diff --git a/src/kanata.rs b/src/kanata.rs
index 22355c303..d744dd9b7 100644
--- a/src/kanata.rs
+++ b/src/kanata.rs
@@ -257,6 +257,15 @@ impl Kanata {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    pub fn change_layer(&mut self, layer_name: String) {
+        for (i, l) in self.layer_info.iter().enumerate() {
+            if l.name == layer_name {
+                self.layout.set_default_layer(i);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     fn check_handle_layer_change(&mut self, tx: &Option<Sender<EventNotification>>) {
         let cur_layer = self.layout.current_layer();
         if cur_layer != self.prev_layer {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 352b15f6f..659c9ca6b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ mod tcp_server;
 
 use clap::Parser;
 use kanata::Kanata;
-use tcp_server::NotificationServer;
+use tcp_server::TcpServer;
 
 type CfgPath = PathBuf;
 
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ fn main_impl(args: ValidatedArgs) -> Result<()> {
     // while also maintaining `tick()` calls to keyberon.
 
     let (server, ntx, nrx) = if let Some(port) = args.port {
-        let mut server = NotificationServer::new(port);
-        server.start();
+        let mut server = TcpServer::new(port);
+        server.start(kanata_arc.clone());
         let (ntx, nrx) = crossbeam_channel::bounded(10);
         (Some(server), Some(ntx), Some(nrx))
     } else {
diff --git a/src/tcp_server.rs b/src/tcp_server.rs
index 7cc6ca3bb..0b2b639fc 100644
--- a/src/tcp_server.rs
+++ b/src/tcp_server.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
+use crate::Kanata;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use parking_lot::Mutex;
-use serde::Serialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::io::{BufReader, Read};
 use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
+use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-#[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub enum EventNotification {
     LayerChange { new: String },
 }
@@ -16,12 +19,20 @@ impl EventNotification {
     }
 }
 
-pub struct NotificationServer {
+impl FromStr for EventNotification {
+    type Err = serde_json::Error;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> std::result::Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        serde_json::from_str(s)
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct TcpServer {
     pub port: i32,
     pub connections: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<String, TcpStream>>>,
 }
 
-impl NotificationServer {
+impl TcpServer {
     pub fn new(port: i32) -> Self {
         Self {
             port,
@@ -29,7 +40,7 @@ impl NotificationServer {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn start(&mut self) {
+    pub fn start(&mut self, kanata: Arc<Mutex<Kanata>>) {
         let listener = TcpListener::bind(format!("0.0.0.0:{}", self.port))
             .expect("could not start the tcp server");
 
@@ -43,7 +54,35 @@ impl NotificationServer {
                             .expect("could not find peer address")
                             .to_string();
 
-                        cl.lock().insert(addr, stream);
+                        {
+                            cl.lock().insert(addr.clone(), stream);
+                        }
+
+                        if let Some(stream) = cl.lock().get(&addr) {
+                            let stream = stream
+                                .try_clone()
+                                .expect("could not clone tcpstream to read incoming messages");
+
+                            let k_cl = kanata.clone();
+                            std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                                log::info!("listening for incoming messages {}", &addr);
+                                loop {
+                                    let mut buffer: [u8; 1024] = [0; 1024];
+                                    let mut reader = BufReader::new(&stream);
+                                    if let Ok(size) = reader.read(&mut buffer) {
+                                        if let Ok(event) = EventNotification::from_str(
+                                            &String::from_utf8_lossy(&buffer[..size]),
+                                        ) {
+                                            match event {
+                                                EventNotification::LayerChange { new } => {
+                                                    k_cl.lock().change_layer(new);
+                                                }
+                                            }
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            });
+                        };
                     }
                     Err(_) => log::error!("not able to accept client connection"),
                 }