diff --git a/i3lock.c b/i3lock.c
index d5918631..130452de 100644
--- a/i3lock.c
+++ b/i3lock.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <wordexp.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@
 
 typedef void (*ev_callback_t)(EV_P_ ev_timer *w, int revents);
 static void input_done(void);
+static void update_arguments(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
 char color[9] = "a3a3a3ff";
 
@@ -267,6 +269,12 @@ pthread_t draw_thread;
 // allow you to disable. handy if you use bar with lots of crap.
 bool redraw_thread = false;
 
+// for the api thread
+pthread_t api_thread;
+// this enables api access to update i3lock
+bool api_enabled = false;
+char *api_fifo_path = "/tmp/i3lock-api";
+
 // experimental bar stuff
 #define BAR_VERT 0
 #define BAR_FLAT 1
@@ -643,6 +651,50 @@ static void redraw_timeout(EV_P_ ev_timer *w, int revents) {
     STOP_TIMER(w);
 }
 
+static void *listen_api() {
+    mkfifo(api_fifo_path, S_IRWXU);
+
+    FILE *fifo;
+    char c;
+    int i;
+    int times = 0;
+    char *text = (char *) malloc(50);
+    wordexp_t data;
+
+    while(1) {
+        i = 0;
+        fifo = fopen(api_fifo_path, "rb");
+        while ((c = fgetc(fifo)) != EOF) {
+            if (sizeof(text) <= i) {
+                text = (char *) realloc(text, i * 2);
+            }
+            if (c == '\n') {
+                text[i] = ' ';
+            } else {
+                text[i] = c;
+            }
+            i++;
+        }
+        fclose(fifo);
+
+        char copy[] = "command ";
+        strcat(copy, text);
+        text = copy;
+
+        wordfree(&data);
+        wordexp(text, &data, 0);
+        DEBUG("API message received - %d\n", times);
+        times++;
+
+        update_arguments(data.we_wordc, data.we_wordv);
+        init_colors_once();
+
+        text = (char *) malloc(50);
+        redraw_screen();
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 static bool skip_without_validation(void) {
     if (input_position != 0)
         return false;
@@ -1437,19 +1489,10 @@ static void load_slideshow_images(const char *path, char *image_raw_format) {
     closedir(d);
 }
 
-int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-    struct passwd *pw;
-    char *username;
-    char *image_path = NULL;
-    char *image_raw_format = NULL;
-#ifndef __OpenBSD__
-    int ret;
-    struct pam_conv conv = {conv_callback, NULL};
-#endif
-    int curs_choice = CURS_NONE;
-    int o;
-    int longoptind = 0;
-    struct option longopts[] = {
+int curs_choice = CURS_NONE;
+
+static void update_arguments(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    static struct option longopts[] = {
         {"version", no_argument, NULL, 'v'},
         {"nofork", no_argument, NULL, 'n'},
         {"beep", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
@@ -1592,6 +1635,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         {"refresh-rate", required_argument, NULL, 901},
         {"composite", no_argument, NULL, 902},
         {"no-verify", no_argument, NULL, 905},
+        {"enable-api", no_argument, NULL, 906},
 
         // slideshow options
         {"slideshow-interval", required_argument, NULL, 903},
@@ -1599,16 +1643,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
         {NULL, no_argument, NULL, 0}};
 
-    if ((pw = getpwuid(getuid())) == NULL)
-        err(EXIT_FAILURE, "getpwuid() failed");
-    if ((username = pw->pw_name) == NULL)
-        errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "pw->pw_name is NULL.");
-    if (getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY") != NULL)
-        errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "i3lock is a program for X11 and does not work on Wayland. Try https://github.com/swaywm/swaylock instead");
-
+    int o;
+    int longoptind = 0;
+    int opt = 0;
     char *optstring = "hvnbdc:p:ui:tCFLMeI:frsS:kB:m";
+
+    char *image_path;
+    char *image_raw_format;
+
     char *arg = NULL;
-    int opt = 0;
     char padded[9] = "ffffffff"; \
 
 #define parse_color(acolor)\
@@ -1631,7 +1674,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         awidth = 0;\
     }
 
+    optind = 0;
+
     while ((o = getopt_long(argc, argv, optstring, longopts, &longoptind)) != -1) {
+        DEBUG("OPTLONG: %d - %s\n", o, optarg);
         switch (o) {
             case 'v':
                 errx(EXIT_SUCCESS, "version " I3LOCK_VERSION " © 2010 Michael Stapelberg, © 2015 Cassandra Fox, © 2021 Raymond Li");
@@ -2232,6 +2278,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
             case 905:
                 no_verify = true;
                 break;
+            case 906:
+                api_enabled = true;
+                break;
             case 998:
                 image_raw_format = strdup(optarg);
                 break;
@@ -2244,6 +2293,26 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                    "Please see the manpage for a full list of arguments.");
         }
     }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    struct passwd *pw;
+    char *username;
+    char *image_path = NULL;
+    char *image_raw_format = NULL;
+#ifndef __OpenBSD__
+    int ret;
+    struct pam_conv conv = {conv_callback, NULL};
+#endif
+
+    if ((pw = getpwuid(getuid())) == NULL)
+        err(EXIT_FAILURE, "getpwuid() failed");
+    if ((username = pw->pw_name) == NULL)
+        errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "pw->pw_name is NULL.");
+    if (getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY") != NULL)
+        errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "i3lock is a program for X11 and does not work on Wayland. Try https://github.com/swaywm/swaylock instead");
+
+    update_arguments(argc, argv);
 
     /* We need (relatively) random numbers for highlighting a random part of
      * the unlock indicator upon keypresses. */
@@ -2475,6 +2544,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
             start_time_redraw_tick(main_loop);
         }
     }
+
+    if (api_enabled) {
+        (void) pthread_create(&api_thread, NULL, listen_api, NULL);
+    }
+
     ev_loop(main_loop, 0);
 
 #ifndef __OpenBSD__