_once",
-                "run_params": {
+            remote.run_once(
+                {
                     "path": path,
                     "name": name
-                },
-                "timeout": timeout
-            }
-            _send_obj(sock, obj)
+                }, int(timeout))
         if args.quit_master:
-            obj = {"action": "quit"}
-            _send_obj(sock, obj)
+            remote.quit()
+    finally:
+        remote.close()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/frontend/artiqd b/frontend/artiqd
index 62b889b32..c257fb09a 100755
--- a/frontend/artiqd
+++ b/frontend/artiqd
@@ -1,52 +1,42 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 import asyncio
-import json
 
+from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Server
 from artiq.management.scheduler import Scheduler
 
 
-class Server:
-    def __init__(self, loop, scheduler):
+class Master:
+    def __init__(self, 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):
+    def wait_quit(self):
         yield from self.terminate_notify.acquire()
-        scheduler_task.cancel()
+
+    def quit(self):
+        self.terminate_notify.release()
+
+    def run_once(self, run_params, timeout):
+        self.scheduler.run_once(run_params, timeout)
 
 
 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
-            ]))
+        scheduler = Scheduler()
+        loop.run_until_complete(scheduler.start())
+        try:
+            master = Master(scheduler)
+            server = Server(master)
+            loop.run_until_complete(server.start("::1", 8888))
+            try:
+                loop.run_until_complete(master.wait_quit())
+            finally:
+                loop.run_until_complete(server.stop())
+        finally:
+            loop.run_until_complete(scheduler.stop())
     finally:
         loop.close()