diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_ctlid.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_ctlid.py
deleted file mode 100755
index 4219f04a4..000000000
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_ctlid.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-
-import argparse
-
-from artiq.protocols.pc_rpc import Client
-
-
-def get_argparser():
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        description="ARTIQ controller identification tool")
-    parser.add_argument("server",
-                        help="hostname or IP of the controller to connect to")
-    parser.add_argument("port", type=int,
-                        help="TCP port to use to connect to the controller")
-    return parser
-
-
-def main():
-    args = get_argparser().parse_args()
-    remote = Client(args.server, args.port, None)
-    try:
-        target_names, id_parameters = remote.get_rpc_id()
-    finally:
-        remote.close_rpc()
-    print("Target(s):   " + ", ".join(target_names))
-    if id_parameters is not None:
-        print("Parameters:  " + id_parameters)
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main()
diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_rpctool.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_rpctool.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..2ade18b08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_rpctool.py
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import textwrap
+import sys
+
+from artiq.protocols.pc_rpc import Client
+
+
+def get_argparser():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="ARTIQ RPC tool")
+    parser.add_argument("server",
+                        help="hostname or IP of the controller to connect to")
+    parser.add_argument("port", type=int,
+                        help="TCP port to use to connect to the controller")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="action")
+    subparsers.required = True
+    subparsers.add_parser("list-targets", help="list existing targets")
+    parser_list_methods = subparsers.add_parser("list-methods",
+                                                help="list target's methods")
+    parser_list_methods.add_argument("-t", "--target", help="target name")
+    parser_call = subparsers.add_parser("call", help="call a target's method")
+    parser_call.add_argument("-t", "--target", help="target name")
+    parser_call.add_argument("method", help="method name")
+    parser_call.add_argument("args", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER,
+                             help="arguments")
+    return parser
+
+
+def list_targets(target_names, id_parameters):
+    print("Target(s):   " + ", ".join(target_names))
+    if id_parameters is not None:
+        print("Parameters:  " + id_parameters)
+
+
+def list_methods(remote):
+    methods = remote.get_rpc_method_list()
+    for name, (argspec, docstring) in sorted(methods.items()):
+        args = ""
+        for arg in argspec["args"]:
+            args += arg
+            if argspec["defaults"] is not None:
+                kword_index = len(argspec["defaults"]) - len(argspec["args"])\
+                    + argspec["args"].index(arg)
+                if kword_index >= 0:
+                    if argspec["defaults"][kword_index] == Ellipsis:
+                        args += "=..."
+                    else:
+                        args += "={}".format(argspec["defaults"][kword_index])
+            if argspec["args"].index(arg) < len(argspec["args"]) - 1:
+                args += ", "
+        if argspec["varargs"] is not None:
+            args += ", *{}".format(argspec["varargs"])
+        elif len(argspec["kwonlyargs"]) > 0:
+                args += ", *"
+        for kwonlyarg in argspec["kwonlyargs"]:
+            args += ", {}".format(kwonlyarg)
+            if kwonlyarg in argspec["kwonlydefaults"]:
+                if argspec["kwonlydefaults"][kwonlyarg] == Ellipsis:
+                    args += "=..."
+                else:
+                    args += "={}".format(argspec["kwonlydefaults"][kwonlyarg])
+        if argspec["varkw"] is not None:
+            args += ", **{}".format(argspec["varkw"])
+        print("{}({})".format(name, args))
+        if docstring is not None:
+            print(textwrap.indent(docstring, "    "))
+        print()
+
+
+def call_method(remote, method_name, args):
+    method = getattr(remote, method_name)
+    if args != []:
+        args = eval(" ".join(args))
+        try:
+            iter(args)
+        except TypeError:
+            # not iterable
+            ret = method(args)
+        else:
+            # iterable
+            ret = method(*args)
+    else:
+        ret = method()
+    if ret is not None:
+        print("{}".format(ret))
+
+
+def main():
+    args = get_argparser().parse_args()
+
+    remote = Client(args.server, args.port, None)
+
+    targets, id_parameters = remote.get_rpc_id()
+
+    if args.action != "list-targets":
+        # If no target specified and remote has only one, then use this one.
+        # Exit otherwise.
+        if len(targets) > 1 and args.target is None:
+            print("Remote server has several targets, please supply one with "
+                  "-t")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        elif args.target is None:
+            args.target = targets[0]
+        remote.select_rpc_target(args.target)
+
+    if args.action == "list-targets":
+        list_targets(targets, id_parameters)
+    elif args.action == "list-methods":
+        list_methods(remote)
+    elif args.action == "call":
+        call_method(remote, args.method, args.args)
+    else:
+        print("Unrecognized action: {}".format(args.action))
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/artiq/protocols/pc_rpc.py b/artiq/protocols/pc_rpc.py
index 3c49bab81..6499ff65b 100644
--- a/artiq/protocols/pc_rpc.py
+++ b/artiq/protocols/pc_rpc.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import traceback
 import threading
 import time
 import logging
+import inspect
 
