diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 73a91fa..6a917f9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,11 +5,16 @@ set(QT_MIN_VERSION "6.6.0")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 
+option(TESTS "Build tests" OFF)
+
+option(SOCKETS "Enable unix socket support" ON)
 option(WAYLAND "Enable wayland support" ON)
 option(WAYLAND_WLR_LAYERSHELL "Support the zwlr_layer_shell_v1 wayland protocol" ON)
 option(WAYLAND_SESSION_LOCK "Support the ext_session_lock_v1 wayland protocol" ON)
 
 message(STATUS "Quickshell configuration")
+message(STATUS "  Build tests: ${TESTS}")
+message(STATUS "  Sockets: ${SOCKETS}")
 message(STATUS "  Wayland: ${WAYLAND}")
 if (WAYLAND)
 	message(STATUS "    Wlroots Layershell: ${WAYLAND_WLR_LAYERSHELL}")
@@ -31,6 +36,16 @@ endif()
 set(QT_DEPS Qt6::Gui Qt6::Qml Qt6::Quick Qt6::QuickControls2)
 set(QT_FPDEPS Gui Qml Quick QuickControls2)
 
+if (TESTS)
+	enable_testing()
+	list(APPEND QT_FPDEPS Test)
+endif()
+
+if (SOCKETS)
+	list(APPEND QT_DEPS Qt6::Network)
+	list(APPEND QT_FPDEPS Network)
+endif()
+
 if (WAYLAND)
 	list(APPEND QT_DEPS Qt6::WaylandClient Qt6::WaylandClientPrivate)
 	list(APPEND QT_FPDEPS WaylandClient)
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index 1f688ea..3de65e9 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ clean:
 
 run *ARGS='': build
 	{{builddir}}/src/core/quickshell {{ARGS}}
+
+test *ARGS='': build
+	ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure {{ARGS}}
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index a41f52c..3442405 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,8 +15,17 @@ qt_add_executable(quickshell
 	windowinterface.cpp
 	floatingwindow.cpp
 	panelinterface.cpp
+	datastream.cpp
 )
 
 qt_add_qml_module(quickshell URI Quickshell)
 
+if (SOCKETS)
+	target_sources(quickshell PRIVATE socket.cpp)
+endif()
+
 target_link_libraries(quickshell PRIVATE ${QT_DEPS})
+
+if (TESTS)
+	add_subdirectory(test)
+endif()
diff --git a/src/core/datastream.cpp b/src/core/datastream.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01a7364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/datastream.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+#include "datastream.hpp"
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <utility>
+
+#include <qlocalsocket.h>
+#include <qobject.h>
+#include <qtmetamacros.h>
+#include <qtypes.h>
+
+DataStreamParser* DataStream::reader() const { return this->mReader; }
+
+void DataStream::setReader(DataStreamParser* reader) {
+	if (reader == this->mReader) return;
+
+	if (this->mReader != nullptr) {
+		QObject::disconnect(this->mReader, nullptr, this, nullptr);
+	}
+
+	this->mReader = reader;
+
+	if (reader != nullptr) {
+		QObject::connect(reader, &QObject::destroyed, this, &DataStream::onReaderDestroyed);
+	}
+
+	emit this->readerChanged();
+
+	if (reader != nullptr && !this->buffer.isEmpty()) {
+		reader->parseBytes(this->buffer, this->buffer);
+	}
+}
+
+void DataStream::onReaderDestroyed() {
+	this->mReader = nullptr;
+	emit this->readerChanged();
+}
+
+void DataStream::onBytesAvailable() {
+	auto buf = this->ioDevice()->readAll();
+	this->mReader->parseBytes(buf, this->buffer);
+}
+
+void SplitParser::parseBytes(QByteArray& incoming, QByteArray& buffer) {
+	if (this->mSplitMarker.isEmpty()) {
+		if (!buffer.isEmpty()) {
+			emit this->read(QString(buffer));
+			buffer.clear();
+		}
+
+		emit this->read(QString(incoming));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// make sure we dont miss any delimiters in the buffer if the delimiter changes
+	if (this->mSplitMarkerChanged) {
+		this->mSplitMarkerChanged = false;
+		this->parseBytes(buffer, buffer);
+	}
+
+	auto marker = this->mSplitMarker.toUtf8();
+	auto mlen = marker.length();
+
+	auto blen = buffer.size();
+	auto ilen = incoming.size();
+
+	qsizetype start = &incoming == &buffer ? 0 : -blen;
+	for (auto readi = -std::min(blen, mlen - 1); readi <= ilen - mlen; readi++) {
+		for (auto marki = 0; marki < mlen; marki++) {
+			qint8 byte; // NOLINT
+			if (readi + marki < 0) byte = buffer[blen + readi + marki];
+			else byte = incoming[readi + marki];
+
+			if (byte != marker[marki]) goto fail;
+		}
+
+		{
+			QByteArray slice;
+			if (start < 0) slice = buffer.sliced(0, std::min(blen, blen + readi));
+			if (readi > 0) {
+				auto sstart = std::max(static_cast<qsizetype>(0), start);
+				slice.append(incoming.sliced(sstart, readi - sstart));
+			}
+			readi += mlen;
+			start = readi;
+			emit this->read(QString(slice));
+		}
+
+	fail:;
+	}
+
+	if (start < 0) {
+		buffer.append(incoming);
+	} else {
+		// Will break the init case if inlined. Must be before clear.
