diff --git a/gen-go-code.py b/gen-go-code.py
index 023505f00..128e6e0b7 100755
--- a/gen-go-code.py
+++ b/gen-go-code.py
@@ -594,12 +594,13 @@ var RefMap = map[string]string{serialize_go_dict(ref_map['ref'])}
 var DocTitleMap = map[string]string{serialize_go_dict(ref_map['doc'])}
 var AllowedShellIntegrationValues = []string{{ {str(sorted(allowed_shell_integration_values))[1:-1].replace("'", '"')} }}
 var KittyConfigDefaults = struct {{
-Term, Shell_integration, Select_by_word_characters string
+Term, Shell_integration, Select_by_word_characters, Shell string
 Wheel_scroll_multiplier int
 Url_prefixes []string
 }}{{
 Term: "{Options.term}", Shell_integration: "{' '.join(Options.shell_integration)}", Url_prefixes: []string{{ {url_prefixes} }},
 Select_by_word_characters: `{Options.select_by_word_characters}`, Wheel_scroll_multiplier: {Options.wheel_scroll_multiplier},
+Shell: "{Options.shell}",
 }}
 '''  # }}}
 
@@ -812,7 +813,7 @@ def generate_ssh_kitten_data() -> None:
         for f in filenames:
             path = os.path.join(dirpath, f)
             files.add(path.replace(os.sep, '/'))
-    dest = 'kittens/ssh/data_generated.bin'
+    dest = 'tools/tui/shell_integration/data_generated.bin'
 
     def normalize(t: tarfile.TarInfo) -> tarfile.TarInfo:
         t.uid = t.gid = 0
diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.go b/kittens/ssh/main.go
index f0e478c26..6645d5a91 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.go
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"kitty/tools/tty"
 	"kitty/tools/tui"
 	"kitty/tools/tui/loop"
+	"kitty/tools/tui/shell_integration"
 	"kitty/tools/utils"
 	"kitty/tools/utils/secrets"
 	"kitty/tools/utils/shlex"
@@ -299,14 +300,14 @@ func make_tarfile(cd *connection_data, get_local_env func(string) (string, bool)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
-	add_entries := func(prefix string, items ...Entry) error {
+	add_entries := func(prefix string, items ...shell_integration.Entry) error {
 		for _, item := range items {
 			err := add(
 				&tar.Header{
-					Typeflag: item.metadata.Typeflag, Name: path.Join(prefix, path.Base(item.metadata.Name)), Format: tar.FormatPAX,
-					Size: int64(len(item.data)), Mode: item.metadata.Mode, ModTime: item.metadata.ModTime,
-					AccessTime: item.metadata.AccessTime, ChangeTime: item.metadata.ChangeTime,
-				}, item.data)
+					Typeflag: item.Metadata.Typeflag, Name: path.Join(prefix, path.Base(item.Metadata.Name)), Format: tar.FormatPAX,
+					Size: int64(len(item.Data)), Mode: item.Metadata.Mode, ModTime: item.Metadata.ModTime,
+					AccessTime: item.Metadata.AccessTime, ChangeTime: item.Metadata.ChangeTime,
+				}, item.Data)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -316,16 +317,16 @@ func make_tarfile(cd *connection_data, get_local_env func(string) (string, bool)
 	}
 	add_data(fe{"data.sh", utils.UnsafeStringToBytes(env_script)})
 	if cd.script_type == "sh" {
-		add_data(fe{"bootstrap-utils.sh", Data()[path.Join("shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh")].data})
+		add_data(fe{"bootstrap-utils.sh", shell_integration.Data()[path.Join("shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh")].Data})
 	}
 	if ksi != "" {
-		for _, fname := range Data().files_matching(
+		for _, fname := range shell_integration.Data().FilesMatching(
 			"shell-integration/",
 			"shell-integration/ssh/.+",        // bootstrap files are sent as command line args
 			"shell-integration/zsh/kitty.zsh", // backward compat file not needed by ssh kitten
 		) {
 			arcname := path.Join("home/", rd, "/", path.Dir(fname))
-			err = add_entries(arcname, Data()[fname])
+			err = add_entries(arcname, shell_integration.Data()[fname])
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -338,15 +339,15 @@ func make_tarfile(cd *connection_data, get_local_env func(string) (string, bool)
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		for _, x := range []string{"kitty", "kitten"} {
-			err = add_entries(path.Join(arcname, "bin"), Data()[path.Join("shell-integration", "ssh", x)])
+			err = add_entries(path.Join(arcname, "bin"), shell_integration.Data()[path.Join("shell-integration", "ssh", x)])
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	err = add_entries(path.Join("home", ".terminfo"), Data()["terminfo/kitty.terminfo"])
+	err = add_entries(path.Join("home", ".terminfo"), shell_integration.Data()["terminfo/kitty.terminfo"])
 	if err == nil {
-		err = add_entries(path.Join("home", ".terminfo", "x"), Data()["terminfo/x/xterm-kitty"])
+		err = add_entries(path.Join("home", ".terminfo", "x"), shell_integration.Data()["terminfo/x/xterm-kitty"])
 	}
 	if err == nil {
 		err = tw.Close()
@@ -470,7 +471,7 @@ func bootstrap_script(cd *connection_data) (err error) {
 	}
 	maps.Copy(replacements, sensitive_data)
 	cd.replacements = replacements
-	cd.bootstrap_script = utils.UnsafeBytesToString(Data()["shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap."+cd.script_type].data)
+	cd.bootstrap_script = utils.UnsafeBytesToString(shell_integration.Data()["shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap."+cd.script_type].Data)
 	cd.bootstrap_script = prepare_script(cd.bootstrap_script, sd)
 	return err
 }
@@ -584,7 +585,7 @@ func change_colors(color_scheme string) (ans string, err error) {
 }
 
