diff --git a/include/components/controller.hpp b/include/components/controller.hpp
index e8d84c5b..99f25942 100644
--- a/include/components/controller.hpp
+++ b/include/components/controller.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <thread>
 
 #include "common.hpp"
+#include "components/eventloop.hpp"
 #include "components/types.hpp"
 #include "events/signal_fwd.hpp"
 #include "events/signal_receiver.hpp"
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ class controller
   bool enqueue(string&& input_data);
 
   void conn_cb(int status, int events);
-  void ipc_cb(int status, int events);
+  void ipc_cb(string buf);
 
  protected:
   void read_events();
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ class controller
   unique_ptr<ipc> m_ipc;
   unique_ptr<inotify_watch> m_confwatch;
 
+  eventloop eloop;
+
   /**
    * \brief State flag
    */
diff --git a/include/components/eventloop.hpp b/include/components/eventloop.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bffe88e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/components/eventloop.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <uv.h>
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+
+POLYBAR_NS
+
+class eventloop {
+ public:
+  eventloop();
+  ~eventloop();
+
+  void run();
+
+  void stop();
+
+  /**
+   * TODO remove
+   */
+  uv_loop_t* get() const {
+    return m_loop.get();
+  }
+
+ private:
+  std::unique_ptr<uv_loop_t> m_loop{nullptr};
+};
+
+POLYBAR_NS_END
diff --git a/include/components/ipc.hpp b/include/components/ipc.hpp
index 6b09882a..e551d789 100644
--- a/include/components/ipc.hpp
+++ b/include/components/ipc.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include <uv.h>
+
 #include "common.hpp"
 #include "settings.hpp"
 #include "utils/concurrency.hpp"
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ class ipc {
   explicit ipc(signal_emitter& emitter, const logger& logger);
   ~ipc();
 
-  void receive_message();
+  void receive_message(string buf);
   int get_file_descriptor() const;
 
  private:
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 3200d3a4..77d30408 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ if(BUILD_LIBPOLY)
     ${src_dir}/components/renderer.cpp
     ${src_dir}/components/screen.cpp
     ${src_dir}/components/taskqueue.cpp
+    ${src_dir}/components/eventloop.cpp
 
     ${src_dir}/drawtypes/animation.cpp
     ${src_dir}/drawtypes/iconset.cpp
diff --git a/src/components/controller.cpp b/src/components/controller.cpp
index d9baebac..21c8ee88 100644
--- a/src/components/controller.cpp
+++ b/src/components/controller.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "components/bar.hpp"
 #include "components/builder.hpp"
 #include "components/config.hpp"
+#include "components/eventloop.hpp"
 #include "components/ipc.hpp"
 #include "components/logger.hpp"
 #include "components/types.hpp"
@@ -172,13 +173,13 @@ bool controller::enqueue(string&& input_data) {
   return false;
 }
 
-void controller::conn_cb(int status, int events) {
+void controller::conn_cb(int, int) {
   // TODO handle negative status
 
   if (m_connection.connection_has_error()) {
     g_terminate = 1;
     g_reload = 0;
-    uv_stop(uv_default_loop());
+    eloop.stop();
     return;
   }
 
@@ -194,31 +195,52 @@ void controller::conn_cb(int status, int events) {
   }
 }
 
-void controller::ipc_cb(int status, int events) {
-  // TODO handle negative status
-  m_ipc->receive_message();
+void controller::ipc_cb(string buf) {
+  // TODO handle messages sent in multiple parts.
+  m_ipc->receive_message(buf);
 }
 
 static void conn_cb_wrapper(uv_poll_t* handle, int status, int events) {
   static_cast<controller*>(handle->data)->conn_cb(status, events);
 }
 
-static void ipc_cb_wrapper(uv_poll_t* handle, int status, int events) {
-  static_cast<controller*>(handle->data)->ipc_cb(status, events);
-}
-
 static void signal_cb_wrapper(uv_signal_t* handle, int signum) {
   g_terminate = 1;
   g_reload = (signum == SIGUSR1);
-  uv_stop(handle->loop);
+  static_cast<eventloop*>(handle->loop->data)->stop();
 }
 
-static void confwatch_cb_wrapper(uv_fs_event_t* handle, const char* fname, int events, int status) {
+static void confwatch_cb_wrapper(uv_fs_event_t* handle, const char* fname, int, int) {
   // TODO handle error
   std::cout << fname << std::endl;
   g_terminate = 1;
   g_reload = 1;
-  uv_stop(handle->loop);
+  static_cast<eventloop*>(handle->loop->data)->stop();
+}
+
+static void ipc_alloc_cb(uv_handle_t*, size_t, uv_buf_t* buf) {
+  // TODO handle alloc error
+  buf->base = new char[BUFSIZ];
+  buf->len = BUFSIZ;
+}
+
+static void ipc_read_cb_wrapper(uv_stream_t* stream, ssize_t nread, const uv_buf_t* buf) {
+  if (nread > 0) {
+    string payload = string(buf->base, nread);
+    logger::make().notice("Bytes read: %d: '%s'", nread, payload);
+    static_cast<controller*>(stream->data)->ipc_cb(std::move(payload));
+  } else if (nread < 0) {
+    if (nread != UV_EOF) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Read error %s\n", uv_err_name(nread));
+      uv_close((uv_handle_t*)stream, nullptr);
+    } else {
+      uv_read_start(stream, ipc_alloc_cb, ipc_read_cb_wrapper);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (buf->base) {
+    delete[] buf->base;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -227,7 +249,7 @@ static void confwatch_cb_wrapper(uv_fs_event_t* handle, const char* fname, int e
 void controller::read_events() {
   m_log.info("Entering event loop (thread-id=%lu)", this_thread::get_id());
 
