diff --git a/.github/workflows/setup.sh b/.github/workflows/setup.sh
index 1d16d87f..2a52bfc2 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/setup.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/setup.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ if [[ -z $MINIMAL_INSTALL ]]; then
     # web server
     pacman -S --noconfirm python-aioauth-client python-aiohttp python-aiohttp-apispec-git python-aiohttp-cors python-aiohttp-jinja2 python-aiohttp-security python-aiohttp-session python-cryptography python-jinja
     # additional features
-    pacman -S --noconfirm gnupg python-boto3 python-cerberus python-matplotlib rsync
+    pacman -S --noconfirm gnupg ipython python-boto3 python-cerberus python-matplotlib rsync
 fi
 # FIXME since 1.0.4 devtools requires dbus to be run, which doesn't work now in container
 cp "docker/systemd-nspawn.sh" "/usr/local/bin/systemd-nspawn"
diff --git a/docs/ahriman.application.rst b/docs/ahriman.application.rst
index 9496d491..59c29cfe 100644
--- a/docs/ahriman.application.rst
+++ b/docs/ahriman.application.rst
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ ahriman.application.help\_formatter module
    :no-undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
 
+ahriman.application.interactive\_shell module
+---------------------------------------------
+
+.. automodule:: ahriman.application.interactive_shell
+   :members:
+   :no-undoc-members:
+   :show-inheritance:
+
 ahriman.application.lock module
 -------------------------------
 
diff --git a/package/archlinux/PKGBUILD b/package/archlinux/PKGBUILD
index 1b4922b3..446bd95a 100644
--- a/package/archlinux/PKGBUILD
+++ b/package/archlinux/PKGBUILD
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ package_ahriman-core() {
     pkgname='ahriman-core'
     optdepends=('ahriman-triggers: additional extensions for the application'
                 'ahriman-web: web server'
+                'ipython: an enhanced shell interpreter'
                 'python-boto3: sync to s3'
                 'python-cerberus: configuration validator'
                 'python-matplotlib: usage statistics chart'
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d878626d..99a0b8c3 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ pacman = [
 s3 = [
     "boto3",
 ]
+shell = [
+    "IPython"
+]
 stats = [
     "matplotlib",
 ]
diff --git a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/shell.py b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/shell.py
index 750f3a09..ca59beb9 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/shell.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/shell.py
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 import argparse
-import code
 import sys
 
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from ahriman.application.handlers.handler import Handler, SubParserAction
+from ahriman.application.interactive_shell import InteractiveShell
 from ahriman.core.configuration import Configuration
 from ahriman.core.formatters import StringPrinter
 from ahriman.models.repository_id import RepositoryId
@@ -58,11 +58,13 @@ class Shell(Handler):
             "configuration": configuration,
             "repository_id": repository_id,
         }
+        console = InteractiveShell(locals=local_variables)
 
-        if args.code is None:
-            code.interact(local=local_variables)
-        else:
-            code.InteractiveConsole(locals=local_variables).runcode(args.code)
+        match args.code:
+            case None:
+                console.interact()
+            case snippet:
+                console.runcode(snippet)
 
     @staticmethod
     def _set_service_shell_parser(root: SubParserAction) -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ class Shell(Handler):
                                  description="drop into python shell")
         parser.add_argument("code", help="instead of dropping into shell, just execute the specified code", nargs="?")
         parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", help=argparse.SUPPRESS, action="store_true")
+        parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", help="output commands and result to the file", type=Path)
         parser.set_defaults(lock=None, report=False)
         return parser
 
