diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc.h b/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd7b9bf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020, Google Inc.
+ *
+ * ipa_ipc.h - Image Processing Algorithm IPC module for IPA proxies
+ */
+#ifndef __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_H__
+#define __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_H__
+
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace libcamera {
+
+class IPAIPC
+{
+public:
+	IPAIPC([[maybe_unused]] const char *ipa_module_path,
+	       [[maybe_unused]] const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path);
+	virtual ~IPAIPC();
+
+	bool isValid() const { return valid_; }
+
+	virtual int sendSync(uint32_t cmd,
+			     const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+			     const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in,
+			     std::vector<uint8_t> *data_out = nullptr,
+			     std::vector<int32_t> *fds_out = nullptr) = 0;
+
+	virtual int sendAsync(uint32_t cmd,
+			      const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+			      const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in) = 0;
+
+	Signal<std::vector<uint8_t> &, std::vector<int32_t> &> recvIPC;
+
+protected:
+	bool valid_;
+};
+
+class IPAIPCFactory
+{
+public:
+	IPAIPCFactory(const char *name);
+	virtual ~IPAIPCFactory() {}
+
+	virtual std::unique_ptr<IPAIPC> create(const char *ipa_module_path,
+					       const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path) = 0;
+
+	const std::string &name() const { return name_; }
+
+	static void registerType(IPAIPCFactory *factory);
+	static std::vector<IPAIPCFactory *> &factories();
+
+private:
+	std::string name_;
+};
+
+#define REGISTER_IPA_IPC(ipc)						\
+class ipc##Factory final : public IPAIPCFactory				\
+{									\
+public:									\
+	ipc##Factory() : IPAIPCFactory(#ipc) {}				\
+	std::unique_ptr<IPAIPC> create(const char *ipa_module_path,	\
+				       const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path)\
+	{								\
+		return std::make_unique<ipc>(ipa_module_path,		\
+					     ipa_proxy_worker_path);	\
+	}								\
+};									\
+static ipc##Factory global_##ipc##Factory;
+
+} /* namespace libcamera */
+
+#endif /* __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_H__ */
diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.h b/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4acb27aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.h
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020, Google Inc.
+ *
+ * ipa_ipc_unixsocket.h - Image Processing Algorithm IPC module using unix socket
+ */
+#ifndef __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_UNIXSOCKET_H__
+#define __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_UNIXSOCKET_H__
+
+// TODO move this to an ipaipc header directory
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <libcamera/span.h>
+
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipa_module.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipc_unixsocket.h"
+
+namespace libcamera {
+
+class Process;
+
+void writeHeader(IPCUnixSocket::Payload &payload, uint32_t cmd, uint32_t seq)
+{
+	uint8_t cmd_arr[] = {static_cast<uint8_t>(cmd & 0xff),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(cmd & (0xff << 8)),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(cmd & (0xff << 16)),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(cmd & (0xff << 24))};
+	uint8_t seq_arr[] = {static_cast<uint8_t>(seq & 0xff),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(seq & (0xff << 8)),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(seq & (0xff << 16)),
+			     static_cast<uint8_t>(seq & (0xff << 24))};
+	payload.data.insert(payload.data.begin(), cmd_arr, cmd_arr+4);
+	payload.data.insert(payload.data.begin() + 4, seq_arr, seq_arr+4);
+}
+
+std::tuple<uint32_t, uint32_t> readHeader(IPCUnixSocket::Payload &payload)
+{
+	uint32_t cmd = (payload.data[0] & 0xff) |