 func run_ssh(ssh_args, server_args, found_extra_args []string) (rc int, err error) {
-	go Data()
+	go shell_integration.Data()
 	go RelevantKittyOpts()
 	defer func() {
 		if data_shm != nil {
diff --git a/tools/cmd/run_shell/main.go b/tools/cmd/run_shell/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6efddc75a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/cmd/run_shell/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2023, Kovid Goyal, <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+package run_shell
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"kitty/tools/cli"
+	"kitty/tools/tui"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+type Options struct {
+	Shell            string
+	ShellIntegration string
+}
+
+func main(args []string, opts *Options) (rc int, err error) {
+	if len(args) > 0 {
+		tui.RunCommandRestoringTerminalToSaneStateAfter(args)
+	}
+	err = tui.RunShell(tui.ResolveShell(opts.Shell), tui.ResolveShellIntegration(opts.ShellIntegration))
+	if err != nil {
+		rc = 1
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func EntryPoint(root *cli.Command) *cli.Command {
+	sc := root.AddSubCommand(&cli.Command{
+		Name:             "run-shell",
+		Usage:            "[options] [optional cmd to run before running the shell ...]",
+		ShortDescription: "Run the user's shell with shell integration enabled",
+		HelpText:         "Run the users's configured shell. If the shell supports shell integration, enable it based on the user's configured shell_integration setting.",
+		Run: func(cmd *cli.Command, args []string) (ret int, err error) {
+			opts := &Options{}
+			err = cmd.GetOptionValues(opts)
+			if err != nil {
+				return 1, err
+			}
+			return main(args, opts)
+		},
+	})
+	sc.Add(cli.OptionSpec{
+		Name: "--shell-integration",
+		Help: "Specify a value for the shell_integration option, overriding the one from kitty.conf.",
+	})
+	sc.Add(cli.OptionSpec{
+		Name: "--shell",
+		Help: "Specify the shell command to run. If not specified the value of the shell option from kitty.conf is used.",
+	})
+	return sc
+}
diff --git a/tools/cmd/tool/main.go b/tools/cmd/tool/main.go
index c20d8cbe8..ebdcc5149 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/tool/main.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/tool/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"kitty/tools/cmd/at"
 	"kitty/tools/cmd/edit_in_kitty"
 	"kitty/tools/cmd/pytest"
+	"kitty/tools/cmd/run_shell"
 	"kitty/tools/cmd/update_self"
 	"kitty/tools/tui"
 )
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ func KittyToolEntryPoints(root *cli.Command) {
 	// themes
 	themes.EntryPoint(root)
 	themes.ParseEntryPoint(root)
+	// run-shell
+	run_shell.EntryPoint(root)
 	// __pytest__
 	pytest.EntryPoint(root)
 	// __hold_till_enter__
diff --git a/tools/tui/run.go b/tools/tui/run.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3714f2ac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tui/run.go
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+// License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2023, Kovid Goyal, <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+package tui
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"kitty"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+
+	"kitty/tools/config"
+	"kitty/tools/tty"
+	"kitty/tools/tui/loop"
+	"kitty/tools/tui/shell_integration"
+	"kitty/tools/utils"
+	"kitty/tools/utils/shlex"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+type KittyOpts struct {
+	Shell, Shell_integration string
+}
+
+func read_relevant_kitty_opts(path string) KittyOpts {
+	ans := KittyOpts{Shell: kitty.KittyConfigDefaults.Shell, Shell_integration: kitty.KittyConfigDefaults.Shell_integration}
+	handle_line := func(key, val string) error {
+		switch key {
+		case "shell":
+			ans.Shell = strings.TrimSpace(val)
+		case "shell_integration":