+		auto slice = incoming.sliced(start);
+		buffer.clear();
+		buffer.insert(0, slice);
+	}
+}
+
+QString SplitParser::splitMarker() const { return this->mSplitMarker; }
+
+void SplitParser::setSplitMarker(QString marker) {
+	if (marker == this->mSplitMarker) return;
+
+	this->mSplitMarker = std::move(marker);
+	this->mSplitMarkerChanged = true;
+	emit this->splitMarkerChanged();
+}
diff --git a/src/core/datastream.hpp b/src/core/datastream.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13baf28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/datastream.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <qbytearray.h>
+#include <qlocalsocket.h>
+#include <qobject.h>
+#include <qqmlintegration.h>
+#include <qtmetamacros.h>
+#include <qvariant.h>
+
+class DataStreamParser;
+
+///! Data source that can be streamed into a parser.
+/// See also: [DataStreamParser](../datastreamparser)
+class DataStream: public QObject {
+	Q_OBJECT;
+	/// The parser to stream data from this source into.
+	/// If the parser is null no data will be read.
+	Q_PROPERTY(DataStreamParser* parser READ reader WRITE setReader NOTIFY readerChanged);
+	QML_ELEMENT;
+	QML_UNCREATABLE("base class");
+
+public:
+	explicit DataStream(QObject* parent = nullptr): QObject(parent) {}
+
+	[[nodiscard]] DataStreamParser* reader() const;
+	void setReader(DataStreamParser* reader);
+
+signals:
+	void readerChanged();
+
+public slots:
+	void onBytesAvailable();
+
+protected:
+	[[nodiscard]] virtual QIODevice* ioDevice() const = 0;
+
+private slots:
+	void onReaderDestroyed();
+
+private:
+	DataStreamParser* mReader = nullptr;
+	QByteArray buffer;
+};
+
+///! Parser for streamed input data.
+/// See also: [DataStream](../datastream), [SplitParser](../splitparser)
+class DataStreamParser: public QObject {
+	Q_OBJECT;
+	QML_ELEMENT;
+	QML_UNCREATABLE("base class");
+
+public:
+	explicit DataStreamParser(QObject* parent = nullptr): QObject(parent) {}
+
+	// the buffer will be sent in both slots if there is data remaining from a previous parser
+	virtual void parseBytes(QByteArray& incoming, QByteArray& buffer) = 0;
+
+signals:
+	/// Emitted when data is read from the stream.
+	void read(QString data);
+};
+
+///! Parser for delimited data streams.
+/// Parser for delimited data streams. [read()] is emitted once per delimited chunk of the stream.
+///
+/// [read()]: ../datastreamparser#sig.read
+class SplitParser: public DataStreamParser {
+	Q_OBJECT;
+	/// The delimiter for parsed data. May be multiple characters. Defaults to `\n`.
+	///
+	/// If the delimiter is empty read lengths may be arbitrary (whatever is returned by the
+	/// underlying read call.)
