diff --git a/common/ipc-client.c b/common/ipc-client.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..916676a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/ipc-client.c
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include "log.h"
+#include "stringop.h"
+#include "ipc-server.h"
+#include "readline.h"
+
+static const char ipc_magic[] = {'i', '3', '-', 'i', 'p', 'c'};
+static const size_t ipc_header_size = sizeof(ipc_magic)+8;
+
+char *get_socketpath(void) {
+	FILE *fp = popen("sway --get-socketpath", "r");
+	if (!fp) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	char *line = read_line(fp);
+	pclose(fp);
+	return line;
+}
+
+char *ipc_single_command(const char *socket_path, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint32_t len) {
+	struct sockaddr_un addr;
+	int socketfd;
+	if ((socketfd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to open Unix socket");
+	}
+	addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
+	strcpy(addr.sun_path, socket_path);
+	int l = sizeof(addr.sun_family) + strlen(addr.sun_path);
+	if (connect(socketfd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, l) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to connect to %s", socket_path);
+	}
+
+	char data[ipc_header_size];
+	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t *)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
+	memcpy(data, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic));
+	data32[0] = len;
+	data32[1] = type;
+
+	if (write(socketfd, data, ipc_header_size) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC header");
+	}
+
+	if (write(socketfd, payload, len) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC payload");
+	}
+
+	size_t total = 0;
+	while (total < ipc_header_size) {
+		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, data + total, ipc_header_size - total, 0);
+		if (received < 0) {
+			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
+		}
+		total += received;
+	}
+
+	total = 0;
+	len = data32[0];
+	char *response = malloc(len + 1);
+	while (total < len) {
+		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, response + total, len - total, 0);
+		if (received < 0) {
+			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
+		}
+		total += received;
+	}
+	response[len] = '\0';
+
+	close(socketfd);
+
+	return response;
+}
diff --git a/include/ipc-client.h b/include/ipc-client.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a56fee43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ipc-client.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef _SWAY_IPC_CLIENT_H
+#define _SWAY_IPC_CLIENT_H
+
+#include "ipc.h"
+
+char *get_socketpath(void);
+char *ipc_single_command(const char *socket_path, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint32_t len);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/ipc-server.h b/include/ipc-server.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35b3748b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ipc-server.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef _SWAY_IPC_SERVER_H
+#define _SWAY_IPC_SERVER_H
+
+#include "container.h"
+#include "ipc.h"
+
+void ipc_init(void);
+void ipc_terminate(void);
+struct sockaddr_un *ipc_user_sockaddr(void);
+
+void ipc_event_workspace(swayc_t *old, swayc_t *new);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/ipc.h b/include/ipc.h
index 02aa1c1e..75be58a6 100644
--- a/include/ipc.h
+++ b/include/ipc.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_IPC_H
 #define _SWAY_IPC_H
 
-#include "container.h"
-
 enum ipc_command_type {
 	IPC_COMMAND = 0,
 	IPC_GET_WORKSPACES = 1,
@@ -15,10 +13,4 @@ enum ipc_command_type {
 	IPC_SWAY_GET_PIXELS = 0x81
 };
 
-void ipc_init(void);
-void ipc_terminate(void);
-struct sockaddr_un *ipc_user_sockaddr(void);
-
-void ipc_event_workspace(swayc_t *old, swayc_t *new);
-
 #endif
diff --git a/sway/focus.c b/sway/focus.c
index 3800a46c..7af858a1 100644
--- a/sway/focus.c
+++ b/sway/focus.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "layout.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "input_state.h"
-#include "ipc.h"
+#include "ipc-server.h"
 
 bool locked_container_focus = false;
 bool locked_view_focus = false;
diff --git a/sway/ipc.c b/sway/ipc-server.c
similarity index 99%
rename from sway/ipc.c
rename to sway/ipc-server.c
index e004aff1..7c737307 100644
--- a/sway/ipc.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-server.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <json-c/json.h>
 #include <list.h>
-#include "ipc.h"
+#include "ipc-server.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "commands.h"
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index ebb45930..19648782 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "readline.h"
 #include "handlers.h"
-#include "ipc.h"
+#include "ipc-server.h"
 #include "sway.h"
 
 static bool terminate_request = false;
diff --git a/swaymsg/main.c b/swaymsg/main.c
index ea8e0a55..8d20905a 100644
--- a/swaymsg/main.c
+++ b/swaymsg/main.c
@@ -7,80 +7,14 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include "stringop.h"
-#include "ipc.h"
+#include "ipc-client.h"
 #include "readline.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
-static const char ipc_magic[] = {'i', '3', '-', 'i', 'p', 'c'};
-static const size_t ipc_header_size = sizeof(ipc_magic)+8;
-
 void sway_terminate(void) {
 	exit(1);
 }
 
-char *get_socketpath(void) {
-	FILE *fp = popen("sway --get-socketpath", "r");
-	if (!fp) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	char *line = read_line(fp);
-	pclose(fp);
-	return line;
-}
-
-char *do_ipc(const char *socket_path, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint32_t len) {
-	struct sockaddr_un addr;
-	int socketfd;
-	if ((socketfd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1) {
-		sway_abort("Unable to open Unix socket");
-	}
-	addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	strcpy(addr.sun_path, socket_path);
-	int l = sizeof(addr.sun_family) + strlen(addr.sun_path);
-	if (connect(socketfd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, l) == -1) {
-		sway_abort("Unable to connect to %s", socket_path);
-	}
-
-	char data[ipc_header_size];
-	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t *)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
-	memcpy(data, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic));
-	data32[0] = len;
-	data32[1] = type;
-
-	if (write(socketfd, data, ipc_header_size) == -1) {
-		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC header");
-	}
-
-	if (write(socketfd, payload, len) == -1) {
-		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC payload");
-	}
-
-	size_t total = 0;
-	while (total < ipc_header_size) {
-		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, data + total, ipc_header_size - total, 0);
-		if (received < 0) {
-			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
-		}
-		total += received;
-	}
-
-	total = 0;
-	len = data32[0];
-	char *response = malloc(len + 1);
-	while (total < len) {
-		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, response + total, len - total, 0);
-		if (received < 0) {
-			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
-		}
-		total += received;
-	}
-	response[len] = '\0';
-
-	close(socketfd);
-
-	return response;
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	static int quiet = 0;
 	char *socket_path = NULL;
@@ -159,7 +93,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		command = join_args(argv + optind, argc - optind);
 	}
 
-	char *resp = do_ipc(socket_path, type, command, strlen(command));
+	char *resp = ipc_single_command(socket_path, type, command, strlen(command));
 	if (!quiet) {
 		printf("%s", resp);
 	}