diff --git a/swaymsg/main.c b/swaymsg/main.c
index 7c643758..9c799b54 100644
--- a/swaymsg/main.c
+++ b/swaymsg/main.c
@@ -3,11 +3,17 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include "stringop.h"
 #include "ipc.h"
 #include "readline.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
+static const char ipc_magic[] = {'i', '3', '-', 'i', 'p', 'c'};
+static const size_t ipc_header_size = sizeof(ipc_magic)+8;
+
 void sway_terminate(void) {
 	exit(1);
 }
@@ -22,11 +28,66 @@ char *get_socketpath(void) {
 	return line;
 }
 
+char *do_ipc(const char *socket_path, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint32_t len) {
+	struct sockaddr_un addr;
+	int socketfd;
+	if ((socketfd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to open Unix socket");
+	}
+	addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
+	strcpy(addr.sun_path, socket_path);
+	int l = sizeof(addr.sun_family) + strlen(addr.sun_path);
+	if (connect(socketfd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, l) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to connect to %s", socket_path);
+	}
+
+	char data[ipc_header_size];
+	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t *)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
+	memcpy(data, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic));
+	data32[0] = len;
+	data32[1] = type;
+
+	if (write(socketfd, data, ipc_header_size) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC header");
+	}
+
+	if (write(socketfd, payload, len) == -1) {
+		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC payload");
+	}
+
+	size_t total = 0;
+	while (total < ipc_header_size) {
+		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, data + total, ipc_header_size - total, 0);
+		if (received < 0) {
+			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
+		}
+		total += received;
+	}
+
+	total = 0;
+	len = data32[0];
+	char *response = malloc(len + 1);
+	while (total < len) {
+		ssize_t received = recv(socketfd, response + total, len - total, 0);
+		if (received < 0) {
+			sway_abort("Unable to receive IPC response");
+		}
+		total += received;
+	}
+	response[len] = '\0';
+
+	close(socketfd);
+
+	return response;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	static int quiet = 0;
 	char *socket_path = NULL;
 	char *cmdtype = NULL;
 
+	init_log(L_INFO);
+
 	static struct option long_options[] = {
 		{"quiet", no_argument, &quiet, 'q'},
 		{"version", no_argument, NULL, 'v'},
@@ -63,7 +124,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 
 	if (!cmdtype) {
-		cmdtype = "command";
+		cmdtype = strdup("command");
 	}
 	if (!socket_path) {
 		socket_path = get_socketpath();
@@ -89,13 +150,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	} else if (strcasecmp(cmdtype, "get_version") == 0) {
 		type = IPC_GET_VERSION;
 	}
+	free(cmdtype);
 
 	char *command = strdup("");
 	if (optind < argc) {
 		command = join_args(argv + optind, argc - optind);
 	}
 
-	printf("%s", command);
+	char *resp = do_ipc(socket_path, type, command, strlen(command));
+	if (!quiet) {
+		printf("%s", resp);
+	}
+
+	free(command);
+	free(resp);
 	free(socket_path);
 	return 0;
 }