diff --git a/kittens/tui/handler.py b/kittens/tui/handler.py
index 3e09d8ef0..083ebc3f3 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/handler.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/handler.py
@@ -34,3 +34,7 @@ class Handler:
         if isinstance(data, str):
             data = data.encode('utf-8')
         self.write_buf.append(data)
+
+    def print(self, *args, sep=' ', end='\r\n'):
+        data = sep.join(map(str, args)) + end
+        self.write(data)
diff --git a/kittens/tui/loop.py b/kittens/tui/loop.py
index 2530297be..ca26b5f57 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/loop.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/loop.py
@@ -303,8 +303,14 @@ class Loop:
             signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, self._on_sigterm)
             signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, self._on_sigint)
             handler.write_buf = []
-            handler.initialize(screen_size(), self.quit, self.wakeup)
             keep_going = True
+            try:
+                handler.initialize(screen_size(), self.quit, self.wakeup)
+            except Exception:
+                import traceback
+                tb = traceback.format_exc()
+                self.return_code = 1
+                keep_going = False
             while keep_going:
                 has_data_to_write = bool(handler.write_buf)
                 if not has_data_to_write and not self.read_allowed:
diff --git a/kittens/tui/operations.py b/kittens/tui/operations.py
index 1d029b5a0..f1065bd83 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/operations.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/operations.py
@@ -46,6 +46,28 @@ def clear_screen():
     return string_capabilities['clear'].replace(r'\E', '\033').encode('ascii')
 
 
+def set_window_title(value):
+    return ('\033]2;' + value.replace('\033', '').replace('\x9c', '') + '\033\\').encode('utf-8')
+
+
+def set_line_wrapping(yes_or_no):
+    return (set_mode if yes_or_no else reset_mode)('DECAWM')
+
+
+STANDARD_COLORS = {name: i for i, name in enumerate(
+    'black red green yellow blue magenta cyan gray'.split())}
+
+
+def colored(text, color, intense=False):
+    if isinstance(color, str):
+        e = (90 if intense else 30) + STANDARD_COLORS[color]
+    elif isinstance(color, int):
+        e = '38:5:{}'.format(max(0, min(color, 255)))
+    else:
+        e = '38:2:{}:{}:{}'.format(*color)
+    return '\033[{}m{}\033[39m'.format(e, text)
+
+
 def init_state(alternate_screen=True):
     ans = (
         S7C1T + SAVE_CURSOR + SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES + reset_mode('LNM') +
diff --git a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
index fcae4e688..8d1e217ef 100644
--- a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
+++ b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
@@ -4,15 +4,73 @@
 
 import sys
 
+from kitty.fast_data_types import wcswidth
+from kitty.key_encoding import backspace_key, enter_key, ESCAPE
+
 from ..tui.handler import Handler
 from ..tui.loop import Loop
+from ..tui.operations import (
+    clear_screen, colored, set_line_wrapping, set_window_title
+)
 
 
 class UnicodeInput(Handler):
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.current_input = ''
+        self.current_char = None
+        self.prompt_template = '{}> '
+        self.update_prompt()
+
+    def update_current_char(self):
+        try:
+            code = int(self.current_input, 16)
+            if code <= 32 or code == 127 or 128 <= code <= 159:
+                self.current_char = None
+            else:
+                self.current_char = chr(code)
+        except Exception:
+            self.current_char = None
+
+    def update_prompt(self):
+        self.update_current_char()
+        if self.current_char is None:
+            c, color = '??', 'red'
+        else:
+            c, color = self.current_char, 'green'
+        w = wcswidth(c)
+        self.prompt = self.prompt_template.format(colored(c, color))
+        self.promt_len = w + len(self.prompt_template) - 2
+
     def initialize(self, *args):
         Handler.initialize(self, *args)
-        self.write('Testing 123...')
+        self.write(set_line_wrapping(False))
+        self.write(set_window_title('Unicode input'))
+        self.draw_screen()
+
+    def draw_screen(self):
+        self.write(clear_screen())
+        self.print('Enter the hex code for the unicode character')
+        self.write(self.prompt)
+        self.write(self.current_input)
+
+    def refresh(self):
+        self.update_prompt()
+        self.draw_screen()
+
+    def on_text(self, text, in_bracketed_paste):
+        self.current_input += text
+        self.refresh()
+
+    def on_key(self, key_event):
+        if key_event is backspace_key:
+            self.current_input = self.current_input[:-1]
+            self.refresh()
+        elif key_event is enter_key:
+            self.quit_loop(0)
+        else:
+            if key_event.key is ESCAPE:
+                self.quit_loop(1)
 
     def on_interrupt(self):
         self.quit_loop(1)
@@ -20,8 +78,15 @@ class UnicodeInput(Handler):
     def on_eot(self):
         self.quit_loop(1)
 
+    def on_resize(self, new_size):
+        Handler.on_resize(self, new_size)
+        self.draw_screen()
+
 
 def main(args=sys.argv):
     loop = Loop()
     handler = UnicodeInput()
     loop.loop(handler)
+    if handler.current_char and loop.return_code == 0:
+        print(hex(ord(handler.current_char))[2:])
+    raise SystemExit(loop.return_code)