diff --git a/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.cpp b/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.cpp
index 8d864cf7..db6aa584 100644
--- a/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.cpp
+++ b/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.cpp
@@ -246,6 +246,12 @@ bool PosixDevice::is_system_pin(uint8_t pin)
     return false;
 }
 
+void Win32Device::run_thread(void (*func)(void*), void* arg)
+{
+    pthread_t thread;
+    pthread_create(&thread, NULL, (void* (*)(void*))func, arg);
+}
+
 #ifndef TARGET_OS_MAC
 long PosixDevice::get_uptime()
 {
diff --git a/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.h b/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.h
index 439d4c12..70f62695 100644
--- a/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.h
+++ b/src/dev/posix/hasp_posix.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ class PosixDevice : public BaseDevice {
 
     bool is_system_pin(uint8_t pin) override;
 
+    void run_thread(void (*func)(void*), void* arg);
+
   public:
     std::string backlight_device;
     int backlight_max = 0;
diff --git a/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.cpp b/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.cpp
index 6f7576de..591ccb75 100644
--- a/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.cpp
+++ b/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.cpp
@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ bool Win32Device::is_system_pin(uint8_t pin)
     return false;
 }
 
+void Win32Device::run_thread(void (*func)(void*), void* arg)
+{
+    CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)func, arg, 0, NULL);
+}
+
 long Win32Device::get_uptime()
 {
     return GetTickCount64() / 1000;
diff --git a/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.h b/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.h
index 1a25106d..09f56773 100644
--- a/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.h
+++ b/src/dev/win32/hasp_win32.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class Win32Device : public BaseDevice {
 
     bool is_system_pin(uint8_t pin) override;
 
+    void run_thread(void (*func)(void*), void* arg);
+
   private:
     std::string _hostname;
     std::string _core_version;
diff --git a/src/hasp/hasp_dispatch.cpp b/src/hasp/hasp_dispatch.cpp
index 0b58089f..42cc1750 100644
--- a/src/hasp/hasp_dispatch.cpp
+++ b/src/hasp/hasp_dispatch.cpp
@@ -822,6 +822,48 @@ void dispatch_run_script(const char*, const char* payload, uint8_t source)
 #endif
 }
 
+#if HASP_TARGET_PC
+static void shell_command_thread(char* cmdline)
+{
+    // run the command
+    FILE* pipe = popen(cmdline, "r");
+    // free the string duplicated previously
+    free(cmdline);
+    if(!pipe) {
+        LOG_ERROR(TAG_MSGR, F("Couldn't execute system command"));
+        return;
+    }
+    // read each line, up to 1023 chars long
+    char command[1024];
+    while(fgets(command, sizeof(command), pipe) != NULL) {
+        // strip newline character
+        char* temp = command;
+        while(*temp) {
+            if(*temp == '\r' || *temp == '\n') {
+                *temp = '\0';
+                break;
+            }
+            temp++;
+        }
+        // run the command
+        LOG_INFO(TAG_MSGR, F("Running '%s'"), command);
+        dispatch_text_line(command, TAG_MSGR);
+    }
+    // close the pipe, check return code
+    int status_code = pclose(pipe);
+    if(status_code) {
+        LOG_ERROR(TAG_MSGR, F("Process exited with non-zero return code %d"), status_code);
+    }
+}
+
+void dispatch_shell_execute(const char*, const char* payload, uint8_t source)
+{
+    // must duplicate the string for thread's own usage
+    char* command = strdup(payload);
+    haspDevice.run_thread((void (*)(void*))shell_command_thread, (void*)command);
+}
+#endif
+
 void dispatch_current_page()
 {
     char topic[8];
@@ -1495,6 +1537,9 @@ void dispatchSetup()
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("sensors"), dispatch_send_sensordata);
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("theme"), dispatch_theme);
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("run"), dispatch_run_script);
+#if HASP_TARGET_PC
+    dispatch_add_command(PSTR("shell"), dispatch_shell_execute);
+#endif
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("service"), dispatch_service);
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("antiburn"), dispatch_antiburn);
     dispatch_add_command(PSTR("calibrate"), dispatch_calibrate);
diff --git a/src/sys/svc/hasp_console.cpp b/src/sys/svc/hasp_console.cpp
index 17612d2d..04ab243f 100644
--- a/src/sys/svc/hasp_console.cpp
+++ b/src/sys/svc/hasp_console.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static void console_process_line(const char* input)
 }
 #elif HASP_TARGET_PC
 static bool console_running = true;
-static int console_thread(void* arg)
+static void console_thread(void* arg)
 {
     while(console_running) {
         std::string input;
@@ -145,12 +145,7 @@ void consoleStart()
     }
 #elif HASP_TARGET_PC
     LOG_TRACE(TAG_MSGR, F(D_SERVICE_STARTING));
-#if defined(WINDOWS)
-    CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)console_thread, NULL, 0, NULL);
-#elif defined(POSIX)
-    pthread_t thread;
-    pthread_create(&thread, NULL, (void* (*)(void*))console_thread, NULL);
-#endif
+    haspDevice.run_thread(console_thread, NULL);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -202,7 +197,7 @@ IRAM_ATTR void consoleLoop()
             case 0:
             case -1:
                 break;
-                
+
             default: {
                 update = true;
             }