diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/asynchttp.py b/confluent_server/confluent/asynchttp.py
index 9516b223..d9353c16 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/asynchttp.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/asynchttp.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def get_async(env, querydict):
     return _asyncsessions[env['HTTP_CONFLUENTASYNCID']]['asyncsession']
 
 
-def handle_async(env, querydict, threadset, wshandler=None, wsin=None):
+def handle_async(env, querydict, threadset, wshandler=None):
     global _cleanthread
     # This may be one of two things, a request for a new async stream
     # or a request for next data from async stream
@@ -171,21 +171,8 @@ def handle_async(env, querydict, threadset, wshandler=None, wsin=None):
     if 'asyncid' not in querydict or not querydict['asyncid']:
         # This is a new request, create a new multiplexer
         currsess = AsyncSession(wshandler)
-        if wshandler:  # websocket mode, block until exited
-            # just stay alive until client goes away
-            mythreadid = greenlet.getcurrent()
-            threadset.add(mythreadid)
-            wsin.send(' ASYNCID: {0}'.format(currsess.asyncid))
-            clientmsg = True
-            while clientmsg:
-                # get input from ws...
-                clientmsg = wsin.wait()
-                if clientmsg and clientmsg[0] == '?':
-                    wsin.send('?')
-                elif clientmsg:
-                    print(repr(clientmsg))
-            currsess.destroy()
-            threadset.discard(mythreadid)
+        if wshandler:
+            yield currsess
             return
         yield messages.AsyncSession(currsess.asyncid)
         return
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/httpapi.py b/confluent_server/confluent/httpapi.py
index d09688cb..89af5cdc 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/httpapi.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/httpapi.py
@@ -391,6 +391,25 @@ def _assign_consessionid(consolesession):
                                'expiry': time.time() + 60}
     return sessid
 
+
+def websockify_data(data):
+    if isinstance(data, dict):
+        data = json.dumps(data)
+        data = u'!' + data
+    else:
+        try:
+            data = data.decode('utf8')
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            data = data.decode('cp437')
+        data = u' ' + data
+    return data
+
+def datacallback_bound(clientsessid, ws):
+    def datacallback(data):
+        data = websockify_data(data)
+        ws.send('${0}$'.format(clientsessid) + data)
+    return datacallback
+
 @eventlet.websocket.WebSocketWSGI.configured(
     supported_protocols=['confluent.console', 'confluent.asyncweb'])
 def wsock_handler(ws):
@@ -413,15 +432,85 @@ def wsock_handler(ws):
     authdata = auth.authorize(name, ws.path)
     if not authdata:
         return
+    cfgmgr = httpsessions[sessid]['cfgmgr']
+    username = httpsessions[sessid]['name']
     if ws.path == '/sessions/current/async':
+        myconsoles = {}
         def asyncwscallback(rsp):
             rsp = json.dumps(rsp.raw())
             ws.send(u'!' + rsp)
-        for res in confluent.asynchttp.handle_async(
-                {}, {}, currsess['inflight'], asyncwscallback, ws):
-            pass
+        mythreadid = greenlet.getcurrent()
+        currsess['inflight'].add(mythreadid)
+        asess = None
+        try:
+            for asess in confluent.asynchttp.handle_async(
+                    {}, {}, currsess['inflight'], asyncwscallback):
+                ws.send(u' ASYNCID: {0}'.format(asess.asyncid))
+                clientmsg = True
+                while clientmsg:
+                    clientmsg = ws.wait()
+                    if clientmsg:
+                        if clientmsg[0] == '?':
+                            ws.send('?')
+                        elif clientmsg[0] == '$':
+                            targid, data = clientmsg[1:].split('$', 1)
+                            if data[0] == ' ':
+                                myconsoles[targid].write(data[1:])
+                        elif clientmsg[0] == '!':
+                            msg = json.loads(clientmsg[1:])
+                            action = msg.get('operation', None)
+                            if action == 'start':
+                                targ = msg['target']
+                                if '/console/session' in targ or '/shell/sessions' in targ:
+                                    width = msg['width']
+                                    height = msg['height']
+                                    clientsessid = '{0}'.format(msg['sessid'])
+                                    skipreplay = msg.get('skipreplay', False)
+                                    delimit = None
+                                    if '/console/session' in targ:
+                                        delimit = '/console/session'
+                                        shellsession = False
+                                    else:
+                                        delimit = '/shell/sessions'
+                                        shellsession = True
+                                    node = targ.split(delimit, 1)[0]
+                                    node = node.rsplit('/', 1)[-1]
+                                    auditmsg = {'operation': 'start', 'target': targ,
+                                                'user': util.stringify(username)}
+                                    auditlog.log(auditmsg)
+                                    datacallback = datacallback_bound(clientsessid, ws)
+                                    if shellsession:
+                                        consession = shellserver.ShellSession(
+                                            node=node, configmanager=cfgmgr,
+                                            username=username, skipreplay=skipreplay,
+                                            datacallback=datacallback,
+                                            width=width, height=height)
+                                    else:
+                                        consession = consoleserver.ConsoleSession(
+                                            node=node, configmanager=cfgmgr,
+                                            username=username, skipreplay=skipreplay,
+                                            datacallback=datacallback,
+                                            width=width, height=height)
+                                    myconsoles[clientsessid] = consession
+
+                        else:
+                            print(repr(clientmsg))
+        finally:
+            for cons in myconsoles:
+                myconsoles[cons].destroy()
+            if asess:
+                asess.destroy()
+            currsess['inflight'].discard(mythreadid)
         return
     if '/console/session' in ws.path or '/shell/sessions/' in ws.path:
+        def datacallback(data):
+            ws.send(websockify_data(data))
+        geom = ws.wait()
+        geom = geom[1:]
+        geom = json.loads(geom)
+        width = geom['width']
+        height = geom['height']
+        skipreplay = geom.get('skipreplay', False)
         #hard bake JSON into this path, do not support other incarnations
         if '/console/session' in ws.path:
             prefix, _, _ = ws.path.partition('/console/session')
@@ -430,24 +519,7 @@ def wsock_handler(ws):
             prefix, _, _ = ws.path.partition('/shell/sessions')
             shellsession = True
         _, _, nodename = prefix.rpartition('/')
-        geom = ws.wait()
-        geom = geom[1:]
-        geom = json.loads(geom)
-        width = geom['width']
-        height = geom['height']
-        skipreplay = geom.get('skipreplay', False)
-        cfgmgr = httpsessions[sessid]['cfgmgr']
-        username = httpsessions[sessid]['name']
-        def datacallback(data):
-            if isinstance(data, dict):
-                data = json.dumps(data)
-                ws.send(u'!' + data)
-            else:
-                try:
-                    data = data.decode('utf8')
-                except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                    data = data.decode('cp437')
-                ws.send(u' ' + data)
+
         try:
             if shellsession:
                 consession = shellserver.ShellSession(