+			ans.Shell_integration = strings.TrimSpace(val)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	cp := config.ConfigParser{LineHandler: handle_line}
+	cp.ParseFiles(path)
+	if ans.Shell == "" {
+		ans.Shell = kitty.KittyConfigDefaults.Shell
+	}
+	return ans
+}
+
+func get_effective_ksi_env_var(x string) string {
+	parts := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(x)), " ")
+	current := utils.NewSetWithItems(parts...)
+	if current.Has("disabled") {
+		return ""
+	}
+	allowed := utils.NewSetWithItems(kitty.AllowedShellIntegrationValues...)
+	if !current.IsSubsetOf(allowed) {
+		return relevant_kitty_opts().Shell_integration
+	}
+	return x
+}
+
+var relevant_kitty_opts = utils.Once(func() KittyOpts {
+	return read_relevant_kitty_opts(filepath.Join(utils.ConfigDir(), "kitty.conf"))
+})
+
+func ResolveShell(shell string) []string {
+	if shell == "" {
+		shell = relevant_kitty_opts().Shell
+		if shell == "." {
+			s, e := utils.LoginShellForCurrentUser()
+			if e != nil {
+				shell = "/bin/sh"
+			} else {
+				shell = s
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	shell_cmd, err := shlex.Split(shell)
+	if err != nil {
+		shell_cmd = []string{shell}
+	}
+	exe := utils.FindExe(shell_cmd[0])
+	if unix.Access(exe, unix.X_OK) != nil {
+		shell_cmd = []string{"/bin/sh"}
+	}
+	return shell_cmd
+}
+
+func ResolveShellIntegration(shell_integration string) string {
+	if shell_integration == "" {
+		shell_integration = relevant_kitty_opts().Shell_integration
+	}
+	return get_effective_ksi_env_var(shell_integration)
+}
+
+func get_shell_name(argv0 string) (ans string) {
+	ans = filepath.Base(argv0)
+	if strings.HasSuffix(strings.ToLower(ans), ".exe") {
+		ans = ans[:len(ans)-4]
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(ans, "-") {
+		ans = ans[1:]
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func rc_modification_allowed(ksi string) bool {
+	for _, x := range strings.Split(ksi, " ") {
+		switch x {
+		case "disabled", "no-rc":
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return ksi != ""
+}
+
+func RunShell(shell_cmd []string, shell_integration_env_var_val string) (err error) {
+	shell_name := get_shell_name(shell_cmd[0])
+	var shell_env map[string]string
+	if rc_modification_allowed(shell_integration_env_var_val) && shell_integration.IsSupportedShell(shell_name) {
+		oenv := os.Environ()
+		env := make(map[string]string, len(oenv))
+		for _, x := range oenv {
+			if k, v, found := strings.Cut(x, "="); found {
+				env[k] = v
+			}
+		}
+		argv, env, err := shell_integration.Setup(shell_name, shell_cmd, env)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		shell_cmd = argv
+		shell_env = env
+	}
+	exe := shell_cmd[0]
+	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
+		// ensure shell runs in login mode
+		shell_cmd[0] = "-" + filepath.Base(shell_cmd[0])
+	}
+	var env []string
+	if shell_env != nil {
+		env := make([]string, 0, len(shell_env))
+		for k, v := range shell_env {
+			env = append(env, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", k, v))
+		}
+	} else {
+		env = os.Environ()
+	}
+	return unix.Exec(utils.FindExe(exe), shell_cmd, env)
+}
+
+func RunCommandRestoringTerminalToSaneStateAfter(cmd []string) {
+	exe := utils.FindExe(cmd[0])
+	c := exec.Command(exe, cmd[1:]...)
+	c.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	c.Stdin = os.Stdin
+	c.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	term, err := tty.OpenControllingTerm()
+	if err == nil {
+		var state_before unix.Termios
+		if term.Tcgetattr(&state_before) == nil {
+			term.WriteString(loop.SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES)
+			defer func() {
+				term.WriteString(strings.Join([]string{
+					loop.RESTORE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES,
+					"\x1b[=u",                      // reset kitty keyboard protocol to legacy
