diff --git a/webdev/lib/src/serve/dev_workflow.dart b/webdev/lib/src/serve/dev_workflow.dart
index 8560f3b9d..53081bb7d 100644
--- a/webdev/lib/src/serve/dev_workflow.dart
+++ b/webdev/lib/src/serve/dev_workflow.dart
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import 'package:build_daemon/data/build_status.dart';
 import 'package:build_daemon/data/build_target.dart';
 import 'package:build_daemon/data/server_log.dart';
 import 'package:logging/logging.dart' as logging;
+import 'package:shelf/shelf.dart';
 
 import '../command/configuration.dart';
 import '../daemon_client.dart';
@@ -64,12 +65,12 @@ Future<Chrome> _startChrome(
 }
 
 Future<ServerManager> _startServerManager(
-  Configuration configuration,
-  Map<String, int> targetPorts,
-  String workingDirectory,
-  BuildDaemonClient client,
-  DevTools devTools,
-) async {
+    Configuration configuration,
+    Map<String, int> targetPorts,
+    String workingDirectory,
+    BuildDaemonClient client,
+    DevTools devTools,
+    {Handler optionalHandler}) async {
   var assetPort = daemonPort(workingDirectory);
   var serverOptions = Set<ServerOptions>();
   for (var target in targetPorts.keys) {
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ Future<ServerManager> _startServerManager(
       targetPorts[target],
       target,
       assetPort,
+      optionalHandler: optionalHandler,
     ));
   }
   logWriter(logging.Level.INFO, 'Starting resource servers...');
@@ -171,11 +173,9 @@ class DevWorkflow {
 
   Future<void> get done => _doneCompleter.future;
 
-  static Future<DevWorkflow> start(
-    Configuration configuration,
-    List<String> buildOptions,
-    Map<String, int> targetPorts,
-  ) async {
+  static Future<DevWorkflow> start(Configuration configuration,
+      List<String> buildOptions, Map<String, int> targetPorts,
+      {Handler optionalHandler}) async {
     var workingDirectory = Directory.current.path;
     var client = await _startBuildDaemon(workingDirectory, buildOptions);
     logWriter(logging.Level.INFO, 'Registering build targets...');
@@ -184,7 +184,8 @@ class DevWorkflow {
     client.startBuild();
     var devTools = await _startDevTools(configuration);
     var serverManager = await _startServerManager(
-        configuration, targetPorts, workingDirectory, client, devTools);
+        configuration, targetPorts, workingDirectory, client, devTools,
+        optionalHandler: optionalHandler);
     var chrome = await _startChrome(configuration, serverManager, client);
     return DevWorkflow._(client, chrome, devTools, serverManager);
   }
diff --git a/webdev/lib/src/serve/webdev_server.dart b/webdev/lib/src/serve/webdev_server.dart
index 0292a1276..ccfd3d743 100644
--- a/webdev/lib/src/serve/webdev_server.dart
+++ b/webdev/lib/src/serve/webdev_server.dart
@@ -22,13 +22,10 @@ class ServerOptions {
   final int port;
   final String target;
   final int daemonPort;
+  final Handler optionalHandler;
 
-  ServerOptions(
-    this.configuration,
-    this.port,
-    this.target,
-    this.daemonPort,
-  );
+  ServerOptions(this.configuration, this.port, this.target, this.daemonPort,
+      {this.optionalHandler});
 }
 
 class WebDevServer {
@@ -80,6 +77,10 @@ class WebDevServer {
     );
     cascade = cascade.add(devHandler.handler).add(assetHandler.handler);
 
+    if (options.optionalHandler != null) {
+      cascade = cascade.add(options.optionalHandler);
+    }
+
     var hostname = options.configuration.hostname;
     var server = await HttpMultiServer.bind(hostname, options.port);
     shelf_io.serveRequests(server, pipeline.addHandler(cascade.handler));
diff --git a/webdev/lib/src/webdev.dart b/webdev/lib/src/webdev.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9a467b27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webdev/lib/src/webdev.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+import 'dart:async';
+
+import 'package:build_daemon/data/build_status.dart';
+import 'package:shelf/shelf.dart';
+import 'package:vm_service_lib/vm_service_lib.dart';
+import 'package:webdev/src/serve/handlers/dev_handler.dart';
+
+import 'command/configuration.dart';
+import 'serve/chrome.dart';
+import 'serve/debugger/app_debug_services.dart';
+import 'serve/debugger/devtools.dart';
+import 'serve/injected/configuration.dart';
+import 'serve/webdev_server.dart';
+
+Stream<WebDevHandle> connectToWebdev(
+  int port,
+  int assetPort,
+  String target,
+  Stream<BuildResults> buildResults, {
+  Handler optionalHandler,
+}) async* {
+  var hostname = 'localhost';
+  var configuration = Configuration(
+    hostname: hostname,
+    requireBuildWebCompilers: false,
+    debug: true,
+    autoRun: true,
+    reload: ReloadConfiguration.none,
+  );
+  var devtools = await DevTools.start(hostname);
+  var serverOptions = ServerOptions(
+    configuration,
+    port,
+    target,
+    assetPort,
+    optionalHandler: optionalHandler,
+  );
+  var webDevServer =
+      await WebDevServer.start(serverOptions, buildResults, devtools);
+  var chrome = await Chrome.start(
+      <String>['http://${webDevServer.host}:${webDevServer.port}/'],
+      port: configuration.chromeDebugPort);
+  var devHandler = webDevServer.devHandler;
+  await for (var connection in devHandler.connectedApps) {
+    var appDebugServices = await devHandler.loadAppServices(
+        connection.request.appId, connection.request.instanceId);
+    yield WebDevHandle(
+        appDebugServices, connection, chrome, webDevServer, devtools);
+  }
+}
+
+class WebDevHandle {
+  final AppDebugServices _appDebugServices;
+  final DevConnection _devConnection;
+  final Chrome _chrome;
+  final WebDevServer _webDevServer;
+  final DevTools _devTools;
+
+  WebDevHandle(this._appDebugServices, this._devConnection, this._chrome,
+      this._webDevServer, this._devTools);
+
+  Future<void> close() async {
+    await _webDevServer.stop();
+    await _chrome.close();
+    await _devTools.close();
+    await _appDebugServices.close();
+  }
+
+  VmService get vmService {
+    return _appDebugServices.webdevClient.client;
+  }
+
+  Stream<void> get onTabClose {
+    return _appDebugServices.chromeProxyService.tabConnection.onClose;
+  }
+
+  Uri get wsUri => Uri.parse(_appDebugServices.debugService.wsUri);
+
+  void runMain() => _devConnection.runMain();
+}