diff --git a/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPCommandRunner.swift b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPCommandRunner.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..38a6279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPCommandRunner.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import NIOIMAPCore
+
+struct IMAPCommandRunner {
+	private let connection: IMAPConnection
+	private var tagCounter: Int = 0
+
+	init(connection: IMAPConnection) {
+		self.connection = connection
+	}
+
+	mutating func nextTag() -> String {
+		tagCounter += 1
+		return "A\(tagCounter)"
+	}
+
+	mutating func run(_ command: Command) async throws -> [Response] {
+		let tag = nextTag()
+		let tagged = TaggedCommand(tag: tag, command: command)
+		return try await connection.sendCommand(tag, command: .tagged(tagged))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPConnection.swift b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPConnection.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98a5547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPConnection.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import NIO
+import NIOIMAPCore
+@preconcurrency import NIOIMAP
+@preconcurrency import NIOSSL
+
+actor IMAPConnection {
+	private let host: String
+	private let port: Int
+	private let group: EventLoopGroup
+	private var channel: Channel?
+	private let responseHandler: IMAPResponseHandler
+
+	init(host: String, port: Int) {
+		self.host = host
+		self.port = port
+		self.group = MultiThreadedEventLoopGroup(numberOfThreads: 1)
+		self.responseHandler = IMAPResponseHandler()
+	}
+
+	func connect() async throws {
+		let sslContext = try NIOSSLContext(configuration: TLSConfiguration.makeClientConfiguration())
+		let handler = responseHandler
+		let hostname = host
+
+		let bootstrap = ClientBootstrap(group: group)
+			.channelOption(ChannelOptions.socketOption(.so_reuseaddr), value: 1)
+			.channelInitializer { channel in
+				let sslHandler = try! NIOSSLClientHandler(context: sslContext, serverHostname: hostname)
+				return channel.pipeline.addHandlers([
+					sslHandler,
+					IMAPClientHandler(),
+					handler,
+				])
+			}
+
+		channel = try await bootstrap.connect(host: host, port: port).get()
+		try await handler.waitForGreeting()
+	}
+
+	func sendCommand(_ tag: String, command: CommandStreamPart) async throws -> [Response] {
+		guard let channel else { throw IMAPError.notConnected }
+		let handler = responseHandler
+		return try await withCheckedThrowingContinuation { continuation in
+			handler.sendCommand(tag: tag, continuation: continuation)
+			channel.writeAndFlush(IMAPClientHandler.Message.part(command), promise: nil)
+		}
+	}
+
+	func disconnect() async throws {
+		try await channel?.close()
+		channel = nil
+	}
+
+	func shutdown() async throws {
+		try await group.shutdownGracefully()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPResponseHandler.swift b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPResponseHandler.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16231c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/MagnumOpusCore/Sources/IMAPClient/IMAPResponseHandler.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import NIO
+import NIOIMAPCore
+import NIOIMAP
+
+// NIO handlers are confined to their event loop; @unchecked Sendable is the
+// standard pattern for crossing the actor/event-loop boundary.
+final class IMAPResponseHandler: ChannelInboundHandler, @unchecked Sendable {
+	typealias InboundIn = Response
+
+	private var buffer: [Response] = []
+	private var expectedTag: String?
+	private var continuation: CheckedContinuation<[Response], Error>?
+	private var greetingContinuation: CheckedContinuation<Void, Error>?
+
+	func channelRead(context: ChannelHandlerContext, data: NIOAny) {
+		let response = unwrapInboundIn(data)
+		buffer.append(response)
+
+		switch response {
+		case .untagged(let payload):
+			if case .conditionalState(let status) = payload, greetingContinuation != nil {
+				switch status {
+				case .ok:
+					greetingContinuation?.resume()
+					greetingContinuation = nil
+				case .preauth:
+					greetingContinuation?.resume()
+					greetingContinuation = nil
+				case .bye(let text):
+					let error = IMAPError.serverError("BYE: \(text)")
+					greetingContinuation?.resume(throwing: error)
+					greetingContinuation = nil
+				default:
+					break
+				}
+			}
+		case .tagged(let tagged):
+			if tagged.tag == expectedTag {
+				let collected = buffer
+				buffer = []
+				expectedTag = nil
+				continuation?.resume(returning: collected)
+				continuation = nil
+			}
+		case .fatal(let text):
+			let error = IMAPError.serverError("FATAL: \(text)")
+			continuation?.resume(throwing: error)
+			continuation = nil
+			greetingContinuation?.resume(throwing: error)
+			greetingContinuation = nil
+		case .fetch, .authenticationChallenge, .idleStarted:
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	func errorCaught(context: ChannelHandlerContext, error: Error) {
+		continuation?.resume(throwing: error)
+		continuation = nil
+		greetingContinuation?.resume(throwing: error)
+		greetingContinuation = nil
+		context.close(promise: nil)
+	}
+
+	func waitForGreeting() async throws {
+		try await withCheckedThrowingContinuation { cont in
+			greetingContinuation = cont
+		}
+	}
+
+	func sendCommand(tag: String, continuation cont: CheckedContinuation<[Response], Error>) {
+		expectedTag = tag
+		continuation = cont
+		buffer = []
+	}
+}
+
+public enum IMAPError: Error, Sendable {
+	case notConnected
+	case serverError(String)
+	case authenticationFailed
+	case unexpectedResponse(String)
+}