+					"\x1b[1 q",                     // blinking block cursor
+					loop.DECTCEM.EscapeCodeToSet(), // cursor visible
+					"\x1b]112\a",                   // reset cursor color
+				}, ""))
+				term.Tcsetattr(tty.TCSANOW, &state_before)
+				term.Close()
+			}()
+		} else {
+			defer term.Close()
+		}
+	}
+	err = c.Run()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, cmd[0], "failed with error:", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tools/tui/shell_integration/api.go b/tools/tui/shell_integration/api.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d51e42a3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tui/shell_integration/api.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2023, Kovid Goyal, <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+package shell_integration
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+type integration_setup_func = func(argv []string, env map[string]string) ([]string, map[string]string, error)
+
+func extract_shell_integration_for(shell_name string, dest_dir string) (err error) {
+	d := Data()
+	for _, fname := range d.FilesMatching("shell-integration/" + shell_name + "/") {
+		entry := d[fname]
+		dest := filepath.Join(dest_dir, fname)
+		ddir := filepath.Dir(dest)
+		if err = os.MkdirAll(ddir, 0o755); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		switch entry.Metadata.Typeflag {
+		case tar.TypeDir:
+			if err = os.MkdirAll(dest, 0o755); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		case tar.TypeSymlink:
+			if err = os.Symlink(entry.Metadata.Linkname, dest); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		case tar.TypeReg:
+			if err = os.WriteFile(dest, entry.Data, 0o644); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func zsh_setup_func(argv []string, env map[string]string) (final_argv []string, final_env map[string]string, err error) {
+	return
+}
+
+func fish_setup_func(argv []string, env map[string]string) (final_argv []string, final_env map[string]string, err error) {
+	return
+}
+
+func bash_setup_func(argv []string, env map[string]string) (final_argv []string, final_env map[string]string, err error) {
+	return
+}
+
+func setup_func_for_shell(shell_name string) integration_setup_func {
+	switch shell_name {
+	case "zsh":
+		return zsh_setup_func
+	case "fish":
+		return fish_setup_func
+	case "bash":
+		return bash_setup_func
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func IsSupportedShell(shell_name string) bool { return setup_func_for_shell(shell_name) != nil }
+
+func Setup(shell_name string, argv []string, env map[string]string) ([]string, map[string]string, error) {
+	return setup_func_for_shell(shell_name)(argv, env)
+}
diff --git a/kittens/ssh/data.go b/tools/tui/shell_integration/data.go
similarity index 88%
rename from kittens/ssh/data.go
rename to tools/tui/shell_integration/data.go
index 77d17f3ae..0210f4e4c 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/data.go
+++ b/tools/tui/shell_integration/data.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2023, Kovid Goyal, <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
-package ssh
+package shell_integration
 
 import (
 	"archive/tar"
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ var _ = fmt.Print
 var embedded_data string
 
 type Entry struct {
-	metadata *tar.Header
-	data     []byte
+	Metadata *tar.Header
+	Data     []byte
 }
 
 type Container map[string]Entry
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ var Data = utils.Once(func() Container {
 	return ans
 })
 
-func (self Container) files_matching(prefix string, exclude_patterns ...string) []string {
+func (self Container) FilesMatching(prefix string, exclude_patterns ...string) []string {
 	ans := make([]string, 0, len(self))
 	patterns := make([]*regexp.Regexp, len(exclude_patterns))
 	for i, exp := range exclude_patterns {