+		       ((payload.data[1] & 0xff) << 8) |
+		       ((payload.data[2] & 0xff) << 16) |
+		       ((payload.data[3] & 0xff) << 24);
+	uint32_t seq = (payload.data[4] & 0xff) |
+		       ((payload.data[5] & 0xff) << 8) |
+		       ((payload.data[6] & 0xff) << 16) |
+		       ((payload.data[7] & 0xff) << 24);
+
+	return {cmd, seq};
+}
+
+void eraseHeader(IPCUnixSocket::Payload &payload)
+{
+	payload.data.erase(payload.data.begin(), payload.data.begin() + 8);
+}
+
+void writeUInt32(IPCUnixSocket::Payload &payload, uint32_t val, uint32_t pos)
+{
+	if (pos + 4 > payload.data.size())
+		return;
+
+	uint8_t arr[] = {static_cast<uint8_t>(val & 0xff),
+			 static_cast<uint8_t>(val & (0xff << 8)),
+			 static_cast<uint8_t>(val & (0xff << 16)),
+			 static_cast<uint8_t>(val & (0xff << 24))};
+	std::copy(arr, arr + 4, payload.data.begin() + pos);
+}
+
+uint32_t readUInt32(IPCUnixSocket::Payload &payload, uint32_t pos)
+{
+	if (pos + 4 > payload.data.size())
+		return 0;
+
+	return payload.data[pos] & (payload.data[pos + 1] << 8) &
+	       (payload.data[pos + 2] << 16) & (payload.data[pos + 3] << 24);
+}
+
+
+class IPAIPCUnixSocket : public IPAIPC
+{
+public:
+	IPAIPCUnixSocket(const char *ipa_module_path, const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path);
+	~IPAIPCUnixSocket();
+
+	bool isValid() const { return valid_; }
+
+	int sendSync(uint32_t cmd,
+		     const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+		     const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in,
+		     std::vector<uint8_t> *data_out,
+		     std::vector<int32_t> *fds_out) override;
+
+	int sendAsync(uint32_t cmd,
+		      const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+		      const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in) override;
+
+private:
+	struct CallData {
+		IPCUnixSocket::Payload *response;
+		bool done;
+	};
+
+	void readyRead(IPCUnixSocket *socket);
+	int call(const IPCUnixSocket::Payload &message, IPCUnixSocket::Payload *response, uint32_t seq);
+
+	uint32_t seq_;
+
+	Process *proc_;
+
+	IPCUnixSocket *socket_;
+
+	std::map<uint32_t, struct CallData> callData_;
+};
+
+} /* namespace libcamera */
+
+#endif /* __LIBCAMERA_INTERNAL_IPA_IPC_UNIXSOCKET_H__ */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc.cpp b/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..142f4bc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020, Google Inc.
+ *
+ * ipa_ipc.cpp - Image Processing Algorithm IPC module for IPA proxies
+ */
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipc_unixsocket.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/log.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/process.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/thread.h"
+
+#include <libcamera/event_dispatcher.h>
+#include <libcamera/timer.h>
+
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc.h"
+
+namespace libcamera {
+
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(IPAIPC)
+
+IPAIPC::IPAIPC([[maybe_unused]] const char *ipa_module_path,
+	       [[maybe_unused]] const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path)
+	: valid_(false)
+{
+}
+
+IPAIPC::~IPAIPC()
+{
+}
+
+IPAIPCFactory::IPAIPCFactory(const char *name)
+	: name_(name)
+{
+	registerType(this);
+}
+
+void IPAIPCFactory::registerType(IPAIPCFactory *factory)
+{
+	std::vector<IPAIPCFactory *> &factories = IPAIPCFactory::factories();
+
+	factories.push_back(factory);
+
+	LOG(IPAIPC, Debug)
+		<< "Registered IPC \"" << factory->name() << "\"";
+}
+
+std::vector<IPAIPCFactory *> &IPAIPCFactory::factories()
+{
+	static std::vector<IPAIPCFactory *> factories;
+	return factories;
+}
+
+// TODO documentation, obviously
+
+} /* namespace libcamera */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.cpp b/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aabc81bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libcamera/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020, Google Inc.
