diff --git a/kittens/__init__.py b/kittens/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/kittens/loop.py b/kittens/loop.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b869f2aed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kittens/loop.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+import fcntl
+import os
+import selectors
+import sys
+import termios
+import tty
+
+from contextlib import closing, contextmanager
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def non_block(fd):
+    oldfl = fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_GETFL)
+    fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_SETFL, oldfl | os.O_NONBLOCK)
+    yield
+    fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_SETFL, oldfl)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def raw_terminal(fd):
+    isatty = os.isatty(fd)
+    if isatty:
+        old = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
+        tty.setraw(fd)
+    yield
+    if isatty:
+        termios.tcsetattr(fd, termios.TCSADRAIN, old)
+
+
+class Loop:
+
+    def __init__(self, input_fd=None, output_fd=None):
+        self.input_fd = input_fd or sys.stdin.fileno()
+        self.output_fd = output_fd or sys.stdout.fileno()
+        self.wakeup_read_fd, self.wakeup_write_fd = os.pipe()
+        self.sel = s = selectors.DefaultSelector()
+        s.register(self.input_fd, selectors.EVENT_READ, self._read_ready)
+        s.register(self.wakeup_read_fd, selectors.EVENT_READ, self._wakeup_ready)
+        s.register(self.output_fd, selectors.EVENT_WRITE, self._write_ready)
+        self.keep_going = True
+        self.return_code = 0
+
+    def _read_ready(self, handler):
+        pass
+
+    def _write_ready(self, handler):
+        pass
+
+    def _on_unhandled_exception(self, tb):
+        pass
+
+    def _wakeup_ready(self, handler):
+        os.read(self.wakeup_read_fd)
+
+    def wakeup(self):
+        os.write(self.wakeup_write_fd, b'1')
+
+    def _loop(self, handler):
+        select = self.sel.select
+        tb = None
+        waiting_for_write = True
+        with closing(self.sel), non_block(self.input_fd), non_block(self.output_fd), raw_terminal(self.input_fd):
+            handler.write_buf.insert(0, b'\033 F\033?1049h
+            while self.keep_going:
+                has_data_to_write = bool(handler.write_buf)
+                if has_data_to_write != waiting_for_write:
+                    waiting_for_write = has_data_to_write
+                    self.sel.modify(self.output_fd, selectors.EVENT_WRITE if waiting_for_write else 0, self._write_ready)
+                events = select()
+                for key, mask in events:
+                    try:
+                        key.data(handler)
+                    except Exception:
+                        import traceback
+                        tb = traceback.format_exc()
+                        self.keep_going = False
+                        self.return_code = 1
+                        break
+            if tb is not None:
+                self._report_error_loop(tb)
+
+    def _report_error_loop(self, tb):
+        raise NotImplementedError('TODO: Implement')
diff --git a/kittens/tui/__init__.py b/kittens/tui/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/kittens/tui/loop.py b/kittens/tui/loop.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c18bcdba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kittens/tui/loop.py
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+import codecs
+import fcntl
+import io
+import os
+import selectors
+import sys
+import termios
+import tty
+from contextlib import closing, contextmanager
+
+from .operations import init_state, reset_state
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def non_block(fd):
+    oldfl = fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_GETFL)
+    fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_SETFL, oldfl | os.O_NONBLOCK)
+    yield
+    fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_SETFL, oldfl)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def raw_terminal(fd):
+    isatty = os.isatty(fd)
+    if isatty:
+        old = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
+        tty.setraw(fd)
+    yield
+    if isatty:
+        termios.tcsetattr(fd, termios.TCSADRAIN, old)
+
+
+def write_all(fd, data):
+    while data:
+        n = os.write(fd, data)
+        if not n:
+            break
+        data = data[n:]
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def sanitize_term(output_fd):
+    write_all(output_fd, init_state())
+    yield
+    write_all(output_fd, reset_state())
+
+
+class Loop:
+
+    def __init__(self, input_fd=None, output_fd=None):
+        self.input_fd = input_fd or sys.stdin.fileno()
+        self.output_fd = output_fd or sys.stdout.fileno()
+        self.wakeup_read_fd, self.wakeup_write_fd = os.pipe()
+        self.sel = s = selectors.DefaultSelector()
+        s.register(self.input_fd, selectors.EVENT_READ, self._read_ready)
+        s.register(
+            self.wakeup_read_fd, selectors.EVENT_READ, self._wakeup_ready
+        )
+        s.register(self.output_fd, selectors.EVENT_WRITE, self._write_ready)
+        self.return_code = 0
+        self.read_allowed = True
+        self.read_buf = ''
+        self.decoder = codecs.IncrementalDecoder(errors='ignore')
+        try:
