diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 32fe6011..3b40dfe8 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ forked_daapd_SOURCES = main.c \
 	$(SPOTIFY_SRC) \
 	$(LASTFM_SRC) \
 	$(MPD_SRC) \
-	listener.c listener.h
+	listener.c listener.h \
+	commands.c commands.h
 
 nodist_forked_daapd_SOURCES = \
 	$(ANTLR_SOURCES)
diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e699f496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Christian Meffert <christian.meffert@googlemail.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+
+#include "commands.h"
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include <event2/event.h>
+
+#include "logger.h"
+
+
+struct command
+{
+  pthread_mutex_t lck;
+  pthread_cond_t cond;
+
+  command_function func;
+  command_function func_bh;
+  void *arg;
+  int nonblock;
+  int ret;
+  int pending;
+};
+
+struct commands_base
+{
+  int command_pipe[2];
+  struct event *command_event;
+  struct command *current_cmd;
+};
+
+static void
+command_cb(int fd, short what, void *arg)
+{
+  struct commands_base *cmdbase;
+  struct command *cmd;
+  enum command_state cmdstate;
+  int ret;
+
+  cmdbase = (struct commands_base *) arg;
+
+  ret = read(cmdbase->command_pipe[0], &cmd, sizeof(cmd));
+  if (ret != sizeof(cmd))
+    {
+      goto readd;
+    }
+
+  if (cmd->nonblock)
+    {
+      // Command is executed asynchronously
+      cmdstate = cmd->func(cmd->arg, &cmd->ret);
+
+      if (cmdstate == COMMAND_END && cmd->arg)
+	free(cmd->arg);
+      free(cmd);
+      goto readd;
+    }
+
+  // Command is executed synchronously, caller is waiting until signaled that the execution finished
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&cmd->lck);
+
+  cmdstate = cmd->func(cmd->arg, &cmd->ret);
+  if (cmdstate == COMMAND_END)
+    {
+      // Command execution finished, execute the bottom half function
+      if (cmd->ret == 0 && cmd->func_bh)
+	{
+	  cmdstate = cmd->func_bh(cmd->arg, &cmd->ret);
+	}
+
+      pthread_cond_signal(&cmd->cond);
+      pthread_mutex_unlock(&cmd->lck);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      // Command execution waiting for pending events before returning to the caller
+      cmdbase->current_cmd = cmd;
+      cmd->pending = cmd->ret;
+
+      return;
+    }
+
+ readd:
+  event_add(cmdbase->command_event, NULL);
+}
+
+static int
+send_command(struct commands_base *cmdbase, struct command *cmd)
+{
+  int ret;
+
+  if (!cmd->func)
+    {
+      return -1;
+    }
+
+  ret = write(cmdbase->command_pipe[1], &cmd, sizeof(cmd));
+  if (ret != sizeof(cmd))
+    {
+      return -1;
+    }
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+struct commands_base *
+commands_base_new(struct event_base *evbase)
+{
+  struct commands_base *cmdbase;
+  int ret;
+
+  cmdbase = (struct commands_base*) calloc(1, sizeof(struct commands_base));
+  if (!cmdbase)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_LOG, L_MAIN, "Out of memory for cmdbase\n");
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+# if defined(__linux__)
+  ret = pipe2(cmdbase->command_pipe, O_CLOEXEC);
+# else
+  ret = pipe(cmdbase->command_pipe);
+# endif
+  if (ret < 0)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_LOG, L_MAIN, "Could not create command pipe: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+      free(cmdbase);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  cmdbase->command_event = event_new(evbase, cmdbase->command_pipe[0], EV_READ, command_cb, cmdbase);
+  if (!cmdbase->command_event)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_LOG, L_MAIN, "Could not create cmd event\n");
+      close(cmdbase->command_pipe[0]);
+      close(cmdbase->command_pipe[1]);
+      free(cmdbase);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  ret = event_add(cmdbase->command_event, NULL);
+  if (ret != 0)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_LOG, L_MAIN, "Could not add cmd event\n");
+      close(cmdbase->command_pipe[0]);
+      close(cmdbase->command_pipe[1]);
+      free(cmdbase);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  return cmdbase;
+}
+
+int
+commands_base_free(struct commands_base *cmdbase)
+{
+  close(cmdbase->command_pipe[0]);
+  close(cmdbase->command_pipe[1]);
+  free(cmdbase);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+int
+commands_exec_returnvalue(struct commands_base *cmdbase)
+{
+  if (cmdbase->current_cmd == NULL)
+      return 0;
+
+  return cmdbase->current_cmd->ret;
+}
+
+void
+commands_exec_end(struct commands_base *cmdbase, int retvalue)
+{
+  if (cmdbase->current_cmd == NULL)
+    return;
+
+  // A pending event finished, decrease the number of pending events and update the return value
+  cmdbase->current_cmd->pending--;
+  cmdbase->current_cmd->ret = retvalue;
+
+  DPRINTF(E_DBG, L_MAIN, "Command has %d pending events\n", cmdbase->current_cmd->pending);
+
+  // If there are still pending events return
+  if (cmdbase->current_cmd->pending > 0)
+    return;
+
+  // All pending events have finished, execute the bottom half and signal the caller that the command finished execution
+  if (cmdbase->current_cmd->func_bh)
