diff --git a/packages/suite-desktop-core/src/modules/trezor-connect.ts b/packages/suite-desktop-core/src/modules/trezor-connect.ts
index 13fd7e99143c..f01c31207397 100644
--- a/packages/suite-desktop-core/src/modules/trezor-connect.ts
+++ b/packages/suite-desktop-core/src/modules/trezor-connect.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,71 @@
 import { ipcMain } from 'electron';
+import { WebSocketServer } from 'ws';
 
 import TrezorConnect, { DEVICE_EVENT } from '@trezor/connect';
 import { createIpcProxyHandler, IpcProxyHandlerOptions } from '@trezor/ipc-proxy';
+import { isDevEnv } from '@suite-common/suite-utils';
 
 import { Dependencies, mainThreadEmitter, ModuleInitBackground, ModuleInit } from './index';
+import { app } from '../typed-electron';
 
 export const SERVICE_NAME = '@trezor/connect';
 
+const exposeConnectWs = ({
+    mainThreadEmitter,
+}: {
+    mainThreadEmitter: Dependencies['mainThreadEmitter'];
+}) => {
+    const { logger } = global;
+
+    const wss = new WebSocketServer({
+        port: 8090,
+    });
+
+    wss.on('listening', () => {
+        logger.info(`${SERVICE_NAME}-ws`, 'Listening on ws://localhost:8090');
+    });
+
+    wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
+        ws.on('error', err => {
+            logger.error(`${SERVICE_NAME}-ws`, err.message);
+        });
+
+        ws.on('message', async function message(data) {
+            let message;
+            try {
+                message = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+            } catch (err) {
+                message = data.toString();
+            }
+            try {
+                if (message === 'handshake') {
+                    ws.send('handshake');
+                    return;
+                }
+                if (typeof message !== 'object' || !message.payload || !message.payload.method) {
+                    logger.error(`${SERVICE_NAME}-ws`, 'invalid message');
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                const { method, ...rest } = message.payload;
+                // focus renderer window
+                mainThreadEmitter.emit('app/show');
+                // @ts-expect-error
+                const response = await TrezorConnect[method](rest);
+                ws.send(JSON.stringify(response));
+            } finally {
+                // blur renderer window
+                // mainThreadEmitter.emit('');
+            }
+        });
+    });
+
+    // todo: hmmm am I allowed to use app here directly?
+    app.on('before-quit', () => {
+        wss.close();
+    });
+};
+
 export const initBackground: ModuleInitBackground = ({ store }: Pick<Dependencies, 'store'>) => {
     const { logger } = global;
     logger.info(SERVICE_NAME, `Starting service`);
@@ -28,6 +87,10 @@ export const initBackground: ModuleInitBackground = ({ store }: Pick<Dependencie
                     const response = await TrezorConnect[method](...params);
                     await setProxy(true);
 
+                    if (app.commandLine.hasSwitch('expose-connect-ws') || isDevEnv) {
+                        exposeConnectWs({ mainThreadEmitter });
+                    }
+
                     return response;
                 }