diff --git a/randopix.nimble b/randopix.nimble
index 7767e98..68e1f3d 100644
--- a/randopix.nimble
+++ b/randopix.nimble
@@ -6,16 +6,13 @@ author        = "luxick"
 description   = "Play an image slide show from different sources"
 license       = "GPL-2.0"
 srcDir        = "src"
-bin           = @["randopix"]
+bin           = @["randopix", "pixctrl"]
 
 # Dependencies
 requires "nim >= 1.0.0", "gintro >= 0.5.5", "argparse >=0.10.1"
 
 task debug, "Compile debug version":
-  exec "nim c -d:debug --debugger:native --out:bin/randopix src/randopix.nim"
-
-task r, "Compile and run":
-  exec "nim c -r --out:bin/randopix src/randopix.nim"
+  exec "nim c -d:debug --debugger:native src/randopix.nim"
 
 task release, "Compile release version":
-  exec fmt"nim c -d:release --out:bin/{version}/randopix src/randopix.nim"
+  exec fmt"nim c -d:release --out:randopix-{version} src/randopix.nim"
diff --git a/src/commands.nim b/src/commands.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee9c0ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+const
+  defaultPort* = 5555     ## Default port at which the control server will run
+
+type
+  Command* {.pure.} = enum
+    Close = "close"       ## Closes the control server and exists the applicaiton
+    Refresh = "refresh"   ## Force refresh of the image now
+
+  CommandMessage* = object
+    command*: Command     ## Command that the application should execute
+    parameter*: string    ## Optional parameter for the command
+
+proc newCommand*(c: Command, p: string = ""): CommandMessage =
+  CommandMessage(command: c, parameter: p)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/pixctrl.nim b/src/pixctrl.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bccf068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pixctrl.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import net
+import argparse
+import commands
+
+var p = newParser("pixctrl"):
+  help("Control utilitiy for randopix")
+  option("-s", "--server", help="Host running the randopix server", default="127.0.0.1")
+  option("-p", "--port", help="Port to connect to the randopix server", default = $defaultPort)
+
+var socket = newSocket()
+socket.connect("127.0.0.1", Port(defaultPort))
+socket.send("Hello, Sockets!\r\L")
+socket.close()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/randopix.nim b/src/randopix.nim
index 45b6d3a..8a7088d 100644
--- a/src/randopix.nim
+++ b/src/randopix.nim
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import os, options, strformat
-import gintro/[gtk, glib, gobject, gio, gdkpixbuf]
+import gintro/[glib, gobject, gdkpixbuf]
 import gintro/gdk except Window
+import gintro/gtk except newSocket, Socket
+import gintro/gio except Socket
 import argparse except run
-import providers
+import providers, server, commands
 
 const
   css = slurp("app.css")
@@ -21,6 +23,8 @@ var
   window: ApplicationWindow
   imageWidget: Image
   label: Label
+  # Server vor recieving commands from external tools
+  serverWorker: system.Thread[void]
 
 proc enumToStrings(en: typedesc): seq[string] = 
   for x in en:
@@ -59,7 +63,7 @@ proc newArgs(): Option[Args] =
       fullscreen: not opts.windowed,
       verbose: opts.verbose,
       timeout: timeout))
-  except UsageError:
+  except:
     echo getCurrentExceptionMsg()
     echo p.help
 
@@ -106,12 +110,27 @@ proc forceUpdate(action: SimpleAction; parameter: Variant;) =
 
 proc timedUpdate(image: Widget): bool = 
   let ok = updateImage();
-  if ok:
-    return true;
-  else:
+  if not ok:
     label.notify "Error while refreshing image, retrying..."
-    discard timeoutAdd(uint32(args.timeout), timedUpdate, imageWidget)
-    return false
+  discard timeoutAdd(uint32(args.timeout), timedUpdate, imageWidget)
+  return false
+
+proc checkServerChannel(parameter: string): bool =
+  ## Check the channel from the control server for incomming commands
+  let tried = chan.tryRecv()
+
+  if tried.dataAvailable:
+    let msg: CommandMessage = tried.msg
+    echo "Main app got message: ", msg.command
+
+    case msg.command
+    of Command.Refresh:
+      discard updateImage()
+    else:
+      echo "Command ignored", msg.command
+
+  result = false
+  discard idleAdd(checkServerChannel, parameter)
 