+	Q_PROPERTY(QString splitMarker READ splitMarker WRITE setSplitMarker NOTIFY splitMarkerChanged);
+	QML_ELEMENT;
+
+public:
+	explicit SplitParser(QObject* parent = nullptr): DataStreamParser(parent) {}
+
+	void parseBytes(QByteArray& incoming, QByteArray& buffer) override;
+
+	[[nodiscard]] QString splitMarker() const;
+	void setSplitMarker(QString marker);
+
+signals:
+	void splitMarkerChanged();
+
+private:
+	QString mSplitMarker = "\n";
+	bool mSplitMarkerChanged = false;
+};
diff --git a/src/core/module.md b/src/core/module.md
index 70b2c8c..b94d491 100644
--- a/src/core/module.md
+++ b/src/core/module.md
@@ -12,5 +12,7 @@ headers = [
 	"windowinterface.hpp",
 	"panelinterface.hpp",
 	"floatingwindow.hpp",
+	"datastream.hpp",
+	"socket.hpp",
 ]
 -----
diff --git a/src/core/socket.cpp b/src/core/socket.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9610848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/socket.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#include "socket.hpp"
+#include <utility>
+
+#include <qlocalsocket.h>
+#include <qobject.h>
+#include <qtmetamacros.h>
+
+#include "datastream.hpp"
+
+void Socket::setSocket(QLocalSocket* socket) {
+	if (this->socket != nullptr) this->socket->deleteLater();
+
+	this->socket = socket;
+	socket->setParent(this);
+
+	if (socket != nullptr) {
+		// clang-format off
+		QObject::connect(this->socket, &QLocalSocket::connected, this, &Socket::onSocketConnected);
+		QObject::connect(this->socket, &QLocalSocket::disconnected, this, &Socket::onSocketDisconnected);
+		QObject::connect(this->socket, &QLocalSocket::errorOccurred, this, &Socket::error);
+		QObject::connect(this->socket, &QLocalSocket::readyRead, this, &DataStream::onBytesAvailable);
+		// clang-format on
+
+		if (socket->isOpen()) this->onSocketConnected();
+	}
+}
+
+QString Socket::path() const { return this->mPath; }
+
+void Socket::setPath(QString path) {
+	if ((this->connected && !this->disconnecting) || path == this->mPath) return;
+	this->mPath = std::move(path);
+	emit this->pathChanged();
+
+	if (this->targetConnected && this->socket == nullptr) this->connectPathSocket();
+}
+
+void Socket::onSocketConnected() {
+	this->connected = true;
+	this->targetConnected = false;
+	this->disconnecting = false;
+	emit this->connectionStateChanged();
+}
+
+void Socket::onSocketDisconnected() {
+	this->connected = false;
+	this->disconnecting = false;
+	this->socket->deleteLater();
+	this->socket = nullptr;
+	emit this->connectionStateChanged();
+
+	if (this->targetConnected) this->connectPathSocket();
+}
+
+bool Socket::isConnected() const { return this->connected; }
+
+void Socket::setConnected(bool connected) {
+	this->targetConnected = connected;
+
+	if (!connected) {
+		if (this->socket != nullptr && !this->disconnecting) {
+			this->disconnecting = true;
+			this->socket->disconnectFromServer();
+		}
+	} else if (this->socket == nullptr) this->connectPathSocket();
+}
+
+QIODevice* Socket::ioDevice() const { return this->socket; }
+
+void Socket::connectPathSocket() {
+	if (!this->mPath.isEmpty()) {
+		auto* socket = new QLocalSocket();
+		socket->setServerName(this->mPath);
+		this->setSocket(socket);
+		this->socket->connectToServer(QIODevice::ReadWrite);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/core/socket.hpp b/src/core/socket.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9742e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/socket.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <qlocalsocket.h>
+#include <qobject.h>
+#include <qtmetamacros.h>
+
+#include "datastream.hpp"
+
+///! Unix socket listener.
+class Socket: public DataStream {
+	Q_OBJECT;
+	/// Returns if the socket is currently connected.
+	///
+	/// Writing to this property will set the target connection state and will not
+	/// update the property immediately. Setting the property to false will begin disconnecting
+	/// the socket, and setting it to true will begin connecting the socket if path is not empty.
+	Q_PROPERTY(bool connected READ isConnected WRITE setConnected NOTIFY connectionStateChanged);
+	/// The path to connect this socket to when `connected` is set to true.
+	///
+	/// Changing this property will have no effect while the connection is active.
+	Q_PROPERTY(QString path READ path WRITE setPath NOTIFY pathChanged);
+	QML_ELEMENT;
+
+public:
+	explicit Socket(QObject* parent = nullptr): DataStream(parent) {}
+
+	// takes ownership
+	void setSocket(QLocalSocket* socket);
+
+	[[nodiscard]] bool isConnected() const;
+	void setConnected(bool connected);
+
+	[[nodiscard]] QString path() const;
+	void setPath(QString path);
+
+signals:
+	/// This signal is sent whenever a socket error is encountered.
