diff --git a/man/mu-server.1.org b/man/mu-server.1.org
index cd401e0f..3d90b8f4 100644
--- a/man/mu-server.1.org
+++ b/man/mu-server.1.org
@@ -61,10 +61,16 @@ directly through the emacs process input/output. This is noticeably faster for
 commands with a lot of output, esp. when the the temp-file uses a in-memory
 file-system.
 
+** --listen
+If set, the server starts an SCM REPL as well, which listens on a Unix domain
+socket. This corresponds to the *--listen* options for *mu scm**.
+
+The store object (including the Xapian database) is shared between the server and the REPL.
+
 * PERFORMANCE
 
 As an indication for the relative performance, we can simulate something ~mu4e~
-does; we take overall time of 50 such requests:
+does. We take the overall time of 50 such requests:
 
 #+begin_src sh
 time build/mu/mu server --allow-temp-file --eval '(find :query "\"\"" :include-related t :threads t :maxnum 50000)' >/dev/null
@@ -78,7 +84,6 @@ time build/mu/mu server --allow-temp-file --eval '(find :query "\"\"" :include-r
 |          1.10 | 5.7s       |
 | 1.11 (master) | 2.8s       |
 
-
 #+include: "muhome.inc" :minlevel 2
 
 #+include: "common-options.inc" :minlevel 1
@@ -87,4 +92,5 @@ time build/mu/mu server --allow-temp-file --eval '(find :query "\"\"" :include-r
 
 * SEE ALSO
 
-{{{man-link(mu,1)}}}
+{{{man-link(mu,1)}}},
+{{{man-link(mu-scm,1)}}}
diff --git a/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc b/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
index 3a694566..280ec4e3 100644
--- a/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
+++ b/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** Copyright (C) 2020-2023 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+** Copyright (C) 2020-2025 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
 **
 ** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 ** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@
 #include "mu-cmd.hh"
 #include "mu-server.hh"
 
+#if BUILD_SCM
+#include "scm/mu-scm.hh"
+#endif/*BUILD_SCM*/
+
 #include "utils/mu-utils.hh"
 #include "utils/mu-readline.hh"
 
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@ install_sig_handler()
 }
 
 /*
+ * djcb@djcbsoftware.nl
+ *
  * Markers for/after the length cookie that precedes the expression we write to
  * output. We use octal 376, 377 (ie, 0xfe, 0xff) as they will never occur in
  * utf8
@@ -102,6 +108,46 @@ report_error(const Mu::Error& err) noexcept
 		      Server::OutputFlags::Flush);
 }
 
+static void
+maybe_setup_readline(const Mu::Options& opts)
+{
+	tty = ::isatty(::fileno(stdout));
+
+	// Note, the readline stuff is inactive unless on a tty.
+	const auto histpath{opts.runtime_path(RuntimePath::Cache) + "/history"};
+	setup_readline(histpath, 50);
+}
+
+// get the SCM socket path we're listening on, or empty if not listening
+static std::string
+maybe_listen_path(const Mu::Store& store, const Mu::Options& opts)
+{
+#ifdef BUILD_SCM
+	if (!opts.scm.socket_path)
+		return {};
+	const auto res = Mu::Scm::run(store, opts, false/*!block*/);
+	if (!res) {
+		mu_warning("failed to start scm socket: {}", res.error().what());
+		return {};
+	} else
+		return  *opts.scm.socket_path;
+#endif /*BUILD_SCM*/
+	return {};
+}
+
+static bool
+maybe_eval(Server& server, const Mu::Options& opts)
+{
+	const auto eval = std::string{opts.server.commands ?
+		"(help :full t)" : opts.server.eval};
+
+	if (!eval.empty()) {
+		server.invoke(eval);
+		return true;
+	} else
+		return false;
+}
+
 Result<void>
 Mu::mu_cmd_server(const Mu::Options& opts) try {
 