+            self.iov_limit = os.sysconf('SC_IOV_MAX') - 1
+        except Exception:
+            self.iov_limit = 255
+
+    def _read_ready(self, handler):
+        if not self.read_allowed:
+            return
+        data = os.read(self.input_fd, io.DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE)
+        if not data:
+            raise EOFError('The input stream is closed')
+        data = self.decoder.decode(data)
+        if self.read_buf:
+            data = self.read_buf + data
+        self.read_buf = data
+
+    def _write_ready(self, handler):
+        if len(handler.write_buf) > self.iov_limit:
+            handler.write_buf[self.iov_limit - 1] = b''.join(handler.write_buf[self.iov_limit - 1:])
+            del handler.write_buf[self.iov_limit:]
+        sizes = tuple(map(len, handler.write_buf))
+        written = os.writev(self.output_fd, handler.write_buf)
+        if not written:
+            raise EOFError('The output stream is closed')
+        if written >= sum(sizes):
+            handler.write_buf = []
+        else:
+            consumed = 0
+            for i, buf in enumerate(handler.write_buf):
+                if not written:
+                    break
+                if len(buf) <= written:
+                    written -= len(buf)
+                    consumed += 1
+                    continue
+                handler.write_buf[i] = buf[written:]
+                break
+            del handler.write_buf[:consumed]
+
+    def _on_unhandled_exception(self, tb):
+        pass
+
+    def _wakeup_ready(self, handler):
+        os.read(self.wakeup_read_fd)
+
+    def wakeup(self):
+        os.write(self.wakeup_write_fd, b'1')
+
+    def quit(self, return_code=None):
+        self.read_allowed = False
+        if return_code is not None:
+            self.return_code = return_code
+
+    def _loop(self, handler):
+        select = self.sel.select
+        tb = None
+        waiting_for_write = True
+        with closing(self.sel), sanitize_term(self.output_fd), non_block(self.input_fd), non_block(self.output_fd), raw_terminal(self.input_fd):
+            while True:
+                has_data_to_write = bool(handler.write_buf)
+                if not has_data_to_write and not self.read_allowed:
+                    break
+                if has_data_to_write != waiting_for_write:
+                    waiting_for_write = has_data_to_write
+                    self.sel.modify(
+                        self.output_fd, selectors.EVENT_WRITE
+                        if waiting_for_write else 0, self._write_ready
+                    )
+                events = select()
+                for key, mask in events:
+                    try:
+                        key.data(handler)
+                    except Exception:
+                        import traceback
+                        tb = traceback.format_exc()
+                        self.return_code = 1
+                        break
+            if tb is not None:
+                self._report_error_loop(tb)
+
+    def _report_error_loop(self, tb):
+        raise NotImplementedError('TODO: Implement')
diff --git a/kittens/tui/operations.py b/kittens/tui/operations.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9015b7483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kittens/tui/operations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+S7C1T = b'\033 F'
+SAVE_CURSOR = b'\0337'
+RESTORE_CURSOR = b'\0338'
+SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES = b'\033[?s'
+RESTORE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES = b'\033[?r'
+
+MODES = dict(
+    LNM=(20, ''),
+    IRM=(4, ''),
+    DECKM=(1, '?'),
+    DECSCNM=(5, '?'),
+    DECOM=(6, '?'),
+    DECAWM=(6, '?'),
+    DECARM=(8, '?'),
+    DECTCEM=(25, '?'),
+    MOUSE_BUTTON_TRACKING=(1000, '?'),
+    MOUSE_MOTION_TRACKING=(1002, '?'),
+    MOUSE_MOVE_TRACKING=(1003, '?'),
+    FOCUS_TRACKING=(1004, '?'),
+    MOUSE_UTF8_MODE=(1005, '?'),
+    MOUSE_SGR_MODE=(1006, '?'),
+    MOUSE_URXVT_MODE=(1015, '?'),
+    ALTERNATE_SCREEN=(1049, '?'),
+    BRACKETED_PASTE=(2004, '?'),
+    EXTENDED_KEYBOARD=(2017, '?'),
+)
+
+
+def set_mode(which, private=True):
+    num, private = MODES[which]
+    return '\033[{}{}h'.format(private, num).encode('ascii')
+
+
+def reset_mode(which):
+    num, private = MODES[which]
+    return '\033[{}{}l'.format(private, num).encode('ascii')
+
+
+def init_state(alternate_screen=True):
+    ans = (
+        S7C1T + SAVE_CURSOR + SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES + reset_mode('LNM') +
+        reset_mode('IRM') + reset_mode('DECKM') + reset_mode('DECSCNM') +
+        set_mode('DECARM') + reset_mode('DECOM') + set_mode('DECAWM') +
+        set_mode('DECTCEM') + reset_mode('MOUSE_BUTTON_TRACKING') +
+        reset_mode('MOUSE_MOTION_TRACKING') + reset_mode('MOUSE_MOVE_TRACKING')
+        + reset_mode('FOCUS_TRACKING') + reset_mode('MOUSE_UTF8_MODE') +
+        reset_mode('MOUSE_SGR_MODE') + reset_mode('MOUSE_UTF8_MODE') +
+        set_mode('BRACKETED_PASTE') + set_mode('EXTENDED_KEYBOARD')
+    )
+    if alternate_screen:
+        ans += set_mode('ALTERNATE_SCREEN')
+    return ans
+
+
+def reset_state(normal_screen=True):
+    ans = b''
+    if normal_screen:
+        ans += reset_mode('ALTERNATE_SCREEN')
+    ans += RESTORE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES
+    ans += RESTORE_CURSOR
+    return ans