+	void error(QLocalSocket::LocalSocketError error);
+
+	void connectionStateChanged();
+	void pathChanged();
+
+protected:
+	[[nodiscard]] QIODevice* ioDevice() const override;
+
+private slots:
+	void onSocketConnected();
+	void onSocketDisconnected();
+
+private:
+	void connectPathSocket();
+
+	QLocalSocket* socket = nullptr;
+	bool connected = false;
+	bool disconnecting = false;
+	bool targetConnected = false;
+	QString mPath;
+};
diff --git a/src/core/test/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/test/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c0cfc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+function (qs_test name)
+	add_executable(${name} ${ARGN})
+	target_link_libraries(${name} PRIVATE ${QT_DEPS} Qt6::Test)
+	add_test(NAME ${name} WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}" COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${name}>)
+endfunction()
+
+qs_test(datastream datastream.cpp ../datastream.cpp)
diff --git a/src/core/test/datastream.cpp b/src/core/test/datastream.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0f36be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/test/datastream.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+#include "../datastream.hpp"
+
+#include <qbytearray.h>
+#include <qlist.h>
+#include <qlogging.h>
+#include <qobject.h>
+#include <qsignalspy.h>
+#include <qtest.h>
+#include <qtestcase.h>
+#include <qtmetamacros.h>
+
+class TestSplitParser: public QObject {
+	Q_OBJECT;
+private slots:
+	void splits_data() { // NOLINT
+		QTest::addColumn<QString>("mark");
+		QTest::addColumn<QString>("buffer");   // max that can go in the buffer
+		QTest::addColumn<QString>("incoming"); // data that has to be tested on the end in one go
+		QTest::addColumn<QList<QString>>("results");
+		QTest::addColumn<QString>("remainder");
+
+		// NOLINTBEGIN
+		// clang-format off
+		QTest::addRow("simple") << "-"
+			<< "foo" << "-"
+			<< QList<QString>("foo") << "";
+
+		QTest::addRow("multiple") << "-"
+			<< "foo" << "-bar-baz-"
+			<< QList<QString>({ "foo", "bar", "baz" }) << "";
+
+		QTest::addRow("incomplete") << "-"
+			<< "foo" << "-bar-baz"
+			<< QList<QString>({ "foo", "bar" }) << "baz";
+
+		QTest::addRow("longsplit") << "12345"
+			<< "foo1234" << "5bar12345"
+			<< QList<QString>({ "foo", "bar" }) << "";
+
+		QTest::addRow("longsplit-incomplete") << "123"
+			<< "foo12" << "3bar123baz"
+			<< QList<QString>({ "foo", "bar" }) << "baz";
+		// clang-format on
+		// NOLINTEND
+	}
+
+	void splits() { // NOLINT
+		// NOLINTBEGIN
+		QFETCH(QString, mark);
+		QFETCH(QString, buffer);
+		QFETCH(QString, incoming);
+		QFETCH(QList<QString>, results);
+		QFETCH(QString, remainder);
+		// NOLINTEND
+
+		auto bufferArray = buffer.toUtf8();
+		auto incomingArray = incoming.toUtf8();
+
+		for (auto i = 0; i <= bufferArray.length(); i++) {
+			auto buffer = bufferArray.sliced(0, i);
+			auto incoming = bufferArray.sliced(i);
+			incoming.append(incomingArray);
+
+			qInfo() << "BUFFER" << QString(buffer);
+			qInfo() << "INCOMING" << QString(incoming);
+
+			auto parser = SplitParser();
+			auto spy = QSignalSpy(&parser, &DataStreamParser::read);
+
+			parser.setSplitMarker(mark);
+			parser.parseBytes(incoming, buffer);
+
+			auto actualResults = QList<QString>();
+			for (auto& read: spy) {
+				actualResults.push_back(read[0].toString());
+			}
+
+			qInfo() << "EXPECTED RESULTS" << results;
+			qInfo() << "ACTUAL RESULTS" << actualResults;
+			qInfo() << "EXPECTED REMAINDER" << remainder;
+			qInfo() << "ACTUAL REMAINDER" << remainder;
+			QCOMPARE(actualResults, results);
+			QCOMPARE(buffer, remainder);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void initBuffer() { // NOLINT
+		auto parser = SplitParser();
+		auto spy = QSignalSpy(&parser, &DataStreamParser::read);
+
+		auto buf = QString("foo-bar-baz").toUtf8();
+		auto expected = QList<QString>({"foo", "bar"});
+
+		parser.setSplitMarker("-");
+		parser.parseBytes(buf, buf);
+
+		auto actualResults = QList<QString>();
+		for (auto& read: spy) {
+			actualResults.push_back(read[0].toString());
+		}
+
+		qInfo() << "EXPECTED RESULTS" << expected;
+		qInfo() << "ACTUAL RESULTS" << actualResults;
+		QCOMPARE(actualResults, expected);
+		QCOMPARE(buf, "baz");
+	}
+};
+
+QTEST_MAIN(TestSplitParser)
+#include "datastream.moc"