+ *
+ * ipa_ipc_unixsocket.cpp - Image Processing Algorithm IPC module using unix socket
+ */
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipc_unixsocket.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/log.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/process.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/thread.h"
+
+#include <libcamera/event_dispatcher.h>
+#include <libcamera/timer.h>
+
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/ipa_ipc_unixsocket.h"
+
+namespace libcamera {
+
+LOG_DECLARE_CATEGORY(IPAIPC)
+
+IPAIPCUnixSocket::IPAIPCUnixSocket(const char *ipa_module_path,
+				   const char *ipa_proxy_worker_path)
+	: IPAIPC(ipa_module_path, ipa_proxy_worker_path), seq_(0),
+	  proc_(nullptr), socket_(nullptr)
+{
+	std::vector<int> fds;
+	std::vector<std::string> args;
+	args.push_back(ipa_module_path);
+
+	socket_ = new IPCUnixSocket();
+	int fd = socket_->create();
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		LOG(IPAIPC, Error)
+			<< "Failed to create socket";
+		return;
+	}
+	socket_->readyRead.connect(this, &IPAIPCUnixSocket::readyRead);
+	args.push_back(std::to_string(fd));
+	fds.push_back(fd);
+
+	proc_ = new Process();
+	int ret = proc_->start(ipa_proxy_worker_path, args, fds);
+	if (ret) {
+		LOG(IPAIPC, Error)
+			<< "Failed to start proxy worker process";
+		return;
+	}
+
+	valid_ = true;
+}
+
+IPAIPCUnixSocket::~IPAIPCUnixSocket()
+{
+	delete proc_;
+	delete socket_;
+}
+
+int IPAIPCUnixSocket::sendSync(uint32_t cmd,
+			       const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+			       const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in,
+			       std::vector<uint8_t> *data_out,
+			       std::vector<int32_t> *fds_out)
+{
+	IPCUnixSocket::Payload message, response;
+	int ret;
+
+	/* It's fine if seq_ overflows; that'll just be the new epoch. */
+	seq_++;
+	writeHeader(message, cmd, seq_);
+	message.data.insert(message.data.end(), data_in.begin(), data_in.end());
+
+	message.fds = const_cast<std::vector<int32_t> &>(fds_in);
+
+	ret = call(message, &response, seq_);
+	if (ret) {
+		LOG(IPAIPC, Error) << "Failed to call sync";
+		callData_.erase(seq_);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	if (data_out)
+		data_out->insert(data_out->end(), response.data.begin(), response.data.end());
+
+	if (fds_out)
+		fds_out->insert(fds_out->end(), response.fds.begin(), response.fds.end());
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int IPAIPCUnixSocket::sendAsync(uint32_t cmd,
+				const std::vector<uint8_t> &data_in,
+				const std::vector<int32_t> &fds_in)
+{
+	IPCUnixSocket::Payload message;
+	int ret;
+
+	writeHeader(message, cmd, 0);
+	message.data.insert(message.data.end(), data_in.begin(), data_in.end());
+
+	message.fds = const_cast<std::vector<int32_t> &>(fds_in);
+
+	ret = socket_->send(message);
+	if (ret) {
+		LOG(IPAIPC, Error) << "Failed to call async";
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void IPAIPCUnixSocket::readyRead(IPCUnixSocket *socket)
+{
+	IPCUnixSocket::Payload message;
+	int ret = socket->receive(&message);
+	if (ret) {
+		LOG(IPAIPC, Error) << "Receive message failed" << ret;
+		return;
+	}
+
+	uint32_t cmd, seq;
+	std::tie(cmd, seq) = readHeader(message);
+
+	auto callData = callData_.find(seq);
+	if (callData != callData_.end()) {
+		eraseHeader(message);
+		/* Is there any way to avoid this copy? */
+		*callData->second.response = message;
+		callData->second.done = true;
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Received unexpected data, this means it's a call from the IPA.
+	 * We can't return anything to the IPA (gotta keep them under *our*
+	 * control, plus returning would require blocking the caller, and we
+	 * can't afford to do that). Let the proxy do switch-case on cmd.
+	 */
+	recvIPC.emit(message.data, message.fds);
+
+	return;
+}
+
+int IPAIPCUnixSocket::call(const IPCUnixSocket::Payload &message, IPCUnixSocket::Payload *response, uint32_t seq)
+{
+	Timer timeout;
+	int ret;
+
+	callData_[seq].response = response;
+	callData_[seq].done = false;
+
+	ret = socket_->send(message);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	timeout.start(200);
+	while (!callData_[seq].done) {
+		if (!timeout.isRunning()) {
+			LOG(IPAIPC, Error) << "Call timeout!";
+			callData_.erase(seq);
+			return -ETIMEDOUT;
+		}
+
+		Thread::current()->eventDispatcher()->processEvents();
+	}
+
+	callData_.erase(seq);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+REGISTER_IPA_IPC(IPAIPCUnixSocket)
+
+} /* namespace libcamera */