@@ -110,31 +156,23 @@ Mu::mu_cmd_server(const Mu::Options& opts) try {
 	if (!store)
 		return Err(store.error());
 
-	Server::Options sopts{};
-	sopts.allow_temp_file = opts.server.allow_temp_file;
+	// empty when we're not listening
+	const auto socket_path = maybe_listen_path(*store, opts);
 
+	Server::Options sopts{opts.server.allow_temp_file, socket_path};
 	Server server{*store, sopts, output_stdout};
-	mu_message("created server with store @ {}; maildir @ {}; debug-mode {};"
-		  "readline: {}",
-		   store->path(), store->root_maildir(),
-		   opts.debug ? "yes" : "no",
-		   have_readline() ? "yes" : "no");
 
-	tty = ::isatty(::fileno(stdout));
-	const auto eval = std::string{opts.server.commands ? "(help :full t)" : opts.server.eval};
-	if (!eval.empty()) {
-		server.invoke(eval);
+	if (maybe_eval(server, opts))
 		return Ok();
-	}
-
-	// Note, the readline stuff is inactive unless on a tty.
-	const auto histpath{opts.runtime_path(RuntimePath::Cache) + "/history"};
-	setup_readline(histpath, 50);
 
+	maybe_setup_readline(opts);
 	install_sig_handler();
-	mu_println(";; Welcome to the " PACKAGE_STRING " command-server{}\n"
-		   ";; Use (help) to get a list of commands, (quit) to quit.",
+
+	mu_println(";; Welcome to the " PACKAGE_STRING " command-server{}",
 		   opts.debug ? " (debug-mode)" : "");
+	if (!socket_path.empty())
+	mu_println(";; SCM socket listening on {}", socket_path);
+	mu_println(";; Use (help) to get a list of commands, (quit) to quit.");
 
 	bool do_quit{};
 	while (!MuTerminate && !do_quit) {
@@ -151,7 +189,6 @@ Mu::mu_cmd_server(const Mu::Options& opts) try {
 		mu_message ("shutting down due to signal {}", MuTerminate.load());
 
 	shutdown_readline();
-
 	return Ok();
 
 } catch (const Error& er) { /* note: user-level error, "OK" for mu */
diff --git a/mu/mu-options.cc b/mu/mu-options.cc
index b91138eb..0db3bb65 100644
--- a/mu/mu-options.cc
+++ b/mu/mu-options.cc
@@ -616,6 +616,24 @@ sub_remove(CLI::App& sub, Options& opts)
 		->type_name("<files>");
 }
 
+static std::string
+concoct_socket_path()
+{
+	return join_paths(g_get_user_runtime_dir(),
+			  mu_format("mu-scm-{}.sock", ::getpid()));
+}
+
+static void
+add_listen_flag(CLI::App& sub, Options& opts)
+{
+	sub.add_flag("--listen", opts.scm.listen,
+		     "Start SCM REPL on a domain socket");
+	sub.callback([&opts]{
+		if (opts.scm.listen)
+			opts.scm.socket_path = concoct_socket_path();
+	});
+}
+
 static void
 sub_server(CLI::App& sub, Options& opts)
 {
@@ -627,18 +645,23 @@ sub_server(CLI::App& sub, Options& opts)
 	sub.add_flag("--allow-temp-file", opts.server.allow_temp_file,
 		     "Allow for the temp-file optimization")
 		->excludes("--commands");
+
+#if BUILD_SCM
+	add_listen_flag(sub, opts);
+#endif/*BUILD_SCM*/
 }
 
 static void
 sub_scm(CLI::App& sub, Options& opts)
 {
-	sub.add_flag("--listen", opts.scm.listen,
-		       "Start listening on a domain socket");
+	add_listen_flag(sub, opts);
+
 	sub.add_option("script-path", opts.scm.script_path, "Path to script")
 		->type_name("<path>")
 		->excludes("--listen");
 	sub.add_option("script-args", opts.scm.params, "Parameters for script")
 		->type_name("<parameters>");
+
 }
 
 static void
@@ -787,7 +810,6 @@ AssocPairs<SubCommand, CommandInfo, Options::SubCommandNum> SubCommandInfos= {{
 	}};
 