+    {
+      cmdbase->current_cmd->func_bh(cmdbase->current_cmd->arg, &cmdbase->current_cmd->ret);
+    }
+  pthread_cond_signal(&cmdbase->current_cmd->cond);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&cmdbase->current_cmd->lck);
+
+  cmdbase->current_cmd = NULL;
+
+  /* Process commands again */
+  event_add(cmdbase->command_event, NULL);
+}
+
+int
+commands_exec_sync(struct commands_base *cmdbase, command_function func, command_function func_bh, void *arg)
+{
+  struct command *cmd;
+  int ret;
+
+  cmd = (struct command*) calloc(1, sizeof(struct command));
+  cmd->func = func;
+  cmd->func_bh = func_bh;
+  cmd->arg = arg;
+  cmd->nonblock = 0;
+
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&cmd->lck);
+
+  ret = send_command(cmdbase, cmd);
+  if (ret < 0)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_LOG, L_MAIN, "Error sending command\n");
+      pthread_mutex_unlock(&cmd->lck);
+      return -1;
+    }
+
+  pthread_cond_wait(&cmd->cond, &cmd->lck);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&cmd->lck);
+
+  ret = cmd->ret;
+  free(cmd);
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+int
+commands_exec_async(struct commands_base *cmdbase, command_function func, void *arg)
+{
+  struct command *cmd;
+  int ret;
+
+  cmd = (struct command*) calloc(1, sizeof(struct command));
+  cmd->func = func;
+  cmd->func_bh = NULL;
+  cmd->arg = arg;
+  cmd->nonblock = 1;
+
+  ret = send_command(cmdbase, cmd);
+  if (ret < 0)
+    return -1;
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/commands.h b/src/commands.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a589e247
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands.h
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Christian Meffert <christian.meffert@googlemail.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+#ifndef SRC_COMMANDS_H_
+#define SRC_COMMANDS_H_
+
+#include <event2/event.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+
+enum command_state {
+  COMMAND_END = 0,
+  COMMAND_PENDING = 1,
+};
+
+/*
+ * Function that will be executed in the event loop thread.
+ *
+ * If the function has pending events to complete, it needs to return COMMAND_PENDING with 'ret' set to
+ * the number of pending events to wait for.
+ *
+ * @param arg Opaque pointer passed by command_exec_sync or command_exec_async
+ * @param ret Pointer to the return value for the caller of the command
+ * @return COMMAND_END if there are no pending events (function execution is complete) or COMMAND_PENDING if there are pending events
+ */
+typedef enum command_state (*command_function)(void *arg, int *ret);
+
+struct commands_base;
+
+
+/*
+ * Creates a new command base, needs to be freed by commands_base_free.
+ */
+struct commands_base *
+commands_base_new(struct event_base *evbase);
+
+/*
+ * Frees the command base and closes the (internally used) pipes
+ */
+int
+commands_base_free(struct commands_base *cmdbase);
+
+/*
+ * Gets the current return value for the current pending command.
+ *
+ * @param cmdbase The command base
+ * @return The current return value
+ */
+int
+commands_exec_returnvalue(struct commands_base *cmdbase);
+
+/*
+ * If a command function returned COMMAND_PENDING, each event triggered by this command needs to
+ * call command_exec_end, passing it the return value of the event execution.
+ *
+ * If a command function is waiting for multiple events the, each event needs to call command_exec_end.
+ * The command base keeps track of the number of still pending events and only returns to the caller
+ * if there are no pending events left.
+ *
+ * @param cmdbase The command base (holds the current pending command)
+ * @param retvalue The return value for the calling thread
+ */
+void
+commands_exec_end(struct commands_base *cmdbase, int retvalue);
+
+/*
+ * Execute the function 'func' with the given argument 'arg' in the event loop thread.
+ * Blocks the caller (thread) until the function returned.
+ *
+ * If a function 'func_bh' ("bottom half") is given, it is executed after 'func' has successfully
+ * finished.
+ *
+ * @param cmdbase The command base
+ * @param func The function to be executed
+ * @param func_bh The bottom half function to be executed after all pending events from func are processed
+ * @param arg Argument passed to func (and func_bh)
+ * @return Return value of func (or func_bh if func_bh is not NULL)
+ */
+int
+commands_exec_sync(struct commands_base *cmdbase, command_function func, command_function func_bh, void *arg);
+
+/*
+ * Execute the function 'func' with the given argument 'arg' in the event loop thread.
+ * Triggers the function execution and immediately returns (does not wait for func to finish).
+ *
+ * The pointer passed as argument is freed in the event loop thread after func returned.
+ *
+ * @param cmdbase The command base
+ * @param func The function to be executed
+ * @param arg Argument passed to func
+ * @return 0 if triggering the function execution succeeded, -1 on failure.
+ */
+int
+commands_exec_async(struct commands_base *cmdbase, command_function func, void *arg);
+
+
+#endif /* SRC_COMMANDS_H_ */