diff --git a/artiq/protocols/broadcast.py b/artiq/protocols/broadcast.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b91269845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/protocols/broadcast.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from artiq.protocols import pyon
+from artiq.protocols.asyncio_server import AsyncioServer
+
+
+_init_string = b"ARTIQ broadcast\n"
+
+
+class Receiver:
+    def __init__(self, name, notify_cb):
+        self.name = name
+        if not isinstance(notify_cb, list):
+            notify_cb = [notify_cb]
+        self.notify_cbs = notify_cb
+
+    async def connect(self, host, port):
+        self.reader, self.writer = \
+            await asyncio.open_connection(host, port, limit=4*1024*1024)
+        try:
+            self.writer.write(_init_string)
+            self.writer.write((self.name + "\n").encode())
+            self.receive_task = asyncio.ensure_future(self._receive_cr())
+        except:
+            self.writer.close()
+            del self.reader
+            del self.writer
+            raise
+
+    async def close(self):
+        try:
+            self.receive_task.cancel()
+            try:
+                await asyncio.wait_for(self.receive_task, None)
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                pass
+        finally:
+            self.writer.close()
+            del self.reader
+            del self.writer
+
+    async def _receive_cr(self):
+        target = None
+        while True:
+            line = await self.reader.readline()
+            if not line:
+                return
+            obj = pyon.decode(line.decode())
+
+            for notify_cb in self.notify_cbs:
+                notify_cb(obj)
+
+
+class Broadcaster(AsyncioServer):
+    def __init__(self):
+        AsyncioServer.__init__(self, maxbuf=1024)
+        self._maxbuf = maxbuf
+        self._recipients = dict()
+
+    async def _handle_connection_cr(self, reader, writer):
+        try:
+            line = await reader.readline()
+            if line != _init_string:
+                return
+
+            line = await reader.readline()
+            if not line:
+                return
+            name = line.decode()[:-1]
+
+            queue = asyncio.Queue(self._maxbuf)
+            if name in self._recipients:
+                self._recipients[name].add(queue)
+            else:
+                self._recipients[name] = {queue}
+            try:
+                while True:
+                    line = await queue.get()
+                    writer.write(line)
+                    # raise exception on connection error
+                    await writer.drain()
+            finally:
+                self._recipients[name].remove(queue)
+                if not self._recipients[name]:
+                    del self._recipients[name]
+        except (ConnectionResetError, ConnectionAbortedError, BrokenPipeError):
+            # receivers disconnecting are a normal occurence
+            pass
+        finally:
+            writer.close()
+
+    def broadcast(self, name, obj):
+        if name in self._recipients:
+            line = pyon.encode(obj) + "\n"
+            line = line.encode()
+            for recipient in self._recipients[name]:
+                try:
+                    recipient.put_nowait(line)
+                except asyncio.QueueFull:
+                    # do not log as logs may be redirected to a Broadcaster
+                    pass