 
-
 static ScriptInfos
 add_scripts(CLI::App& app, Options& opts)
 {
diff --git a/mu/mu-options.hh b/mu/mu-options.hh
index 245678dc..e0a51fe8 100644
--- a/mu/mu-options.hh
+++ b/mu/mu-options.hh
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ struct Options {
 	/*
 	 * general options
 	 */
-	bool		quiet;				/**<  don't give any output */
-	bool		debug;				/**<  log debug-level info */
-	bool		version;			/**<  request mu version */
-	bool		log_stderr;			/**<  log to stderr */
-	bool		nocolor;			/**<  don't use use ansi-colors */
-	bool		verbose;			/**<  verbose output */
-	std::string	muhome;				/**<  alternative mu dir */
+	bool		quiet;			/**<  don't give any output */
+	bool		debug;			/**<  log debug-level info */
+	bool		version;		/**<  request mu version */
+	bool		log_stderr;		/**<  log to stderr */
+	bool		nocolor;		/**<  don't use use ansi-colors */
+	bool		verbose;		/**<  verbose output */
+	std::string	muhome;			/**<  alternative mu dir */
 
 	/**
 	 * Whether by default, we should show color
@@ -260,6 +260,8 @@ struct Options {
 		OptString script_path; /**< Path to script (optional) */
 		StringVec params;      /**< Parameters for script (after "--") */
 		bool listen; /**< Whether to start listening on a socket */
+		Option<std::string> socket_path; /**< path for the '--listen'
+						  * Unix domain socket */
 	} scm;
 
 
diff --git a/mu/mu.cc b/mu/mu.cc
index 69d3c485..0a580bc4 100644
--- a/mu/mu.cc
+++ b/mu/mu.cc
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ handle_result(const Result<void>& res, const Mu::Options& opts)
 	return res.error().exit_code();
 }
 
+namespace {
+Options opts; // it's big, don't want it on the stack
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char* argv[]) try
 {
@@ -93,34 +97,36 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[]) try
 	/*
 	 * read command-line options
 	 */
-	const auto opts{Options::make(argc, argv)};
-	if (!opts) {
-		output_error(opts.error().what(), !Options::default_no_color());
-		return opts.error().exit_code();
-	} else if (!opts->sub_command) {
+	auto optsres{Options::make(argc, argv)};
+	if (!optsres) {
+		output_error(optsres.error().what(), !Options::default_no_color());
+		return optsres.error().exit_code();
+	} else if (!optsres->sub_command) {
 		// nothing more to do.
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	opts = std::move(*optsres);
+
 	// setup logging
 	Logger::Options lopts{Logger::Options::None};
-	if (opts->log_stderr)
+	if (opts.log_stderr)
 		lopts |= Logger::Options::StdOutErr;
-	if (opts->debug)
+	if (opts.debug)
 		lopts |= Logger::Options::Debug;
 	if (!!g_getenv("MU_TEST"))
 		lopts |= Logger::Options::File;
 
-	const auto logger{Logger::make(opts->runtime_path(RuntimePath::LogFile), lopts)};
+	const auto logger{Logger::make(opts.runtime_path(RuntimePath::LogFile), lopts)};
 	if (!logger) {
-		output_error(logger.error().what(), !opts->nocolor);
+		output_error(logger.error().what(), !opts.nocolor);
 		return logger.error().exit_code();
 	}
 
 	/*
 	 * handle sub command
 	 */
-	return handle_result(mu_cmd_execute(*opts), *opts);
+	return handle_result(mu_cmd_execute(opts), opts);
 
 	// exceptions should have been handled earlier, but catch them here,
 	// just in case...