-  auto loop = uv_default_loop();
+  auto loop = eloop.get();
 
   auto conn_handle = std::make_unique<uv_poll_t>();
   uv_poll_init(loop, conn_handle.get(), m_connection.get_file_descriptor());
@@ -256,17 +278,17 @@ void controller::read_events() {
     uv_fs_event_start(conf_handle.get(), confwatch_cb_wrapper, m_confwatch->path().c_str(), 0);
   }
 
-  auto ipc_handle = std::unique_ptr<uv_poll_t>(nullptr);
+  auto ipc_handle = std::unique_ptr<uv_pipe_t>(nullptr);
 
   if (m_ipc) {
-    ipc_handle = std::make_unique<uv_poll_t>();
-    uv_poll_init(loop, ipc_handle.get(), m_ipc->get_file_descriptor());
+    ipc_handle = std::make_unique<uv_pipe_t>();
+    uv_pipe_init(loop, ipc_handle.get(), false);
     ipc_handle->data = this;
-    uv_poll_start(ipc_handle.get(), UV_READABLE, ipc_cb_wrapper);
+    uv_pipe_open(ipc_handle.get(), m_ipc->get_file_descriptor());
+    uv_read_start((uv_stream_t*)ipc_handle.get(), ipc_alloc_cb, ipc_read_cb_wrapper);
   }
 
-  uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
-  uv_loop_close(loop);
+  eloop.run();
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/components/eventloop.cpp b/src/components/eventloop.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99e2e35e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/eventloop.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include "components/eventloop.hpp"
+
+POLYBAR_NS
+
+eventloop::eventloop() {
+  m_loop = std::make_unique<uv_loop_t>();
+  uv_loop_init(m_loop.get());
+  // TODO handle return value
+
+  m_loop->data = this;
+}
+
+eventloop::~eventloop() {
+  if (m_loop) {
+    uv_loop_close(m_loop.get());
+    // TODO handle return value
+  }
+}
+
+void eventloop::run() {
+  uv_run(m_loop.get(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
+  // TODO handle return value
+}
+
+void eventloop::stop() {
+  uv_stop(m_loop.get());
+  // TODO handle return value
+}
+
+POLYBAR_NS_END
diff --git a/src/components/ipc.cpp b/src/components/ipc.cpp
index a622c996..17473815 100644
--- a/src/components/ipc.cpp
+++ b/src/components/ipc.cpp
@@ -52,29 +52,22 @@ ipc::~ipc() {
 /**
  * Receive available ipc messages and delegate valid events
  */
-void ipc::receive_message() {
+void ipc::receive_message(string buf) {
   m_log.info("Receiving ipc message");
 
-  char buffer[BUFSIZ]{'\0'};
-  ssize_t bytes_read{0};
+  string payload{string_util::trim(std::move(buf), '\n')};
 
-  if ((bytes_read = read(*m_fd, &buffer, BUFSIZ)) == -1) {
-    m_log.err("Failed to read from ipc channel (err: %s)", strerror(errno));
-  } else if (bytes_read > 0) {
-    string payload{string_util::trim(string{buffer}, '\n')};
-
-    if (payload.find(ipc_command_prefix) == 0) {
-      m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::command{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_command_prefix))});
-    } else if (payload.find(ipc_hook_prefix) == 0) {
-      m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::hook{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_hook_prefix))});
-    } else if (payload.find(ipc_action_prefix) == 0) {
-      m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::action{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_action_prefix))});
-    } else if (!payload.empty()) {
-      m_log.warn("Received unknown ipc message: (payload=%s)", payload);
-    }
+  if (payload.find(ipc_command_prefix) == 0) {
+    m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::command{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_command_prefix))});
+  } else if (payload.find(ipc_hook_prefix) == 0) {
+    m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::hook{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_hook_prefix))});
+  } else if (payload.find(ipc_action_prefix) == 0) {
+    m_sig.emit(signals::ipc::action{payload.substr(strlen(ipc_action_prefix))});
+  } else if (!payload.empty()) {
+    m_log.warn("Received unknown ipc message: (payload=%s)", payload);
   }
 
-  m_fd = file_util::make_file_descriptor(m_path, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+  /* m_fd = file_util::make_file_descriptor(m_path, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK); */
 }
 
 /**