 from artiq.protocols import pyon
 from artiq.protocols.asyncio_server import AsyncioServer as _AsyncioServer
@@ -127,9 +128,8 @@ class Client:
             buf += more.decode()
         return pyon.decode(buf)
 
-    def __do_rpc(self, name, args, kwargs):
-        obj = {"action": "call", "name": name, "args": args, "kwargs": kwargs}
-        self.__send(obj)
+    def __do_action(self, action):
+        self.__send(action)
 
         obj = self.__recv()
         if obj["status"] == "ok":
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ class Client:
         else:
             raise ValueError
 
+    def __do_rpc(self, name, args, kwargs):
+        obj = {"action": "call", "name": name, "args": args, "kwargs": kwargs}
+        return self.__do_action(obj)
+
+    def get_rpc_method_list(self):
+        obj = {"action": "get_rpc_method_list"}
+        return self.__do_action(obj)
+
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         def proxy(*args, **kwargs):
             return self.__do_rpc(name, args, kwargs)
@@ -397,9 +405,24 @@ class Server(_AsyncioServer):
                     break
                 obj = pyon.decode(line.decode())
                 try:
-                    method = getattr(target, obj["name"])
-                    ret = method(*obj["args"], **obj["kwargs"])
-                    obj = {"status": "ok", "ret": ret}
+                    if obj["action"] == "get_rpc_method_list":
+                        members = inspect.getmembers(target, inspect.ismethod)
+                        methods = {}
+                        for name, method in members:
+                            if name.startswith("_"):
+                                continue
+                            method = getattr(target, name)
+                            argspec = inspect.getfullargspec(method)
+                            methods[name] = (dict(argspec.__dict__),
+                                             inspect.getdoc(method))
+                        obj = {"status": "ok", "ret": methods}
+                    elif obj["action"] == "call":
+                        method = getattr(target, obj["name"])
+                        ret = method(*obj["args"], **obj["kwargs"])
+                        obj = {"status": "ok", "ret": ret}
+                    else:
+                        raise ValueError("Unknown action: {}"
+                                         .format(obj["action"]))
                 except Exception:
                     obj = {"status": "failed",
                            "message": traceback.format_exc()}
diff --git a/conda/artiq/meta.yaml b/conda/artiq/meta.yaml
index e2d3b6d0f..e1107e24a 100644
--- a/conda/artiq/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/artiq/meta.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ build:
     string: dev
     entry_points:
         - artiq_client = artiq.frontend.artiq_client:main
-        - artiq_ctlid = artiq.frontend.artiq_ctlid:main
+        - artiq_rpctool = artiq.frontend.artiq_rpctool:main
         - artiq_gui = artiq.frontend.artiq_gui:main # [not win]
         - artiq_master = artiq.frontend.artiq_master:main
         - artiq_run = artiq.frontend.artiq_run:main
diff --git a/doc/manual/utilities.rst b/doc/manual/utilities.rst
index cef4cfffb..c6f4d0dc7 100644
--- a/doc/manual/utilities.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/utilities.rst
@@ -8,9 +8,72 @@ Local running tool
    :ref: artiq.frontend.artiq_run.get_argparser
    :prog: artiq_run
 
