diff --git a/src/common/communication.h b/src/common/communication.h
index ea5a46ca..ade9eab2 100644
--- a/src/common/communication.h
+++ b/src/common/communication.h
@@ -143,6 +143,168 @@ inline T read_object(Socket& socket) {
     return read_object<T>(socket, buffer);
 }
 
+/**
+ * A single, long-living socket
+ */
+class SocketHandler {
+   public:
+    /**
+     * Sets up the sockets and start listening on the socket on the listening
+     * side. The sockets won't be active until `connect()` gets called.
+     *
+     * @param io_context The IO context the socket should be bound to.
+     * @param endpoint The endpoint this socket should connect to or listen on.
+     * @param listen If `true`, start listening on the sockets. Incoming
+     *   connections will be accepted when `connect()` gets called. This should
+     *   be set to `true` on the plugin side, and `false` on the Wine host side.
+     *
+     * @see Sockets::connect
+     */
+    SocketHandler(boost::asio::io_context& io_context,
+                  boost::asio::local::stream_protocol::endpoint endpoint,
+                  bool listen)
+        : endpoint(endpoint), socket(io_context) {
+        if (listen) {
+            boost::filesystem::create_directories(
+                boost::filesystem::path(endpoint.path()).parent_path());
+            acceptor.emplace(io_context, endpoint);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Depending on the value of the `listen` argument passed to the
+     * constructor, either accept connections made to the sockets on the Linux
+     * side or connect to the sockets on the Wine side.
+     */
+    void connect() {
+        if (acceptor) {
+            acceptor->accept(socket);
+        } else {
+            socket.connect(endpoint);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Close the socket. Both sides that are actively listening will be thrown a
+     * `boost::system_error` when this happens.
+     */
+    void close() {
+        // The shutdown can fail when the socket is already closed
+        boost::system::error_code err;
+        socket.shutdown(
+            boost::asio::local::stream_protocol::socket::shutdown_both, err);
+        socket.close();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Serialize an object and send it over the socket.
+     *
+     * @param object The object to send.
+     * @param buffer The buffer to use for the serialization. This is used to
+     *   prevent excess allocations when sending audio.
+     *
+     * @throw boost::system::system_error If the socket is closed or gets closed
+     *   during sending.
+     *
+     * @warning This operation is not atomic, and calling this function with the
+     *   same socket from multiple threads at once will cause issues with the
+     *   packets arriving out of order.
+     *
+     * @see write_object
+     */
+    template <typename T>
+    inline void send(const T& object, std::vector<uint8_t>& buffer) {
+        write_object(socket, object, buffer);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * `SocketHandler::send()` with a small default buffer for convenience.
+     *
+     * @overload
+     */
+    template <typename T>
+    inline void send(const T& object) {
+        write_object(socket, object);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Read a serialized object from the socket sent using `send()`. This will
+     * block until the object is available.
+     *
+     * @param buffer The buffer to read into. This is used to prevent excess
+     *   allocations when sending audio.
+     *
+     * @return The deserialized object.
+     *
+     * @throw std::runtime_error If the conversion to an object was not
+     *   successful.
+     * @throw boost::system::system_error If the socket is closed or gets closed
+     *   while reading.
+     *
+     * @relates SocketHandler::send
+     *
+     * @see read_object
+     * @see SocketHandler::receive
+     */
+    template <typename T>
+    inline T receive_single(std::vector<uint8_t>& buffer) {
+        return read_object<T>(socket, buffer);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * `SocketHandler::receive_single()` with a small default buffer for
+     * convenience.
+     *
+     * @overload
+     */
+    template <typename T>
+    inline T receive_single() {
+        return read_object<T>(socket);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Start a blocking loop to receive objects on this socket. This function
+     * will return once the socket gets closed.
+     *
+     * @param callback A function that gets passed the received object. Since
+     *   we'd probably want to do some more stuff after sending a reply, calling
+     *   `send()` is the responsibility of this function.
+     *
+     * @tparam F A function type in the form of `void(T)` that does something
+     *   with the object, and then calls `send()`.
+     *
+     * @relates SocketHandler::send
+     *
+     * @see read_object
+     * @see SocketHandler::receive_single
+     */
+    template <typename T, typename F>
+    void receive(F callback) {
+        std::vector<uint8_t> buffer{};
+        while (true) {
+            try {
+                auto object = receive_single<T>(buffer);
+
+                callback(std::move(object));
+            } catch (const boost::system::system_error&) {
+                // This happens when the sockets got closed because the plugin
+                // is being shut down
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+   private:
+    boost::asio::local::stream_protocol::endpoint endpoint;
+    boost::asio::local::stream_protocol::socket socket;
+
+    /**
+     * Will be used in `connect()` on the listening side to establish the
+     * connection.
+     */
+    std::optional<boost::asio::local::stream_protocol::acceptor> acceptor;
+};
+
 /**
  * Encodes the base behavior for reading from and writing to the `data` argument
  * for event dispatch functions. This provides base functionality for these
@@ -227,6 +389,9 @@ class DefaultDataConverter {
  *
  * @tparam Thread The thread implementation to use. On the Linux side this
  *   should be `std::jthread` and on the Wine side this should be `Win32Thread`.
+ *
+ * TODO: Factor the listening logic out to a `MultiSocketHandler`, and then
+ *       recreate this on top of that
  */
 template <typename Thread>
 class EventHandler {