 proc toggleFullscreen(action: SimpleAction; parameter: Variant; window: ApplicationWindow) =
   ## Fullscreen toggle event
@@ -121,12 +140,21 @@ proc toggleFullscreen(action: SimpleAction; parameter: Variant; window: Applicat
     window.fullscreen
   args.fullscreen = not args.fullscreen
 
+proc cleanUp(w: ApplicationWindow, app: Application) =
+  ## Stop the control server and exit the GTK application
+  echo "Stopping control server..."
+  closeServer()  
+  serverWorker.joinThread()
+  chan.close()
+  echo "Server stopped."
+  app.quit()
+
 proc quit(action: SimpleAction; parameter: Variant; app: Application) =
   ## Application quit event
-  app.quit()
+  cleanUp(window, app)
   
 proc connectSignals(app: Application) =
-  ## Connect th GTK signals to the procs 
+  ## Connect the GTK signals to the procs 
   let fullscreenAction = newSimpleAction("fullscreen")
   discard fullscreenAction.connect("activate", toggleFullscreen, window)
   app.setAccelsForAction("win.fullscreen", "F")
@@ -142,6 +170,8 @@ proc connectSignals(app: Application) =
   app.setAccelsForAction("win.update", "U")
   window.actionMap.addAction(updateImageAction)
 
+  window.connect("destroy", cleanUp, app)
+
 proc appActivate(app: Application) =
   # Parse arguments from the command line
   let parsed = newArgs()
@@ -152,7 +182,7 @@ proc appActivate(app: Application) =
 
   window = newApplicationWindow(app)
   window.title = "randopix"
-  window.setKeepAbove(true)
+  window.setKeepAbove(false)
   window.setDefaultSize(800, 600)
 
   # Custom styling for e.g. the background color CSS data is in the "style.nim" module 
@@ -177,8 +207,15 @@ proc appActivate(app: Application) =
   app.connectSignals
   window.showAll
 
-  discard updateImage()
-  discard timeoutAdd(uint32(args.timeout), timedUpdate, imageWidget)
+  discard timeoutAdd(500, timedUpdate, imageWidget)
+
+  ## open communication channel from the control server
+  chan.open()
+
+  ## Start the server for handling incoming commands
+  createThread(serverWorker, runServer)
+  var tag = ""
+  discard idleAdd(checkServerChannel, tag)
 
 when isMainModule:
   let app = newApplication("org.luxick.randopix")
diff --git a/src/server.nim b/src/server.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d37d8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import net, json, marshal
+import commands
+
+var 
+  chan*: Channel[CommandMessage]
+
+proc closeServer*() =
+  ## Sends a "Close" command to the server
+  var socket = newSocket()
+  socket.connect("127.0.0.1", Port(defaultPort))
+  let c = newCommand(Command.Close)
+  socket.send($(%c))
+  socket.close()
+
+proc runServer*() = 
+  var socket = newSocket()
+  socket.bindAddr(Port(defaultPort))
+  socket.listen()
+  echo "Control server is listening"
+
+  while true:    
+    # Process client requests
+    var client = newSocket()
+    socket.accept(client)
+    echo("Incomming client")
+    try:
+      var line = client.recvLine()
+      let msg = to[CommandMessage](line)
+      case msg.command
+      of Command.Close:
+        echo "Server recieved termination command. Exiting."
+        break
+      else:
+        # Pass command from client to main applicaiton
+        chan.send(msg)
+
+    except OSError:
+      echo "Server error: ", getCurrentExceptionMsg()
+    except:
+      echo "Invalid command from client"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/server.nim.cfg b/src/server.nim.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c1ded9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server.nim.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+threads:on
\ No newline at end of file