-Controller identification tool
+Remote Procedure Call tool
 ------------------------------
 
 .. argparse::
-   :ref: artiq.frontend.artiq_ctlid.get_argparser
-   :prog: artiq_ctlid
+   :ref: artiq.frontend.artiq_rpctool.get_argparser
+   :prog: artiq_rpctool
+
+This tool is the preferred way of handling simple ARTIQ controllers.
+Instead of writing a client for very simple cases you can just use this tool
+in order to call remote functions of an ARTIQ controller.
+
+* Listing existing targets
+
+        The ``list-targets`` sub-command will print to standard output the
+        target list of the remote server::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port list-targets
+
+* Listing callable functions
+
+        The ``list-methods`` sub-command will print to standard output a sorted
+        list of the functions you can call on the remote server's target.
+
+        The list will contain function names, signatures (arguments) and
+        docstrings.
+
+        If the server has only one target, you can do::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port list-methods
+
+        Otherwise you need to specify the target, using the ``-t target``
+        option::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port list-methods -t target_name
+
+* Remotely calling a function
+
+        The ``call`` sub-command will call a function on the specified remote
+        server's target, passing the specified arguments.
+        Like with the previous sub-command, you only need to provide the target
+        name (with ``-t target``) if the server hosts several targets.
+
+        The following example will call the ``set_attenuation`` method of the
+        Lda controller with the argument ``5``::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py ::1 3253 call -t lda set_attenuation 5
+
+        In general, to call a function named ``f`` with N arguments named
+        respectively ``x1, x2, ..., xN``.
+
+        You must pass them as a Python iterable object::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port call -t target f '(x1, x2, ..., xN)'
+
+        You can use Python syntax to compute arguments as they will be passed
+        to the ``eval()`` primitive::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port call -t target f '(x*3+5 for x in range(8))'
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py hostname port call -t target f 'range(5)'
+
+        If you only need one argument, you don't need to pass an iterable, a
+        single value is accepted.
+
+        If the called function has a return value, it will get printed to
+        the standard output if the value is not None like in the standard
+        python interactive console::
+
+            $ artiq_rpctool.py ::1 3253 call get_attenuation
+            5.0 dB
diff --git a/doc/manual/writing_a_driver.rst b/doc/manual/writing_a_driver.rst
index a709908aa..6aa3d4d51 100644
--- a/doc/manual/writing_a_driver.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/writing_a_driver.rst
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ and verify that you can connect to the TCP port: ::
 
 :tip: Use the key combination Ctrl-AltGr-9 to get the ``telnet>`` prompt, and enter ``close`` to quit Telnet. Quit the controller with Ctrl-C.
 
-Also verify that a target (service) named "hello" (as passed in the first argument to ``simple_server_loop``) exists using the ``artiq_ctlid.py`` program from the ARTIQ front-end tools: ::
+Also verify that a target (service) named "hello" (as passed in the first argument to ``simple_server_loop``) exists using the ``artiq_rpctool.py`` program from the ARTIQ front-end tools: ::
 
-    $ artiq_ctlid.py ::1 3249
+    $ artiq_rpctool.py ::1 3249 list-targets
     Target(s):   hello
 
 The client
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index bf51a65ea..0afb79417 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ requirements = [
                ]
 scripts = [
            "artiq_client=artiq.frontend.artiq_client:main",
-           "artiq_ctlid=artiq.frontend.artiq_ctlid:main",
+           "artiq_rpctool=artiq.frontend.artiq_rpctool:main",
            "artiq_ctlmgr=artiq.frontend.artiq_ctlmgr:main",
            "artiq_master=artiq.frontend.artiq_master:main",
            "artiq_run=artiq.frontend.artiq_run:main",