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/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/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]