diff --git a/src/ahriman/application/interactive_shell.py b/src/ahriman/application/interactive_shell.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ade42175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ahriman/application/interactive_shell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2024 ahriman team.
+#
+# This file is part of ahriman
+# (see https://github.com/arcan1s/ahriman).
+#
+# 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 Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+from code import InteractiveConsole
+from typing import Any
+
+
+class InteractiveShell(InteractiveConsole):
+    """
+    wrapper around :class:`code.InteractiveConsole` to pass :func:`interact()` to IPython shell
+    """
+
+    def interact(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        """
+        pass controller to IPython shell
+
+        Args:
+            *args(Any): positional arguments
+            **kwargs(Any): keyword arguments
+        """
+        try:
+            from IPython.terminal.embed import InteractiveShellEmbed
+
+            shell = InteractiveShellEmbed(user_ns=self.locals)  # type: ignore[no-untyped-call]
+            shell.show_banner()  # type: ignore[no-untyped-call]
+            shell.interact()  # type: ignore[no-untyped-call]
+        except ImportError:
+            # fallback to default
+            import readline  # pylint: disable=unused-import
+            InteractiveConsole.interact(self, *args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_shell.py b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_shell.py
index 23187cd9..2fd0da12 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_shell.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_shell.py
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ def test_run(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, repository:
     """
     args = _default_args(args)
     mocker.patch("ahriman.core.repository.Repository.load", return_value=repository)
-    application_mock = mocker.patch("code.interact")
+    application_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.interactive_shell.InteractiveShell.interact")
 
     _, repository_id = configuration.check_loaded()
     Shell.run(args, repository_id, configuration, report=False)
-    application_mock.assert_called_once_with(local=pytest.helpers.anyvar(int))
+    application_mock.assert_called_once_with()
 
 
 def test_run_eval(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, repository: Repository,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def test_run_eval(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, reposi
     args = _default_args(args)
     args.code = """print("hello world")"""
     mocker.patch("ahriman.core.repository.Repository.load", return_value=repository)
-    application_mock = mocker.patch("code.InteractiveConsole.runcode")
+    application_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.interactive_shell.InteractiveShell.runcode")
 
     _, repository_id = configuration.check_loaded()
     Shell.run(args, repository_id, configuration, report=False)
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ def test_run_verbose(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, rep
     mocker.patch("ahriman.core.repository.Repository.load", return_value=repository)
     read_mock = mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.read_text", return_value="")
     print_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.core.formatters.Printer.print")
-    application_mock = mocker.patch("code.interact")
+    application_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.interactive_shell.InteractiveShell.interact")
 
     _, repository_id = configuration.check_loaded()
     Shell.run(args, repository_id, configuration, report=False)
-    application_mock.assert_called_once_with(local=pytest.helpers.anyvar(int))
+    application_mock.assert_called_once_with()
     read_mock.assert_called_once_with(encoding="utf8")
     print_mock.assert_called_once_with(verbose=False, log_fn=pytest.helpers.anyvar(int), separator=": ")
 
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/application/test_interactive_shell.py b/tests/ahriman/application/test_interactive_shell.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb5c2589
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ahriman/application/test_interactive_shell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import pytest
+
+from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
+
+from ahriman.application.interactive_shell import InteractiveShell
+
+
+def test_interact(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    must call IPython shell
+    """
+    banner_mock = mocker.patch("IPython.terminal.embed.InteractiveShellEmbed.show_banner")
+    interact_mock = mocker.patch("IPython.terminal.embed.InteractiveShellEmbed.interact")
+
+    shell = InteractiveShell()
+    shell.interact()
+    banner_mock.assert_called_once_with()
+    interact_mock.assert_called_once_with()
+
+
+def test_interact_import_error(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    must call builtin shell if no IPython available
+    """
+    pytest.helpers.import_error("IPython.terminal.embed", ["InteractiveShellEmbed"], mocker)
+    interact_mock = mocker.patch("code.InteractiveConsole.interact")
+
+    shell = InteractiveShell()
+    shell.interact()
+    interact_mock.assert_called_once_with(shell)
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 28c46c3a..73b3e2cf 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ envlist = check, tests
 isolated_build = True
 labels =
 	release = version, docs, publish
-dependencies = -e .[journald,pacman,s3,stats,validator,web]
+dependencies = -e .[journald,pacman,s3,shell,stats,validator,web]
 project_name = ahriman
 
 [mypy]